How much to block?

THE OUTLAW · #1 02-02-2005, 08:40 AM

I think I made a bad mistake here on the river.

1/2 live NL

I limp in EP w/ a red KQ, folded to maniac who is in for over $1400 at this point and has been raising 90% of the time preflop. He makes it $7 which has been the norm. Large stacked button calls, I call.

Flop: K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] check, bet $5, call, I CR to $20, both call.

Turn: 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] bet $55, call, fold.

River: A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] I check and fold to an $87 all in bet after thinking for a while.

I didnt think long enough here. I had this player on a worse K than me and then put myself in a bad situation by checking and having to make a big decision on the end. My opponent made some wiseguy comment about me making a good laydown sarcastically while showing the 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. As he showed the 2, a K also flashed. So my inital read was correct. I shouldve used a blocking bet here. What is a good amount when he has $87 left?

SynSid · #2 02-02-2005, 08:52 AM

I'd ask for my money back as there's two 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] on the board.

I think your mistake was on the turn not the river - i'd have checked then either re-raised or folded.

THE OUTLAW · #3 02-02-2005, 09:12 AM

I think my play leading up to the river is fine. I just wimped out on the river. There is no way I am check-folding to a bet from the semi-tilting maniac.

On the turn I bet a good amount that got a call from a worse hand, and a fold from the draw.

SynSid · #4 02-02-2005, 09:25 AM

Did you think you were ahead of him on the turn or not?

You say he's a maniac - they bet when they miss. So rather than wondering whether you should have raised on the river, I'd be looking at why you didn't check-raise on the turn. If he'll raise/call anything then the turn was the time to get his money in the pot - as your hand doesn't look too likely to get help from the river.

On the river I wouldn't raise at all. You say you had a read that he had a worse King than you - so let him go ahead and make his manic bet then call it.

Against a maniac you either need to wait for a very good hand or have the willingness to gamble on coin-tosses or get a very good read on villain. If you had the good read on him (you did) and knew he was a maniac why on earth did you fold rather than call?

kongo_totte · #5 02-02-2005, 10:12 AM

A blocking bet on the river is not executable, since even if you are raised, you are being laid odds to good to get away from. i.e. there is no amount you could bet where a fold if re-raised would be correct.

I would as you did check the river, but with your read, I'm not folding to a $87 call into a $280 pot.

BTW, with button calling, I'm folding this PF. Playing K Q out of position in a multiway PF-raised pot is not my cup of tea. Is this 6-max or full ring?