Stud8 - Day 3, Hand 10

[Aaron W.]

Am I right to raise 4th? He is almost certainly ahead going high.

7 Card Stud High-Low ($0.25/$0.50), Ante $0.05, Bring-In $0.10 (converter)

3rd Street - (1.40 SB)

Seat 1: xx xx K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___folds
Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___brings-in
Seat 3: xx xx 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 4: xx xx J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 5: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 8: xx xx Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___calls

4th Street - (2.60 SB)

Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___raises
Seat 5: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 8: xx xx Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___bets___calls

5th Street - (4.30 BB)

Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 5: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 8: xx xx Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___bets

6th Street - (6.30 BB)

Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___bets
Seat 8: xx xx Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___checks___calls

River - (8.30 BB)

Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___bets
Seat 8: xx xx Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] xx___checks___calls

Total pot: (10.30 BB)

[cognito20]

Yeah, I definitely raise 4th St. here. You don't have a draw to a great low, but it's a good draw to that low (about 70% chance of hitting it), and Seat 8 is certainly going high. If you let Seat 5 stick around cheaply, he's almost certainly drawing to a better low than you. Your best chance to get out of this with something is to get rid of the bricked low draw and get headsup with the high. True, you're probably only playing for half, which is generally not the greatest idea in this game, but in this case if you can get rid of the bricked low draw you are almost certainly -guaranteed- half if you hit it. Half the pot on 5th St. is 2.30 BB, and you're better than 2.3-1 to hit your low and split. Good raise, I think...probably would have played it the same way.

I'm actually a little surprised Seat 5 folded on 5th St. here. If he stood your raise on 4th, I would think he would peel one after 5th as well. My guess would be that the deuce paired him, he figured he was up against a better high in Seat 8 and your possible made 8-low and decided to cut his losses. If that deuce had given him 4 to a better low, he almost certainly takes one off on 6th St.

Good plays on 6th and 7th as well, it looks like. Seat 8 would need to have perfect cards buried to have any low at all (in fact, the only starting hand I could put him on where you might have to watch for the possible low is 2 low spades with the queen upcard), and your 2 pairing on 7th gives you slight scoop opportunity if he was pushing QQx the whole way and didnt hit the second pair. Either way, automatic bet on the end with the made low and the 2 pair vs. his board. At the very least, you're getting out of this with half.

--Scott

[mscags]

I would just call fourth, you really don't want to be heads up with the high hand because you don't have any high possibilities. Fifth street though is a must raise. Know you want to knock out the other low hand. This way you have a great opportunity to scoop against the high.