Learning from the Hands of Others

Piper Tim · #1 08-13-2005, 02:54 PM

In a previous post, I discussed the outcome of clearing the August Party bonus. Below is one of the hands that helped make it so profitable. I think I won this hand because of mistakes my opponents made and looking at it might be instructive, not only in seeing how others think but in revealing holes in my game that I can fill. In this hand, maybe the big blind played it fine and I just got lucky.

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. Hero posts a blind of $0.50. BB holds A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, Hero (poster) checks, Button calls, 1 fold, BB checks.

I think the big blind should have raised here. Although I may have called the raise, he has a good hand and should have pushed it. Considering it was my first hand at the table and having no reads, I may have just folded it as well.

Flop: (6.50 SB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 players)
BB bets, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, Hero raises, Button folds, BB calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.
The initial bet was good, but I think a reraise on the flop might have driven me out. At the very least he would have made me think KQ.

Turn: (7.25 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players)
BB bets, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, Hero raises, BB 3-bets, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, Hero caps, BB calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

I think this was played fine. In fact, I may have overplayed my hand a bit. At this point AQ, KQ, JQ, and Q7 concern me. Big blind has trips & I have trips.

River: (23.25 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players)
BB bets, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, Hero raises, BB 3-bets, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, Hero caps, BB calls.

No problems here either. I figure the big blind figured I had two pair.

Final Pot: 33.25 BB

I think that had the hand been played more aggressively up front, I would have dropped out of the hand. Thoughts?

cold_cash · #2 08-13-2005, 11:04 PM

What are your reasons for raising the flop?

AKQJ10 · #3 08-13-2005, 11:19 PM

You overplayed your trips + dubious kicker on the turn -- not horrendously (see that other thread, "How not to read the board") but enough to constitute a leak -- and got a lucky suckout on the river. In your opponent's shoes I would think you might have filled up, maybe even by the turn with KQ, and backed off a bit. Like the other response I don't understand your flop raise.

Piper Tim · #4 08-14-2005, 07:04 AM

I think my intent was to try to drive off anybody with an ace or low pair that hadn't connected with the board. Which it didn't really do. With two hearts on the board anybody with a draw is going to stick around. Also my late position made it less likely that any earlier callers would fold.

Piper Tim · #5 08-14-2005, 11:29 AM

I also had another point in this post and that is sometimes our own play helps create situations where suck-outs occur. I know that there have been times where I lost when I had the best hand because I misplayed the flop and allowed another player to catch a cheap, good card.

I think my original post indicates that I think I overplayed my hand and got lucky. The important thing is looking at why I made the decisions I did, and maybe, if not more important, how would my play have changed if the BB had done something differently. QTo is a hand that I may or may not play depending on position, the table, etc.

pzhon · #6 08-14-2005, 12:19 PM

You shouldn't think of folding QTo for one more bet. You wouldn't cold-call a raise, but once you have posted, you are getting a 50% discount, making it right by a lot to call.

The flop raise is fine. This will slow down many players with better hands, and you will have the best hand a significant fraction of the time. You also want to knock out the button if he has a gutshot or a queen with a better kicker.

The turn raise is fine. You can't expect the big blind to have you beat. I really don't like the turn cap, though. You need to think about what hands the BB could have.

Your assumption of what the big blind puts you on is wrong on the river. The big blind just likes his hand, trips with top kicker. He is probably not paying attention to anything else.