Slowplaying

pokahpaul · #1 01-24-2005, 04:34 PM

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. UTG+1 posts a blind of $0.5.
UTG folds, UTG+1 (poster) checks, MP1 raises, MP2 folds, Hero 3-bets, SB caps, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (12 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (7 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls.

River: (9 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB bets, Hero raises, SB 3-bets, Hero caps.

Final Pot: 16 BB

suggestions?

Catt · #2 01-24-2005, 05:03 PM

Rasie and cap the flop and turn. If SB takes the flop all the way to the cap I'm less concerned about the ultimate flush chance on the river. I still may do no more than call a river bet from SB (if checked to whould bet and call a raise).

Don't slowplay. The pot is large on the flop; the SB was a pre-flop capper and leads the flop; there is virtually no reason to slowplay this.

shadow29 · #3 01-24-2005, 05:07 PM

Reads?

If he's aggressive and his WTSD is high, I'm raising evey chance I can. Hell, you might be able to cap every street against TT.

btspider · #4 01-24-2005, 05:14 PM

raise the flop.. too much opportunity to get in a war to slowplay this.

pokahpaul · #5 01-24-2005, 05:40 PM

turns out he was playing big slick suited hearts. and i'm thinking had i raised the flop and turn, he would have continuted to call me eventually to see his flush hit and i would have lost more money..

shadow29 · #6 01-24-2005, 05:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
i would have lost more money..

[/ QUOTE ]

That's terrible thinking.

Catt · #7 01-24-2005, 05:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
turns out he was playing big slick suited hearts. and i'm thinking had i raised the flop and turn, he would have continuted to call me eventually to see his flush hit and i would have lost more money..

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't be results-oriented. You should have lost more money; a lot more money.

Not raising the heck out of that hand on the flop and turn given the action is a big-time long-term losing play ("losing" in the sense that you will win a lot less money than you should win when Villain doesn't hit his flush) -- and you didn't even know there would be a possible flush on the board when you neglected to get aggressive early. He hit a back-door flush - it happens.

Oponn · #8 01-24-2005, 05:55 PM

It doesn't matter what he actually had in the hand. I agree with previous replies - you have to start raising earlier than the river. I think raising the turn is the best play. As a preflop aggressor, there's a good chance he'll give you lots of action when you are heavily favoured to win. You also charge draws (both dead or live) an extra bet to beat you. You won't get a chance to collect on the river if your opponent completely misses.

If he spikes his heart and you lose, you should still be satisfied that you got your money in when he was a 4 to 1 dog because that's big time +EV.

jrz1972 · #9 01-24-2005, 06:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
turns out he was playing big slick suited hearts. and i'm thinking had i raised the flop and turn, he would have continuted to call me eventually to see his flush hit and i would have lost more money..

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have lost like a million dollars on this hand. You should have too.

If you never, ever slowplayed a hand in the micros, you would not be making too much of a mistake.

In this particular case, slowplaying is abysmal. You have top set and are facing a preflop capper who will give you action. Good God, man, get in there and bet!

yoshi_yoshi · #10 01-24-2005, 06:19 PM

I agree with everyone that you should have shown aggression earlier than the river, probably starting on the flop.

A line that I find to work frequently is: I would have raised the flop, but not capped it. He will undoubtedly lead out on the turn again, and if you're lucky he'll three bet it again where you can cap it then.

The problem with slowplaying all the way to the river is not about giving villain a chance to suck out on you, but rather that you are missing so many extra bets that you should have been getting from him. Had he not made the flush, you'd have gotten $.5 on the flop, $1 on the turn, and probably $2 on the river, which, in this situation, is pretty lousy (top set vs. TPTK).

As for villain making his flush, that should be the furthest thing from your mind when you are looking over this hand.