Bellagio 30-60

[D.J.]

I took a random trip to Vegas this weekend and this hand really stuck in my head, we're in a full 30-60 game. This seems to be a pretty tough game w/people taking shots at others all the time. I raise in mp w/ A-Q, cutoff calls who I'm guessing is a local pro, and BB calls who is a tourist from LA and is a little tricky, but I think his trickiness is more by accident seeing how he does things like check top 2-pair on the river to a non-scary board when he is last to act. Flop brings;

Q-8-5

BB checks, I bet, cutoff folds, BB check-raises, I call w/the intent of raising the turn.

Turn card pairs the 8, BB bets out as expected, I raise, he re-raises, what's my play here? I'll post what happened later.

-D.J.

[Dynasty]

You call it down and hope he doesn't have an 8.

[eldo77]

I like your play until the 8 pairs the board on the turn.I would have just called on the turn and again on the river if I didn't improve instead of raising the turn. Sometimes straightforward play is best.I think now is one of those times [especially since you can't put him on a hand].

This is my first post on this forum, so please take it easy.I decided to come over here where real poker strategy is discussed.I wouldn't do that in the past because I didn't like the old format. I like this format much better.

eldo77

[Boris]

He's got Aces, or a full house. You can call and try to spike a queen but I would not pay off on the river. Slightly tricky players are not making a move when they are out of position and go 3 bets on the turn.

[PokerPrince]

Just call him down at this point.

PokerPrince

[D.J.]

Well just as things were going all day people were getting lucky w/second best hands. The guy in the BB check-raised me w/8-9o on the flop and of course turned trips, I just called him down after he raised me on the turn, the river brought no help, and he proudly turned over his trip 8's taking down the pot.

-D.J.

[cybertilt]

WOW I can see you and the cutoff both licking your chops as you tell the tourist how well he played the hand.

[Tommy Angelo]

"BB checks [the flop], I bet, cutoff folds, BB check-raises, I call w/the intent of raising the turn."

That's a bad play and for the wrong reason, IMO. Do you expect him to just hand you three big bets on the turn and river combined if he has second or third pair, or an underpocketpair, or even a shakey top pair? I think it is much better to reraise right on the flop. You can get a good read if already beaten or outdrawn later, and if you are ahead, you get more money in now. Whenever I'm on the other end, as the guy who made the aggressive checkraise, and the opponent does not three bet on the flop with the best hand, I am making money. That's because it's an easy laydown when he raises me on the turn. And it's even easier to just check, and not bet the turn. Either way, I come out ahead because he thought he was laying a trap.

Tommy

[Boris]

What I meant to say was that the bad guy has Aces or trip 8's. I swear I'm not changing my story just because I read the results. I'm posting from work so some times I get a little careless.

[gaylord focker]

I really think this is one of those questions that cant be answered without some knowledge of the player. So I dont think just calling him down is always the right thing to do in this situation. Maybe I'm wrong here, but if your oppenent is putting 180 dollars in the pot on the turn, I think more times than not he is going to be able to beat top pair top kicker, especially with no draw out there. Against a lot of opponents I would lay this down without even worrying about possibly mucking the best hand. Agaist other opponents, i would call down without thinking about it. However, at the higher limits like this, I think you can expect that your hand is no good 90 percent of the time.