2 big AJ hands at NL50

wiggs73 · #1 08-26-2005, 09:48 AM

Hand 1:
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (9 handed) converter

UTG+1 ($41.01)
MP1 ($90.05)
MP2 ($38)
Hero ($36.95)
CO ($27.80)
Button ($47.50)
SB ($59.95)
BB ($54.65)
UTG ($50.50)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.25.
3 folds, MP2 calls $0.50, Hero raises to $2, 1 fold, Button calls $2, 2 folds, MP2 folds.

Flop: ($5.25) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets $3.5, Button raises to $18, Hero calls $14.50.

Turn: ($41.25) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero calls $16.95 (All-In)

Hand 2:
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (7 handed) converter

Button ($72.40)
SB ($79)
Hero ($47.40)
UTG ($81.10)
MP1 ($65.17)
MP2 ($52.10)
CO ($74.12)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.25.
1 fold, MP1 calls $0.50, 2 folds, Button calls $0.50, 1 fold, Hero checks.

Flop: ($1.75) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets $1, Button calls $1, Hero raises to $4, MP1 folds, Button calls $3.

Turn: ($10.75) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets $7, Button calls $7.

River: ($24.75) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $18, Hero calls $18.

Final Pot: $60.75

No reads in either hand.

AllIn3High · #2 08-26-2005, 09:50 AM

Hand 1: Fold the flop, what are you hoping he has??

Hand 2: Lead the flop, lead the turn, check/call river. Give up to serious resistance.

AJ cannot take this much heat.

wiggs73 · #3 08-26-2005, 09:58 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Hand 1: Fold the flop, what are you hoping he has??

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm hoping he has a worse Ace, a mid-high PP (TT or JJ) or a (badly played) flush draw that he's semi-bluffing with.

I think other likely holdings could be a set or AQ / AK, but I think he tries to get more value out of these hands. This raise looks like he wants me to fold an ace.

AllIn3High · #4 08-26-2005, 10:06 AM

[ QUOTE ]

I'm hoping he has a worse Ace, a mid-high PP (TT or JJ) or a (badly played) flush draw that he's semi-bluffing with.

I think other likely holdings could be a set or AQ / AK, but I think he tries to get more value out of these hands. This raise looks like he wants me to fold an ace.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes... or looks like he has a strong hand (set/2pair/AK) and is hoping you have an ace you're willing to commit your stack with.

Just wait for a better spot, I might decide to go to the felt with AK here. But against an unknown this is just a very easy laydown in a fairly small pot.

EDIT: And really, how often do you see people make these kind of raises with semi-bluffs or "to get people to fold aces". If they have any kind of brain they're not trying to push people off hands at $50NL.

#5 08-26-2005, 10:22 AM

Fold first hand after flop raise. Second hand, bet half pot on turn, 1/3 pot on river as a blocking bet. You can't afford to check/call river because even a pot sized bet will really put you to the test. You want to keep pot small without showing weakness, so blocking bet it. If raised, easy muck.

kurto · #6 08-26-2005, 01:06 PM

1) Hand one- When I see people lose their whole stack with a hand like AJ and only make top pair... I quickly take notes on them. When the the person with just AJ puts their whole stack on the line with just top pair and WINS, I take notes on BOTH players.

When he tripled your flop bet... what were you thinking? If you had very good reads on the player, then you failed to list them for the analysis. Because 99% of the time someone raises your $3.5 bet to $18... you top pair Jack kicker is no good.

2) I don't know why you're checkraising out of position with a pair against a player you have no reads on?!? Why bloat the size of the pot with just a pair? Lead the flop. Make a blocking bet on the river to control the size of the pot.

In both of these hands you have committed more then half of your stack with top pair, jack kicker. These aren't monster hands. These are hands you want to play for a small pot.