20-40: How hard do you push this?

[Clarkmeister]

Please evaluate each street before moving on, as future streets may influence your opinion.

I open raise in the CO with JdJh. First time player coldcalls on button, average moderate winning Vegas local 3 bets from the SB. BB folds, I call, button calls. 3 to the flop for 5BBs.




Flop: 6h6d2h. SB bets, I raise, button coldcalls, SB calls.




Turn: 7d. SB pauses, then bets, I call, button calls.




River: Td. SB Checks to me, I check.

[elysium]

hi clark
i think you have a raise on the turn, a bet on the river.

[David Ottosen]

I open raise in the CO with JdJh. First time player coldcalls on button, average moderate winning Vegas local 3 bets from the SB. BB folds, I call, button calls. 3 to the flop for 5BBs.

I reraise here, for two reasons. First I want to know just how much (if any) trouble I'm currently in. The SB knows I don't have to have a big hand here, and could be reraising very light. I also want to encourage the button to get out of here.

Flop: 6h6d2h. SB bets, I raise, button coldcalls, SB calls.

I am satisfied with this action. You say the button is a first time player, so I don't expect him to have too much, but I'd still rather he was out.

Turn: 7d. SB pauses, then bets, I call, button calls.

I like to raise here again anyways. If button is a typical new player, there is no reason he can't just have janky overcards here so I'd rather he be out.

River: Td. SB Checks to me, I check.

I would bet here.

You play this hand like you have a lot of respect for someone in this hand, but its not clear to me who. Kind of like you fear the SB has a bigger hand than you or the button is playing something strange.

[pilchard]

Preflop

I think your play is fine. I don't think there is any reason to 4 bet preflop (although if the button had not called and the SB would 3 bet with any hand he was going to play - I would consider it).

On the flop

You would think that the flop has missed everyone. (Clearly the button being a first time player clouds the issue slightly). SB bets as he would after three betting. You raise with your overpair (probably expecting to be 3 bet by a bigger pair). I can't disagree with your play here.

Turn
The SB now leads again. At this point my concern is the button, not just in terms of what he may have but also in terms of how his presence in the hand is affecting the SB's betting. You clearly have a call, the quesion is whether you should raise. You are virtually certain the SB has a mid to high pair or overcards (he may have just picked up the flush draw). The button could have a wide combination of hands some ahead some way behind. Clearly if you are ahead you want to make the others pay to outdraw you but I think that there is enough doubt here to just call. Calling also has the benefit of giving the button an opportunity to raise, whereas if you raise you get the feeling if would just call with a hand ahead of yours.

River.

Check to you. Have you got a value bet? Tough spot. TT was one of the hands your opponents could have had. You now only have 99 and 88 below you in the pocket pair ladder and it is unlikely the SB would 3 bet with those with two callers. The flush draw has just got there as well so the diamond overcards are now ahead of you. If you bet the only hands you can beat that might call are 88,99 or perhaps the premium overcards. You are not going to fold a better hand. Also, I get the feeling that the SB is expecting a bet and I'd leave it to the passive button to make that decision.

From your check if the button bets you have 3 possibilities
SB folds - you have to call
SB calls - I don't think this changes anything and you have to call
SB raises - I think this would be a fold. The SB must think that the button is going to call the raise and so I would credit him with a real hand.

[CrackerZack]

PF-fine. I've been waying the 4-bet of hands like this against a lot of blind defenders 3-bets because they tend to do this with any ok A and almost any pair, but given this was the SB and your description of him, a call seems much more logical.

Flop, I like the raise. when he just calls, you've got to be feeling good. button's cold call smells like hearts but could be a big hand. his flop cold call really lends to hte fact he has a big heart draw now though.

Turn, smells like he has an over pair and doesn't want to give a free card, but isn't thrilled with his overpair. I'd consider raising here again, but if I'm 3-bet, I'm pretty sure I'm toast and not so sure i could lay it down. The button just calling now screams heart draw.

River, I don't get the check here. I think he would've 3-bet AA-QQ on the flop. The button has done nothing but hang around calling and likely missed his draw so the SB is the only fear. His action looks like he put you on a draw on the turn with his bet out again afraid you'd check it through, but then he checks the river. I can't see him doing this with TT or 77 so he probably has either 88 or 99 or a big A AK or AQ. I'd bet here and think the SB would make a crying call.

[Philuva]

I would 4-bet pre-flop. Your initial raise is from the CO, so the SB might not give it that much respect, plus you have a cold-caller in-between. You will also have position on the SB.

Flop. Looks like a great flop to me. I would raise as well. Since the SB just called the flop raise with the button calling in between, looks like he has overcards.

Turn. Looks like the SB just picked up a D flush draw. I would raise again, specially with the button behind you.

River. Hmmmmm. Diamonds get there and SB checks, time to re-evaluate read on SB, I think he has a pocket pair and was betting into you on the turn when the hearts didn't come. I would bet the river here. You will probably get a smaller pair to call and maybe even AK. I can't see SB having QQ-AA here as I think he would bet the river with those hands as well and I am not concerned about the Button at all.

[pokerlover]

I would 4 bet pre-flop.

Flop I would play the same way.

Turn I would probably raise unless I had a read on the SB

River I would check as well and expect to see A-K from the SB and maybe a pair with an ace from the Button

[Dynasty]

I don't think there is any reason to 4 bet preflop

How about the best reason of all? You have the best hand.

Clarkmeister should have raised the turn and bet the river.

[acewithaface]

I think SB has a AK, he bet the flop, and when you raise him, he puts you on AK also, and is leading into you again on the turn to get you lay down your hand. If he had you beat, he will probably 3bet you on the flop.

So I would definitely raise the turn, that will also help in knowing what the button has. Lately my philosophy has been I will keep betting and raising until somebody tells me I got you beat by 3 betting me.

recently when an unknown opponent came and sat to my right, I ahd pocket queens, and was doing raising and re-raising and this guy kept cold calling all the bets, and shows 2kings and drags down a huge pot. So, you could run into something like that from the button, but thats just Fate, and not poker play.

[Philuva]

"River I would check as well and expect to see A-K from the SB and maybe a pair with an ace from the Button ."

So why are you checking the river again? I would expect one or both players to call with these hands. I also think there is no way the passive button on this hand is bettting a worse hand on the river, so checking makes no sense to me.