Ignorant end of a straight

Guthrie · #1 08-05-2005, 11:10 AM

All my small suited connectors are brightly illuminated in red in PT, but Ed Miller says play them in LP and so I soldier on. No particular reads, typical fish playing any two cards. Comments welcome on all streets, but particularly the river. If MP2 was a decent player, he probably wouldn't have been playing QJ, and probably wouldn't have called a raise on the flop with a gutshot.

Paradise Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $0.50.
3 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, 1 fold, CO (poster) checks, Hero calls, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (6 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 players)
SB bets, BB calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, CO folds, Hero raises, SB folds, BB folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

Turn: (7 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players)
MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

River: (10 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
MP1 checks, MP2 bets, Hero raises, MP1 folds, MP2 3-bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 16 BB

MrWookie47 · #2 08-05-2005, 11:16 AM

I check the turn. You have 9 outs to the flush, and 6 more to the straight, for a total of 15. That gives you about 30% equity in the pot. In order for a bet to be +EV, you would need one more player in the pot. Then you'd be putting in 25% of the money in a pot that you have a 30% stake in. Actually, you might have the 3% equity you need against 3 players in fold equity, but against two of the standard Party types, 3% might be a bit optimistic about how often you pick up the pot on the turn with a bet. I'll grant that it's close.

Preflop, flop, and river are perfect.

@bsolute_luck · #3 08-05-2005, 11:17 AM

i'd probably just call his donkbet. QJ is definitely possible.

Preflop: "ooh i have 2 face cards"
Flop:"ooh i have two face cards that are better than is pair of 9s and if i get a T i win"
Turn: rinse repeat flop thought process
River: "ooh i win! i'm so glad i stayed in this hand"

W. Deranged · #4 08-05-2005, 11:22 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I check the turn. You have 9 outs to the flush, and 6 more to the straight, for a total of 15. That gives you about 30% equity in the pot. In order for a bet to be +EV, you would need one more player in the pot. Then you'd be putting in 25% of the money in a pot that you have a 30% stake in. Actually, you might have the 3% equity you need against 3 players in fold equity, but against two of the standard Party types, 3% might be a bit optimistic about how often you pick up the pot on the turn with a bet. I'll grant that it's close.

Preflop, flop, and river are perfect.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think a turn bet is bad here. You will not have the fold equity in a game at this level, and you are drawing to relatively tenuous outs. If you are up against a bigger flush or have any dead straight cards, your equity is certainly too low to merit a bet here.

Pre-flop, flop, and river, though, look excellent.

Harv72b · #5 08-05-2005, 02:34 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If MP2 was a decent player, he probably wouldn't have been playing QJ, and probably wouldn't have called a raise on the flop with a gutshot.

[/ QUOTE ]

A lot of inexperienced players will limp behind in MP with QJ; depending on the texture of the table this is a good limp. As far as calling on the flop, I call 1 bet with 2 overs + a gutshot to the nuts getting 9:1 every single time here. When it's raised behind me and I'm now getting 14:1 to call while closing the action, this is a blatantly easy flop call. Calling the turn is iffy, unless he he is holding specifically Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].

As far as how you played the hand, I like the flop raise a lot. I also like the turn bet--even though it's almost certain that someone has you beat at that point, and a pretty sure thing that not everyone is folding to your bet, you almost certainly have an equity edge with your 15-outer vs. 3 opponents. That makes this a pretty easy value bet.

When MP2 suddenly wakes up and leads the river after calling down passively to that point, I like a call. There's a very good chance that you have the best hand and MP2 just hit two pair with T9 or something, but you also have to take into account the possiblity that he did hit the top end of the straight, or even boated up with a passively played TT. By just calling, you eliminate the opportunity for him to 3-bet you with a better hand, and increase the chance that MP1 overcalls to pad your equity.

Note that I don't regularly play .50/1, so I may be giving your opponents too much credit.