Raising to isolate. Good move or not??

toddw8 · #1 06-13-2004, 05:34 PM

My thoughts in italics

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP2 calls, CO raises, Hero 3-bets, 2 folds, MP2 folds, CO calls.

The raise from CO could mean any number of things. I'll 3bet and try to get heads up against him. If an overcard hits on the flop, I'm ready to bail.

Flop: (8.40 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
CO bets, Hero raises, CO calls.

Excellent flop for me combined with the fact that he didn't cap pre-flop means I'm most likely ahead. I better get some money into this pot.

Turn: (6.20 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
CO bets, Hero raises, CO calls.

The 3rd diamond isn't the best card for me, but it's low. I'm not too worried yet.

River: (10.20 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets, CO calls.

There's the dreaded overcard, but he didn't seem to like it. I better get one more bet out of him.

Final Pot: 12.20 BB

Results in white below: 
CO shows Kc Kd (one pair, kings).
Hero shows 9s 9c (one pair, nines).
Outcome: CO wins 12.20 BB. 

Two questions:
1. Is the pf 3bet okay here? I'm pretty sure I shouldn't fold this, but coldcalling doesn't really look like a good idea either. So I kinda re-raised out of default.

2. Should I continue being the aggressor throughout the hand, or should I have just called him down at some point?

cold_cash · #2 06-13-2004, 06:06 PM

I don't have a problem with 3-betting before the flop. (That doesn't mean a whole lot, however.)

Staying agressive is good, but the weird action would spook me. After the way it went with the stop-and-go stuff, I think you can check behind on the river unless you think this guy will pay off a bet w/ just overcards.

Trix · #3 06-13-2004, 06:32 PM

Check behind on the river.

Siingo · #4 06-13-2004, 06:45 PM

Wow that one is hard. Check at the river. But one question, should you feer the flush at the turn? If he would have 3-beted at the turn, should you dropp then? I know that I probably would. Is that week?

Peter Harris · #5 06-13-2004, 06:46 PM

3-bet is good, you don't have limpers to create set-odds, and a 3-bet isolates them nicely. good play.

aggressiveness is fine here, although i agree that unless the player will call down with an unimproved ace, a river check is fine. If they call down with ace high, then you must bet.

Note no PF cap, and weak calling with KK. This player is way too passive, and you should be proud of the number of bets you saved.

Regards,
Pete Harris

toddw8 · #6 06-13-2004, 07:19 PM

Thanks for the responses, everyone. I thought my play preflop was good here, and you guys confirmed that. Upon review, I definitely think my river play was bad here. This is a situation where he's only going to call if he has me beat. I should have checked through and saved a bet.

dfscott · #7 06-13-2004, 07:33 PM

I like this play. I would be worried being bet into on the turn, but since he just called your raise, I think you're fine betting the river (but I do tend to take unimproved pocket pairs too far...).