Scare card gets there - That's a good thing right?

[Lestat]

Party 30-60


1 early limper, I complete the sb with K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], bb checks.

Flop is A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

I bet, bb raises, limper folds, I re-raise, bb calls.

Turn is 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

I bet, bb raises, I re-raise, he caps, I call.

River is T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

I check, he bets, I raise.

Right or wrong?

[Xhiggy]

wow, you played that a lot more aggressively than I would have. any reads on bb?
I don't really like betting out there, especially with a limper, and much prefer check-raising if I do decide to play there. and with an earlier limper, I think I even fold this more often than not.

after the flop, I'd only play like this against a hyper-aggressive opponent. I don't see how this scare card helps you, as the hand I'd be most concerned about the villain having is a boat. any reasonable villain that has the trips with a weaker kicker I think just calls the turn 3bet and calls down.

I'm wondering if there's any value left at all..

[Lestat]

Thanks for your thoughts Xhiggy.

I'm curious why you feel I may not have flopped the best hand with 2nd pair/best kicker against 1 early limper and a random big blind?

[Xhiggy]

hello,

you're right, I've probably been undervalue-ing hands like this too soon, but once you do lead out, I feel that the BB's raise here is a lot more legitimate given the prescence of the limper, and the fact that this is not a flop to bluff-lead at.

my default line without a read on the BB would be to call the raise, and then re-evaluate on the turn. but then again, I've probably become too passive out of position lately with too much emphasis on getting to showdown..

[roy_miami]

Is completing with K5o standard? I only do it if the limper is horrible.

[Lestat]

Good point. He didn't strike me as good, which was why I played. That and the fact he was the only limper.

[pokerhooker]

On the turn, your re-raise represents at least trip 5's yet he still capped. What did you put him on? If it was a lesser 5, the T didn't help you and might have filled him up if he wasn't already. If he has a 5, I'll let him bet it.

I check-call, or bet and call a raise, although I believe some people will find that a weak line.

I assume you are trying to represent a flush when you mention "scare card" in the title, but for the same reason you didn't put him on a flush draw, he doesn't put you on one: there was too much action on the flop and turn to be drawing.

The worst-case scenario, of course, is that a flush is no good anyway, and that he filled up. Do you fold to a river 3-bet?

[flawless_victory]

it sure doesnt look like clubs are relevant to this hand, but i guess that river will prob save you from getting threebet on the end by 24.

[Lestat]

I actually liked my hand the whole way, although I did become a little nervous after he capped the turn. I thought the Tc was actually a good card for me. The way the hand played out, he is now very hard pressed to 3-bet anything less than a full house. I probably should've mentioned the bb was not a bad player, albeit maybe a little over aggressive at times.

[elindauer]

Hi Lestat,

I'm not a fan of your preflop call, in the worst position with an easily dominated hand. Your flop 3-bet is aggressive but I like it, the SB may well raise any pair there, and you beat most of those holdings.

Once you've 3-bet the flop, your hand looks like an ace, so if the BB has a dominated 5 he's loving the turn card and that explains his action on the turn. You are probably still ahead.

In light of that, I like your decision to put in one more raise on the river. It's only when he puts in one more raise that you will know that you are behind. Your odds of winning swing dramatically on whether or not he 3-bets.

Good luck.
Eric