5/10 PL game with QQ

[mmcd]

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My thinking was that I want him to call with worse hands and not get away for $35 if he's just raising with a suited connector, Axs, or something similar.


Is this faulty thinking?

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If he's real tough and tricky/aggressive, yes. The problem with playing against someone like this out of position with a medium stack is that there is decent chance he will either just fold on the flop or put you to a real tough decision later in the hand. I really don't think the extra $45 you pick up preflop is worth having to deal with him out of position later on. Even disregarding all of this, you are giving him more than sufficient implied odds to play whatever he happens to hold.

In this situation, you either want to get as much as possible in early (he still may call for 120 with a fairly wide range of hands) or keep the pot small.

I think by flat-calling, you also increase your implied odds significantly. On a ragged flop, he may keep firing at the (small) pot, and you can just call him down on the flop and turn w/o having to face a huge bet. Additionally, those times you hit your set, if you play it semi-aggressively on the flop, he will probably put you on a hand like AQ and might to try to push you off it with a big turn raise.

[PokerSlut]

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I think by flat-calling, you also increase your implied odds significantly. On a ragged flop, he may keep firing at the (small) pot, and you can just call him down on the flop and turn w/o having to face a huge bet. Additionally, those times you hit your set, if you play it semi-aggressively on the flop, he will probably put you on a hand like AQ and might to try to push you off it with a big turn raise.

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What line would you take with a flop that has draw potential? Would you still check-call the whole way?

Also, what about flops with an A or K? What about small paired flops?

[lapoker17]

Did I miss something? I haven't seen anyone arguing for check calling the flop, yet you keep saying "check/call the whole way". I advocated leading the flop, check calling the turn and blocking on the river.

[PokerSlut]

So you check-call a pot-sized bet on the turn?

[lapoker17]

Read dependent.

[mmcd]

I honestly can't say how I'd play that hand with a 1Kish stack because I'll almost always buy in really deep when I play PL. A lot of it depends on table image, your read, how much he respects you etc.

If you had a smaller stack, you could just look to get all your money on favorable flop, and if you had a bigger stack, the hand would play out very differently since would be much more of threat to him, and he'd have exercize a lot of caution against you.

If I flat called (and the limper did as well) there would be 110 in the pot on the flop.

If the flop came Axx or Kxx, I'd probably bet out for ~75 (assuming he raises limpers with a very wide range of hands) and be done with the hand if I'm called.

If the flop came 552, I'd probably check-call the flop and (assumming the 3rd player dropped), pull a stop and go and bet 1/2-3/4 pot on the turn.

If the flop came 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] or something like that, I'd probably just lead for a full pot bet on the flop. If he calls, I'd risk giving the free-card on the turn and check (and check any river as well if he check's behind to give him a chance to bluff at it) Depending on his overall playing style, and my read I might checkraise (full pot) if he bets a blank turn.

[Lawrence Ng]

You are pot committed now not to call,

however I would have checked the turn and called a river bet, and/or bet about half the pot on the river for value.

Basically, to re-iterate what the others say, you do not want to contest for a big pot here with just an overpair.

Lawrence