Best way to play this hand - flop trips

[shoeman]

$10+1 tournament

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter

MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t800)
MP3 (t800)
CO (t800)
Button (t800)
SB (t800)
Hero (t800)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls t15, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t15, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t60) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero ?????

What is the best way to play this hand? Check raise, Check call, bet? How dangerous is it to give a free card here?

How does this strategy change if there were 2 diamonds on the flop?

[etgryphon]

There are two lines that you can take on this flop.

(1) Check the flop because you have two player behind you that might take a stab and then I would check-raise. I only like to do this if I know that there is a lot of people behind me and one of them is aggressive. You are giving someone with a 89 infinite odds to hit thier straight draw. When I check-raise I want to end it with a strong reraise.

(2) Since the SB checked, This is where I like to make a bet for about half the pot. If get reraised, I'm smooth calling and seeing what they do on the turn.

Personally, I would go for line 2.

If it there is a 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] on the flop I'm doing a full pot size bet to make drawing incorrect.

Dangers in this hand: Lots of limping PF, this mean you need to depend on more reads. The hands that beat you are 77, T7, AT, KT. 77 is a limping hand...I highly doubt T7 is out there. The only person that could possibly have that is the SB, but I think that you can ignore it. AT and KT are usually raising hands for this level. So basically I think if you get reraised you are more than likely ahead, if you get smooth called you're probably still ahead, but need to proceed with caution.

-Gryph

[holdemfan]

etgryphon has said it correctly.

[ QUOTE ]
(2) Since the SB checked, This is where I like to make a bet for about half the pot. If get reraised, I'm smooth calling and seeing what they do on the turn.


[/ QUOTE ]

Most players will slow play their T on this board and if you bet they will either have you beat or doubt you have the T and think you are trying to eliminate, semi bluff on a draw or test. You could get some action by betting. Problem is will you have all the players beat or will you be the one giving action.

Option 3, make a smaller bet to act like you are betting the 7 or for value on the draw or even a blocker. If we like option #1 and are not afraid to check here then betting the size of the blind and get a couple calls could be good. You will get another T to call but you may get a straight draw, 7x, or someone with an over card to donate. If someone pushes it I would be wary of the fore mentioned hands but remember JT, 9T and 8T are also frequently played in multi pots.

My options here:
90% of the time I'm ending this one on the flop by betting pot or half as in option #2. This is not a strong enough holding to go half way. If someone comes back at you when you bet the pot you could be beat unless they are a ballsy bluffer. Now it's a show down and hope they dont have the hands fore mentioned.
10% I'll play it as mentioned in #3 and if the turn doesn't look scary take the pot down with a pot bet. This will confuse the crap out of them and an observant player will think you are the kind of player who won't wait to bet your trips and the slow play will be sweet if there is a next time.

[schwza]

i would check/call the flop. this is the kind of flop where a free card is not too scary, as the straight draws are not too threatening. if you can let someone hit an overcard, that'd be great.

then i'd lead the turn whether or not there was a bet on the flop. i think that stop n go is the best way to keep a 7 on the hook and still get a lot of chips into the middle. a flop c/r is too easy to get away from, IMO.

[Slim Pickens]

If I'm not mistaken this is the first hand of a 10+1, which means there's enough bad players left to be totally unpredictable as to what's out against you. You also have no reads, right? I'd look at this as an opportunity to take a lot of chips from the table sucker. Bet out 60, and you'll usually get called by a weak player with a PP or 89 (or worse). The better players will probably lay down all but T7, 77, and maybe AT. Weaker players will call with less but not raise with more. If someone goes over the top, fold. Forget check-raising. That's too subtle at this point. Forget check-calling. Taking down the pot here is no crime. A free card is extremely dangerous. If your bet gets called, check the turn if a scare card hits. Bet the pot with a rag on the turn and you'll probably take it down there.

This may be a little overly blunt, but at this stage I'd rather do that than be overly clever. It's almost like you're betting against your opponent being a decent player.

Slim

[adanthar]

[ QUOTE ]
If I'm not mistaken this is the first hand of a 10+1, which means there's enough bad players left to be totally unpredictable as to what's out against you. You also have no reads, right? I'd look at this as an opportunity to take a lot of chips from the table sucker. Bet out 60, and you'll usually get called by a weak player with a PP or 89 (or worse). The better players will probably lay down all but T7, 77, and maybe AT. Weaker players will call with less but not raise with more. If someone goes over the top, fold. Forget check-raising. That's too subtle at this point. Forget check-calling. Taking down the pot here is no crime. A free card is extremely dangerous. If your bet gets called, check the turn if a scare card hits. Bet the pot with a rag on the turn and you'll probably take it down there.

[/ QUOTE ]

This advice sucks. Sorry.

I agree that you should bet the flop. When you are raised, decide what gets the most chips in and then do that (call, then checkraise the turn, call/check/call, raise now, etc. etc.). If you think about folding at any point in this hand, stop playing for a while because you're on tilt.

[syka16]

I don't like it either. Maybe this poster missed the buyin but I'm not laying down trips in a 10+1. You can't be serious that giving a free card is dangerous. There's hardly a pot and these games are so lag that they don't get checked around that often. Take a chance and don't protect your hand.

[Slim Pickens]

[ QUOTE ]
This advice sucks. Sorry.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can you help me out some then? It sounds like you can be sure at this point that you have the best hand, since you want to get as many chips in the pot as possible. Is this logic right or did I suck it up even worse?

I just don't think the level of sophistication is all that high at the 10+1 level, but I suppose I haven't played enough to really know. I do study transcripts and often people make plays that make no sense to me, especially with regards to the amounts they bet and call.

Slim

[adanthar]

In order to understand this you need to know two things about Party 10+1 players:

1)it is quite possible for them to have T2 (probably, but not necessarily suited);

2)If they have trips with any kicker, AA, A7, or possibly 72o and/or 32o they have a very high chance of losing all their chips to you if you play the hand right.

You have the fourth nuts and you're against two other players that, for all intents and purposes, have the poker skills of a housefly. Get the chips in now and worry about what they could have later because half the time they don't particularly know that themselves.

[teatreeman]

I would bet the pot 100% of the time in a 10+1. The reason is because the other bets would be too small. If you bet less than 60, most of them would call, especially a bet of 30 or lower. You don't want them all to call to keep the odds in your favor. If someone raises, I re-raise all in.

Thats how I would play it. IF no one raised then I would probably push on the turn. Pending no jack or 6, which I would fold to a all-in in front of me, but if I am first in the pot I push (your in BB so I would push if SB went all-in).

This probably sounds too aggressive but really, the only thing you have to be worried about are the straight draws (but they are DRAWS), 77, T7, KT, AT. Sure, they COULD have that hand, but so many times you will be called with nothing (A7) or even a slowplayed QQ, KK, AA which you dominate with trips.