blind defense with KT

topspin · #1 07-16-2005, 07:06 PM

Start of the second orbit of an unusually tight table. In the first orbit alone it has folded around to the blinds twice. No reads on anyone yet.

Any thoughts on my play of this hand?

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 max, 9 handed) http://216.119.70.224/converter/hhconverter.pl

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
5 folds, CO raises, 1 fold, SB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (6 SB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, CO bets, SB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (4 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets...

EDIT: One obvious alternative is to lead the flop. With a relatively marginal holding, I didn't think leading was giving me much protection unless a better hand raised me, so I decided to check and re-evaluate based on whether SB came along and whether the turn card was non-scary. Heads-up with a blank falling, I'm pretty sure I still have the best hand and decided leading was the most straightforward action.

Vote4Pedro · #2 07-16-2005, 07:10 PM

I'd prefer to c/r the flop and go from there. Leading the turn might force him into submission with a hand like KQ or QJs, fearing two pair or something along those lines.

topspin · #3 07-16-2005, 07:13 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I'd prefer to c/r the flop and go from there. Leading the turn might force him into submission with a hand like KQ or QJs, fearing two pair or something along those lines.

[/ QUOTE ]

... whereas a check-raise is less scary?

What's your plan for the turn UI if 3-bet?

eviljeff · #4 07-16-2005, 07:15 PM

the plan is pretty straightforward. call the 3 bet. check/fold the turn UI

Vote4Pedro · #5 07-16-2005, 07:17 PM

If you c/r the flop and he 3bets, you can safely fold. You said yourself that this was an unusually tight table, what do you think he raises w/ PF, makes a flop continuation bet, and 3bets a checkraiser with?

eviljeff · #6 07-16-2005, 07:13 PM

preflop call is questionable, but if you're going to do it, c/r the flop. why donkbet?

Rev. Good Will · #7 07-16-2005, 07:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
preflop call is questionable, but if you're going to do it, c/r the flop. why donkbet?

[/ QUOTE ]

KTo isn't good enough for a suspected steal?

Dave G. · #8 07-16-2005, 07:14 PM

My first thought is that you should change tables.

I'd bet the flop. You have bad relative position to SB so you can't checkraise to knock anyone out. CO might raise leaving you heads up, although it depends on who CO is if that's a good thing or not.

The way you played it though, and since you now have the pot heads up, I think this is a good time for WA/WB. Check/call the turn, donkbet the river. He's very unlikely to raise you on the river without something pretty good, but he might raise the turn thinking you are playing back at him.

topspin · #9 07-16-2005, 07:20 PM

Yeah, I got up after this orbit.

The problem with WA/WB is that if we're ahead, we're not way ahead. Villain in most cases will have 6 outs to beat us.

Dave G. · #10 07-16-2005, 07:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The problem with WA/WB is that if we're ahead, we're not way ahead. Villain in most cases will have 6 outs to beat us.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's true, but you're never really going to know if you're ahead or not here. Most people can play pretty tricky on blindsteals. If he raises the turn, are you folding? How do you know he isn't trying to steal it? What's more, if he really has nothing here, he might fold to the turn donkbet. Do we really want a weaker hand to stop betting at us?

That's why I suggested this line. Against an unknown, I'd rather show this hand down, and there's a much smaller chance that a raise on the river is a steal. At the same time, we collect value and let him try to buy the pot if he is indeed taking the worst of it.