slow-playing monsters

[spiney]

I've been experiencing a number of bad beats lately in 30+3 and 50+5 NL at Party. I've noticed a pattern of getting busted while playing monsters post-flop. Here are 2 examples from memory, both involved me raising pre-flop and playing heads up.

1) Holding 44. Flop is 4-3-3 rainbow. Turn is A. Check, get raised and just call. River is 9. I check, get raised, re-raise, get put all-in and he shows 9-9.

2) Holding JJ. Flop is J-9-2 rainbow. I check, get raised and call. Turn is Q. I check, he bets, I raise, he just calls. I'm thinking Q with good kicker or else would have re-raised with the straight. River is a blank low card. I bet, get raised all-in. I decide to go with my set and get busted by straight.

Any tips on how to play big flops to obtain more information from opponent? Thanks.

[Nottom]

Hand 1 is a fine place to slowplay since its unlikely anyone hit that flop and if someone has a gutshot, great.

Hand 2 you should just go ahead and bet/raise because there are draws to worry about.

[hummusx]

My first thought is that I don't normally play trips slowly. A flopped boat is a monster. A flopped straight is a monster. A flopped flush is a monster. In a lot of cases, trips is a great hand but not necessarily a monster. Obviously the board texture will play into this.

If it's just me and one or two other people, I'm just going to lead out on the flop. If there's a bunch of people and I'm first in, I'll sometimes check and the reraise. If I called a raise pre-flop, a lot of times I'll check raise the person too. But my general guidelines would be 'when in doubt, play it faster'.

If you are short handed (later game), flop high trips, or the board is completely innocuous, then I start thinking about getting fancy. Low trips I just play right out. The nice thing is that playing low trips the way you play TPTK or the way you play a missed flop (ie bet right out) makes it really hard for people to know what you have. Not that most of them are thinking about it anyway...

[zambonidrivr]

1.) Learn to read texture of flop - better
2.) Consider other holdings based on pre-flop activity with respect to chip stack and position.
3.) Make others pay for cards, and give them boarder line drawing odds. Just checking is letting them off way too cheaply
4.) Go get a copy of Harrington on Hold'em.

[Cleveland Guy]

Hand 1 is a bad beat - it sucks, but a guy hit a 2 outer against you. I'd have played it the same way - you'll be up against Ax, or KK in this spot many times.

Hand 2 is your fault. putting him on just a Q there is very weak, he bet the flop, and now he bets the turn, and calls your raise. You look like you missed the flop and are now trying to bet him out of the pot - but he has the straight, so why shut you down?

Also - please list the size of your bets, and chip stacks when making your posts. There could be more flaws here that aren't showing.

[11t]

Bad beat posts, although on the second hand I am more inclined to check-raise instead of check call with a possible straight draw on the board.