2 situations

[gol4pro]

I'm still getting used to a deep stack, and I find that I'm a bit hesitant to contest large pots with only moderately strong hands when I'm new to the table. Is this normal?

Hand 1:
Hero is dealt A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] on button
-- UTG opens 2xBB, 2 calls, hero raises to 9xBB, UTG calls, others fold.

Flop Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (pot 21)
-- UTG Donkbets 10$, hero calls

Turn K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
-- UTG bets 21$, Hero calls

River 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
-- UTG checks, hero checks

-- Did I play this too passively? Without a note on the guy, I didn't want to go crazy with just TPTK. Value bet the river? I thought he had KJ/KQ.

Situation 2
-- UTG limps, Hero raises from mp to 5xBB with J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], BB raises to 11xBB, hero calls

Flop 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img](pot 22)
-- BB bets 10$, hero folds.

-- I think I should have called that bet, because it really did look like AK. But at the same time, I had a weak overpair against an unknown in a pot that would likely grow very large on later streets. Was folding weak-tight?

[amoeba]

I think both hands are fine.

calling in hand 2 is also ok if you are somewhat deep but generally people don't reraise a sizable reraise preflop without a premium pair.

[BZ_Zorro]

Don't like hand 1.

PF is too big. Try 5.
Flop, you're calling with A high and a gutshot. Likely he's paired something, so you're drawing to 7 outs (at best), and you don't know which are good. The turn play shows why. Calling the flop is bad. Rather raise than call, easy fold though imo.

Hand 2: Probably OK. I don't raise that much with JJ pf for this reason.

[amoeba]

when somebody minraises, you reraise to 5xBB?

[BZ_Zorro]

When I have AKo I do. 9BB is a bit excessive unless the guy's a lag or bad CS.

[bizaff]

Do you reraise other hands to 5BB?

[coffeecrazy1]

Jeez...I try to make my pf raises 3 or 4 BB...and that drives lots of folks out, anyway.

[pokernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
When I have AKo I do. 9BB is a bit excessive unless the guy's a lag or bad CS.

[/ QUOTE ]

Betting 5BBs in this situation seems too small. One goal of raising is to drive out the riff-raff. I can't imagine that the original min-raiser and two cold-callers would fold for three more bets in this situation. So, a 5BB bet doesn't seem to accomplish much. While I think 9BBs might be excessive if you're opening the pot, it's not high if there are already people in the pot when it gets to you.

With big slick, two-thirds of the time you miss the flop and only have Ace high. If there are already 7.5 bets before the betting gets to me, I'm happy to take down the pot right there with a sufficiently large bet without seeing a flop. That's a nice score for AK.

[amoeba]

I fully agree with this logic.

[overtly spruce]

Hand 1 is horrible for a number of reasons. First off, even though you have position 9xBB is way to big for a PF raise, try 3-4xBB. The only situation in which you would want to make a raise like that preflop is when you are acting behind a number of preflop raisers that have raised in front of you and you are holding a big pair. With a drawing hand like AKos the only thing that you are going to do is get worse hands to fold and better hands to call, unless you get some loose callers, but even so, an uncoordinated board that you have paired is still not going to make up for the long term losses accrued in the previous situation I mentioned.

Secondly, your play becomes markedly worse when you get to the flop. You have 14 outs on the flop, either to pair the board, make your backdoor flush, or complete a streight, so you are looking at roughly 2:1 odds, discounting that if you make your TP his streight may also be made, or you may both draw a flush, him with the nuts. In either case, you are way behind, possibly drawing dead, and should have been out of the pot long ago.

Thirdly, your turn call is ridiculous, and is no where near passive but lands flatly on loose. Calling a huge bet like that on a coordinated board when you are holding only TPTK facing two possible flushes and a streight is horrible.

Finally, your river play was definately passive. That 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] is a scare card that you should use when acting after a check with a board and betting like that. Make a nominal bet, try and steal the pot, or get yourself a little ahead if you do have the best hand... for all the other times you raise 9xBB with AKos and get the blinds folded to you or don't pair the board. IMO
[ QUOTE ]
I'm still getting used to a deep stack, and I find that I'm a bit hesitant to contest large pots with only moderately strong hands when I'm new to the table. Is this normal?

Hand 1:
Hero is dealt A K on button
-- UTG opens 2xBB, 2 calls, hero raises to 9xBB, UTG calls, others fold.

Flop Q J 3 (pot 21)
-- UTG Donkbets 10$, hero calls

Turn K
-- UTG bets 21$, Hero calls

River 7
-- UTG checks, hero checks

-- Did I play this too passively? Without a note on the guy, I didn't want to go crazy with just TPTK. Value bet the river? I thought he had KJ/KQ.


[/ QUOTE ]