How to act live...

[madscout]

I went to Vegas last weekend and played pretty much exclusively 1/2 NL. I have very little experience playing this game live, and have replayed the hand I'm about to describe in my head a thousand times trying to figure out how I would have got the money in if a spade hit the river. Here is the situation:

I've been sitting at the table for around 4 hours and have built up to about $350. Another guy (the villain in the hand) was there when I got there and has been hovering around $500 the whole time. I wasn't there when he built the majority of his stack, but he seems pretty tight and has maybe a medium level of aggresion. He is observant of the table, and has told me that he respects my play. On to the hand!

I'm on the BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Two limpers, around to villain (SB) who calls
I check.

Flop ($8): K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

everyone checks

Turn ($8): 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Villain checks. I lead out for $10, two folds
Villain holds out his two red chips, shakes them, and says 'I want to raise you.' But just calls.

River ($28): 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Villain checks
I bet $20
Villain folds.

After the hand Villain says he had J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] x[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

How close did I come to taking a huge pot! [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

On to the hypothetical question if a spade had fallen:

How do I get the money in the middle against someone who respects my play? I don't think he would have been willing to double me up.

Let's say he bets $25. Do I...

a) Make a quick raise to $100 without much thought or consideration.

b) Make a raise to $100 after much deliberation.

c) Say 'Time... Alright, here's your $25, and I have another $300... yeah. I'm just gunna go all in 'cause I don't think you have the spades' and shovel all my chips to the center.

d) Make a comment about how I should never slow play a straight and then go all-in in disgust.

e) Click the slider bar and slide it all the way to the right and click bet, stand up, and yell 'call!!! call!!! call!!!', oh wait... this wasn't an intranet hand.

How do I get villain chips in the middle?

[-Skeme-]

Villain wanted to check-raise on the turn, out of position, with an OESD and non-nut flush draw? I'd prefer leading out if I was Villain. Anyways, back to the hand..

You came close, that's for sure. After he says he wants to raise me, I don't think I'd put him on a draw. I'd probably just check behind, but if he respects your play then go ahead and bet again. With him telling you this and him check-calling, I'd probably fire again too.

If the [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] comes and he leads out for $25 I'd probably ponder a bit and make it $100. I'm not really a fan of value bets with monster hands.. I like going for the kill and pushing, but obviously this isn't great here with the stacks so large. I doubt he'd be calling your all in here, so a larger value bet is probably in order.

[BreakfastBurrito]

Just make a raise that you think he'll call and try not to make too big a production out of it.

[Tboner7]

I like option e)

I use that all the time. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]