My hand keeps improving, but I'm not sure how much I like it

[Nick C]

I played at my local B&M this afternoon and found myself at a strange table that was loose pre-flop but then turned tight-passive once the flop came. Any bet was a hand, and top pairs and even overpairs were sometimes checked to the river after having been called on the flop. Most hands didn't reach a showdown, and, if you were raised, you could count on being heads-up against at least two pair. I had some trouble adjusting.

So I won some small pots and lost a few bigger ones, and then I headed home and logged onto Party, which is a much different game.

I didn't get many premium starting cards, but I tried to get by with what I had . . .

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, Hero calls, <font color="CC3333">SB raises</font>, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, Hero calls.

I wish the small blind hadn't raised, but at least we're probably not competing for the same flop cards. And there are a lot of people in.

Flop: (13 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, UTG folds, UTG+2 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB calls, UTG+2 folds, MP2 calls.

Probably no one has JT. I raise! Now let me see the river for free, please.

Turn: (10 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, MP2 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB calls, MP2 calls.

Well, now I have a pair. The small blind may just have overcards, and possibly that's all MP2 has too. Maybe I don't want the free card after all. I can always check behind on the river, given the chance . . .

River: (13 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, MP2 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">MP2 raises</font>, Hero calls.

Okay, now I've got a straight, so I have to bet again. And when I get check-raised -- well, it's certainly not the first time. I guess I call.

Final Pot: 17 BB

[Thomsen]

"probably noone has 10 J"

Ok why is that - what is a better limping hand than 10 J suited ?

But you have to call - he might be slowplaying a set or an overpair - or he might think you are bluffing. I think you have the odds to call.

[Nick C]

For what it's worth, "I guess I call" understates things a bit. There was no way I was folding to the check-raise on the river. (So we agree that I shouldn't.)

I don't know -- I love JTs, more than I should, but I don't get that hand very often. I know most of my opponents will just as eagerly play JTo, but I'm still not going to assume my opponent has it when he check-raises me on the river.

Maybe I should have considered more seriously that one of my opponents had that hand before I raised the flop. I don't know. Raising the bottom-end of a straight draw is not something I usually do. (Well, actually, it's not a hand I usually have.) But I thought it was a good idea to do so in this case, so long as no one has JT. And, in a way, I suppose my flop raise was sort of a protest against my atypical afternoon at the B&amp;M, where I never found an occasion where I thought it was prudent to raise without a made hand.

[Fat Nicky]

I like the way you played it, although, while not discounting JT, don't be scared of it either.

Hopefully, MP2 turned over 89.

Would raising the river be too reckless here???

[feelixthegreek]

Forget JT. If it's the kind of B&amp;M I play at (and I think it is), you also have to take T6s into account. I'm not saying you should have done anything different, but brace yourself for the showdown.

[feelixthegreek]

Especially because T6 becomes a double gutshot when the 5 hits the turn.

(And no I'm not a proponent of T6s in MP.)

[Nick C]

[ QUOTE ]
Would raising the river be too reckless here???

[/ QUOTE ]

I wonder about this too. Is there enough chance that I'm ahead to risk a 3-bet? I'm not sure, but I was happy just to call and see a showdown at the time.

[MoreWineII]

Looks fine to me. Folding the river is not an option, but I don't think 3-betting is either.

[Nick C]

Thanks for the responses.

MP2 shows 6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and we split the pot.