TPTK, controlling the pot size question

[passion]

I make this play often, but I rarely do it with a hand as strong as AQ with a Q939 board and a diamond draw. I would have pushed on the turn, hoping to get called by KQ or QJ or a mid pair. If the guy had a nine - he would win a big pot and I would be ok with that.

Passion

Edit It should be noted that I a big time LAG so that I often find that people call me and push at me with total crap.

[swolfe]

[ QUOTE ]
I make this play often, but I rarely do it with a hand as strong as AQ with a Q939 board and a diamond draw. I would have pushed on the turn, hoping to get called by KQ or QJ or a mid pair. If the guy had a nine - he would win a big pot and I would be ok with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

there's no piece of advice regularly given out by inexperienced SSNL players on this board that annoys me more than "push and hope".

[passion]

[ QUOTE ]
there's no piece of advice regularly given out by inexperienced SSNL players on this board that annoys me more than "push and hope".

[/ QUOTE ]

It is poker and at best all you can really have is a sense that you are ahead. There is no certaintly.

Perhaps my prior post is flavored by the way that I play and the way that people respond to my play. For July I'm 40%+ VP$IP and 18% PFR. Because of this people make calls against me frequently that they would not make against other players. For me - the call of the 20 on the flop by my opponent would not be an indication that he had a solid holding and I would push the turn expecting to get called by a worse hand. Anybody who has played with me knows that I am fully capable of bluff pushing on the turn so the opponent would be in a tough spot with a hand like JQ or KQ or even 88 after I pushed. Thats why I said I would expect to get called by a worse hand.

If I might also add - our Hero's chips stack going into the turn is slightly less than the pot. If this were a battle of larger stacks (150+) checking the turn would be a much better play IMO.

BTW I have lots of experience playing SSNL - 20K+ hands per month for the past 2-years.

Passion

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I make this play often, but I rarely do it with a hand as strong as AQ with a Q939 board and a diamond draw. I would have pushed on the turn, hoping to get called by KQ or QJ or a mid pair. If the guy had a nine - he would win a big pot and I would be ok with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

there's no piece of advice regularly given out by inexperienced SSNL players on this board that annoys me more than "push and hope".

[/ QUOTE ]


Thanks for the feedback. I guess I agree with you Swolfe. The reason I played the hand the way I did is b/c I DIDN'T want to be all in with just TPTK.

I think the advantages of this play is that I don't get outplayed on the turn to a bluff and I will induce more bluffs/calls by second bests on the river.

On another hand I played like this (I've only had the opportunity to play 2 like this) I had Qh 9h on the button. Normally wouldn't even play this, but I'm trying to get more sophisicated with my NL game, esp button play. Flop comes 2c 9c 7c and it is checked to me. I bet out the pot for $4 and am called by MP. Turn is Kd and MP checs to me. Normally I bet there, but I had a hunch the MP was going check raise me on a bluff and I felt like I had the best hand so I check behind in order to keep the pot small enough that I could call a bet on the river (assuming nothing too scary, of course). The river was a harmless 3d (2c 9c 7c Kd 3d). I felt like I had the best hand, because I felt like a pair of kings would bet the turn. Anyway with only $12 in the pot (since I made a conscious effort to keept it that way) they guy bets $6 into me. I felt pretty comfortable calling $6 into what was now an $18 pot. Turns out the guy had Jd 8d. I can't believe he called the flop with just a gut shot on a board with 3 clubs. I'm sure he was looking to take it away from me on the turn, which I would have obviously had to give him had I bet the turn. Also, my check of the turn induced his small bluff on the river.

Like I said, I've only done this play twice so far, but it seems like it might be real successful in the long run. I'm just sick and tired of being check raised all the time on the turn and having to lay down what I think is probably the best hand. But I'm not real comfortable with the play either. Any thoughtful challenges to the play or suggested changes would be very welcome.