Hand analysis please.

[BigEndian]

Hands like this have been killing me and I can't see anything wrong with my play. Does anyone go passive and fold out on this? Also, what would you put the raisor on?

Party Poker 2/4 (10 handed)
Hero has Jc, Ad and is UTG

Hero raises, EP1 folds, EP2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button calls, SB folds, BB folds

Flop(7.5 SB): 7d, 3c, 8s

Hero bets, MP2 calls, Button raises, Hero raises, MP2 folds, Button calls

Turn(7.25 BB): Jd

Hero bets, Button raises, Hero calls

River(11.25 BB): Ac

Hero bets, Button raises, Hero calls

- Groove

[banditbdl]

Umm..., as far as mistakes go you raised with AJo UTG. So I think that's a mistake right there. I usually play AJo UTG but some posters think it should be folded. I would fold it before I raised it. Then you 3-bet the flop after you were both called and raised to try and convince them you had the big pair, I don't like the bluff cuz at that point you're almost definitely behind and you're going to need to catch a card to win. When it is raised by the button i'm thinking maybe 99, TT, A8, or a set.

Okay on the turn you catch your jack and bet which I like given how the hands gone so far. But then you're raised after he just called the flop 3-bet. At this point I'm thinking one of two things a set, or 9T for the openended straight draw that hit. So I wouldn't bet out when the ace hit on the river. The only thing you could beat with your two pair that might have raised the turn is QQ or KK and those don't make any sense with how the play went up till then.

Going back to the flop if you had just called the raise you could have check-raised the turn. If your opponent 3-bet you then you could have a)folded right there or b)saved yourself a bet on the river by not betting your two pair.

[Aaron Lovi]

Party Poker 2/4 (10 handed)
Hero has Jc, Ad and is UTG

Hero raises, EP1 folds, EP2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button calls, SB folds, BB folds

This is an ok result for you. More often you will get a few callers. I suggest folding this utg.


Flop(7.5 SB): 7d, 3c, 8s

Hero bets, MP2 calls, Button raises, Hero raises, MP2 folds, Button calls

I think you're screwed here with the caller in between. Heads-up, putting on the power play is more reasonable. But now you're hoping that neither of the two has a hand. That's a fairly long shot that you're putting three bets into. I think just calling and taking a look at the turn is better here.


Turn(7.25 BB): Jd

Hero bets, Button raises, Hero calls

River(11.25 BB): Ac

Hero bets, Button raises, Hero calls


I think your turn and river play are ok.

[pokertronic]

i also smell a set and dont like the flop 3-bet at all

[ QUOTE ]
Umm..., as far as mistakes go you raised with AJo UTG. So I think that's a mistake right there. I usually play AJo UTG but some posters think it should be folded. I would fold it before I raised it. Then you 3-bet the flop after you were both called and raised to try and convince them you had the big pair, I don't like the bluff cuz at that point you're almost definitely behind and you're going to need to catch a card to win. When it is raised by the button i'm thinking maybe 99, TT, A8, or a set.

Okay on the turn you catch your jack and bet which I like given how the hands gone so far. But then you're raised after he just called the flop 3-bet. At this point I'm thinking one of two things a set, or 9T for the openended straight draw that hit. So I wouldn't bet out when the ace hit on the river. The only thing you could beat with your two pair that might have raised the turn is QQ or KK and those don't make any sense with how the play went up till then.

Going back to the flop if you had just called the raise you could have check-raised the turn. If your opponent 3-bet you then you could have a)folded right there or b)saved yourself a bet on the river by not betting your two pair.

[/ QUOTE ]

[squiffy]

Honestly, I am starting to seriously question the whole idea of reading hands as a nearly futile exercise. You can often rule hands out. But it is often nearly impossible to predict what a person has, with enough accuracy to do you any good.

He called your preflop raise. So a reasonable player would have two high cards, possibly suited, or a pocket pair. Suited connectors are also a possibility. If the guy is an idiot he could have 2,3 offsuit. No, seriously. He could have almost any two cards. Unless you attribute some meaning to the fact that he called your raise with several players to act after him.

So on the flop, he raises you. You were the preflop raiser. He is not afraid of you at all. He could have a set of 8s, a set of 7s, a set of 3s, two pair 87, or AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99. Also very possible is 9Tsuited. Which would give him a straight when the J falls. This would explain why he raised when the Jack hit and wasn't afraid when the A hit. But I would still think that his preflop and flop betting indicate a set.

You reraise with two overcards. He just calls. So he either has a low set, two pair, or two big cards. He is EITHER afraid you may have a higher set or he is SLOWPLAYING A MONSTER SET. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY TELL THE DIFFERENCE. But Christ. He could still have a huge range of hands. So it all depends on his temperament and betting strategy.

But we have to assume a reasonable opponent. So he probably slowed down because he feared your re-raise.

Now when the Jack falls, you bet out. Now remember. You raised preflop with an ok hand. You bet and reraised the flop with two overcards and he called. Now you bet the turn with top pair top kicker and he raises????? I would have to think he has a set. Most likely Jacks, because all of a sudden he is not afraid to raise you. Even if you had a set of 8s, he has you beat. Now he might also have a pair of AA or KK and be representing JJ to scare you. But you obviously aren't folding, so I am not sure that makes any sense. Your call shows weakness.

Honestly. If your opponent is a half-way decent player, I think you played this very recklessly. You bet into him again on the river? And he raises again. He is either the biggest idiot in the world and you are very lucky. Or he has a set of JJJ or 888. Possibly AAA.

One of you is throwing away money. But until I see his cards, I cannot say who it is. But I know I would not have been betting into a raiser on every street with only top pair top kicker. And even the bet with two pair on the end is risky. But then again, I am always seeing monsters under the bed.

[BigEndian]

His hand was not a set. I agree that is was a possibility but I'm not sure I was too aggressive. When I turned the J I bet to see if he wasn't playing top pair strongly. His raise at that point tells me he has a set, or two pair or better. When I called his raise and rivered top two, I bet again and made the crying call to his raise.

I think I should have check-called the river though.

- Groove

[bunky9590]

Wanna stop losing money? start mucking AJo in EP instead of raising it.

[rharless]

I think the UTG preflop raise is ok. I don't think I'd ever fold AJo UTG at a PP 2-4 table as some others suggest.

I think you overplayed the flop. I usually would not have 3-bet the flop. Let's put that aside for now, however.

The point that needs to be addressed, I think, is that you represented strength on every street, and yet he is still raising you on the turn. I think he is only raising the turn if he is welcoming a 3-bet.

On the flop, I think he is either raising for a free card or with an overpair (88-JJ) or a made set. On the turn, since he is still raising, so it must be either a set or a straight-ed T9, which seems to hold consistent on the river. I can't imagine he'd raise the river with less than top two, and obviously that must be true since you are frustrated about the hand.

In fact, since you are frustrated about the hand,I am going to guess he had T9, as that seems the most frustrating. If he flopped a set, he was ahead of you the whole time even preflop, so your frustration would not be so likely.

One reason to overplay a hand like Ace-high on the smaller betting rounds is so that you can make better decisions on the more expensive rounds. So, try to use the information that they are giving you. You have represented a huge hand, much more than A-high and he's still coming at you on the turn. Check-call the river.

All that said -- I do not think 3-betting A-high on an online 2-4 table is a profitable play, even headsup.

[Mike Gallo]

He flopped an open ender hit it on the turn with you hitting the worst card.

I would have folded on the flop.

[BigEndian]

Bingo MG and Rhar. Thank you all for the feedback.

- Groove