Hand to Talk About

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

Here's a hand I played in the $80-$160 game at The Bellagio on Saturday night. Due to a bunch of walkers the game was four handed and I was in the big blind.

The first two players folded. The small blind who is a loose and aggressive player who I have plaed with many times before raises. I call with 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

The flop comes A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (so I have flopped the bottom end of a gut shot). My opponent bet and I called.

The turn is the K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. My opponent checked. I bet and he folded.

All comments welcome.

best wishes,
Mason

[SinCityGuy]

I think that you used your tight table image to your advantage on this hand. Your opponent had to be very troubled over your cold-call on the flop. He was probably thinking that you might raise him on the turn, so he decided to give up on the hand.

What do you do if he leads out on the turn?

[jgorham]

[ QUOTE ]
What do you do if he leads out on the turn?

[/ QUOTE ]

Fold.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Guy:

One thing that I do in hands that only feature a couple of players is to trap more than many of my opponents. Thus I will frequently call a bettor on the flop when I have a moderately strong hand that others will usually raise with if there is not anyone to knock out.

In a short handed situation, which differs from what I'm describing above in the sense that above everyone should have a pretty good starting hand as opposed to "steal" type hands, I switch my strategy and frequently raise light. However, many of my opponents don't know this but do remember my trapping in what looks to them like a similar spot (but in reality it's not). So I'm not really taking advantage of a tight image even though that may play a role. I'm taking advantage of a misconception they may have formed about my play.

Best wishes,
Mason

[jgorham]

Seems to me like a LAG will be raising with any two cards in this spot. So 76o with position seems like an easy call. Then with that flop, there is no way the LAG doesn't bet. So it seems like villains range of hands here is still any 2. Running the numbers on pokerstove, you have roughly 35% equity (fractions of pair outs and your gutshot). Getting 5-1 this seems like an easy call.

Even if we reduce the LAG's range to any two suited, broadway, or paired you still have almost 30% equity, and are getting odds to call.

Further, if this is a thinking LAG who has played with you enough to *know* you would flatcall an Ace on the flop, your history might be enough to win this hand without a showdown. Not sure how much this is results oriented thinking, but history is a very important factor when playing against a LAG, especially heads up IMO.

As for the turn, this LAG might be setting you up for a checkraise, but it seems more likely he would just continue firing if he had a hand. You only have to take down the pot here 1 time in 3.5, so it seems like this is a definite positive EV bet to me.

So I think the hand was well played [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi jgorham:

Yours is a very good analysis.

One point to make is that against someone who will raise with all his hands, and if there was no betting from the flop on, it would make sense to call in this spot with any two cards since I'm getting 3-to-1 (not 5-to-1 as you wrote).

However, even the loose aggressives will fold their weakest hands, and the betting from the flop on can be to my disadvantageous with my poorest starting hands, so I should probably still fold my worst hands. However, seven-six offsuit is still an easy call.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Pharity]

[ QUOTE ]
One point to make is that against someone who will raise with all his hands, and if there was no betting from the flop on, it would make sense to call in this spot with any two cards since I'm getting 3-to-1 (not 5-to-1 as you wrote).

[/ QUOTE ]
Dear Mason, to count the odds you're recieving on the flop you need to take the bets going into the pot preflop and add the bet SB puts in on the flop. In this case this equation will result in 5 small bets. When you then decide whether or not to call you need to take the pot size on the flop (5 small bets) in relation to the number of small bets you need to put in the pot to call (1 small bet). In this case 5-to-1.

Best wishes,
Pharity

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One point to make is that against someone who will raise with all his hands, and if there was no betting from the flop on, it would make sense to call in this spot with any two cards since I'm getting 3-to-1 (not 5-to-1 as you wrote).

[/ QUOTE ]
Dear Mason, to count the odds you're recieving on the flop you need to take the bets going into the pot preflop and add the bet SB puts in on the flop. In this case this equation will result in 5 small bets. When you then decide whether or not to call you need to take the pot size on the flop (5 small bets) in relation to the number of small bets you need to put in the pot to call (1 small bet). In this case 5-to-1.

Best wishes,
Pharity

[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
and the betting from the flop on

[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
seven-six offsuit is still an easy call.

[/ QUOTE ]
Seems pretty obvious he is talking about preflop. Nice attitude, though.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Pharity:

You're right. Somehow I thought the poster was referring to the before the flop csll.

Best wishes,
Mason

[emil3000]

Am I missing something? This seems like one of two standard lines, nothing special. Calling the flop is probably scarier than raising, and Mason's likely to call with an ace too, so I like that.