Bet, bet, check/call vs Eeegah

[Paxosmotic]

I'm going to do something a little different. Most people post hands where they ask for advice. I'm going to post a hand that I feel is pretty straight forward and explain my thought process as I go through the hand. I think the river play is a particularly key concept that most ML players are aware of but may not be implementing.

This hand took place at the .25/.50 tables on Stars last night. Me and Eeegah were celebrating my semi return to poker (hence the low stakes for a celebrated 4k/8k vet like myself) and were both alternating between LAG-ness and proper play. This one was 'proper play'. I'll add some comments in italics.

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP calls.

Amazingly standard raise. MP was LA-P. He loved to gamble it up before the flop but slowed down immeasurably after. His limp here signifies a weaker than normal hand for early position.

Flop: (5 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP calls.

Not the overcard you want to see in a micro-limit game, but being heads up, I felt the bet was for value. He'd let me know where I was at on the turn anyway.

Turn: (3.50 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP calls.

No raise. At this point I was almost certain that Villain's hand did not contain an ace unless was holding ace-little. The lack of a raise told me I'm good 9 out of 10 times.

River: (5.50 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks intending to call a bet.

In this situation, with the top card on board pairing, I don't think there's much I can do to get someone who has called down to call one more bet. Further, if he calls my bet, he probably does have me beaten. On the other side, I can check and hope to induce a bluff. With a scare card falling, my check represents that I don't have an ace (which I don't, but that's not even remotely important), and invites Villain to take a stab at the pot. The more aggressive your opponent, the better this play will work for you. In this situation, I chose a relatively passive villain, but I still felt that if I was to bet one more time and get called I would lose that bet. I felt that his betting range was much larger than his calling range with two aces on board.

What is important in this situation is not that I am good &gt;50% of the time on the river to justify a value bet. It's important that I am good &gt;50% of the time when I am called. This is a pretty straight forward play and it's one you should be making on a regular basis with a marginal but likely best hand.

[silkyslim]

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This is a pretty straight forward play and it's one you should be making on a regular basis with a marginal but likely best hand.


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Unless you are playing against very poor players then your value bet RELENTLESSLY!~!!!!!!

[Paxosmotic]

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[ QUOTE ]
This is a pretty straight forward play and it's one you should be making on a regular basis with a marginal but likely best hand.


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Unless you are playing against very poor players then your value bet RELENTLESSLY!~!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
I felt the play would have been better with a hand like KQo, a more marginal hand that was still likely to be best, but I decided to post the hand in its original form to illustrate.

[Eeegah]

While we're at it, let's discuss this HU hand between Pax and myself.

PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (2 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
Button calls, Hero checks.

Flop: (2 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button 3-bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero caps</font>, Button calls.

Turn: (5 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls.

River: (7 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button folds.

Final Pot: 8 BB

paxosmotic said, "Just folded top pair, I hate you"

[Paxosmotic]

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While we're at it, let's discuss this HU hand between Pax and myself.

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Let's discuss capping with T5o.

[bottomset]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
While we're at it, let's discuss this HU hand between Pax and myself.

[/ QUOTE ]
Let's discuss capping with T5o.

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10 straights and 2 flushes nuff said

anyway back to the orig hand what on earth is eeegah openlimping in MP for 6handed???

I have no clue what he would do it with and call flop and turn bets on that board besides 98, and 2hearts and I don't think any of those hands are betting the river here

[Eeegah]

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anyway back to the orig hand what on earth is eeegah openlimping in MP for 6handed???

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I'm not the villain; I was either BB or UTG here.

[Vote4Pedro]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeggggaaahhhhh

[Eeegah]

faaaaaaaaaaaaaaarm schooooooooooooool

[Vote4Pedro]

I just like saying your name...but should I be embarrassed about going to a "farm school"? Afterall, I am a "farm" major