Foxwoods 1/2 hand - could I have avoided this?

kpux · #1 08-12-2004, 12:33 PM

I'm playing in the super loose/passive Foxwoods $100 buy-in, 1/2 blinds NL game. With a stack of about $120, I get dealt A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] in middle position and limp in after a weak player (who had a stack of maybe $60) in UTG also limped. The player on the button, a pretty LAGish, but better than most at this table, who had me covered, raises it $5 more.

flop comes down:

A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

UTG checks, I check, planning to check-raise the aggro button, but then he mysteriously checks behind me.

turn is a blank, I believe it was the 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. UTG bets out $10, I raise him $50 more to put him all in, and then BAM! the button raises me all in. This was completely unexpected. I put him mainly on KK, since AA is just mathematically unlikely.

Getting about 3:1 on my call, I put the rest of my chips in. While it was likely that he had KK, there were so many other hands that I could have beaten that I felt a call was in order. I had seen him reraise earlier in the night with AJo in the BB after another UTG player had raised and several people had called. I knew he was pretty loose and could hold AQ or AJ, or even AT, but his flop check just seemed so bizarre to me.

How would you guys have played this hand? In retrospect, I don't like the way I played it, and if I had the chance to play it again, I think betting out on every street might be a better play.

casinogosain · #2 08-12-2004, 12:56 PM

fold preflop?

after you pass on that line, bet out on the flop - you are very vulnerable (and quite possibly already beaten).

as to the button re-raising and putting you in...fold and wait for a better spot.

-ash

JrJordan · #3 08-12-2004, 01:11 PM

I would've folded preflop to the raise. Actually from MP, A3s is a very marginal limping hand. The problem is your position is not very good in later rounds to try and get decent odds on your draw if you hit it. You most likely won't be able to buy the button and get a free river card. With the stacks so shallow, I'd probably only play Axs from the button, CO, LP/MP. That being said:

Flop: Nice flop for you. The problem is a lot of raising hands can make this board. AA, KK, or AK are certainly possibilities. Still, the PF raiser only bet raised 2.5xBB. He was also on the button and has a LAG tendency. You need to decide here whether you're willing to commit your stack with this. Either you're way ahead here or way behind, not a alot of cards that scare you on future streets. If you're willing to go to the felt, then a check raise here is fine. If it checks through, that's fine as well because you'd like to avoid playing for your stack if you can.

Turn: The raise on UTG here is a good idea. The size of the bet will differ though depending on your approach to this hand. If you're willing to commit your stack, then the $50 raise is perfect. Call any reraise all in and hope to see AQ or AJ. If you're unsure and would like to see the button's reaction, I'd raise to $30. If button comes over the top here, he may have me beat and I'm getting much better odds to lay it down. Against a normal opponent, the button's slowplayed reraise screams huge monster because he wouldn't try to bluff both you and UTG. The only issue is that he's a LAG (although a good one at that). How likely is he willing to bluff in a situation like this? I'd be inclined to lay this one down after the $30 raise. The way you played it though, you had no choice but to call. Hopefully you won the hand, though I'm guessing he has a winner with AK.

Turkish · #4 08-12-2004, 03:39 PM

I would fold this preflop to a raise. Once you get this flop you HAVE to bet out. If your going to play this I like a 3/4 pot to pot sized bet on the flop. If you get called you very well may be ahead and if you get popped back you know your in trouble. Keep in mind that if your behind at this point you likely have at BEST 2 outs and may not even have that many.

kpux · #5 08-12-2004, 03:47 PM

Thanks for the responses.

As it turns out, I was well ahead in the hand, the preflop raiser showed A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. What bizarre play on his part. Sadly, the river brought a Q and I was done. However, I don't think I could have avoided putting all the money in on the flop or the turn, just because this guy's raising standards were so loose and I could very well have him down to 6 outs.

Looking back, I definitely should have bet out on the flop, if raised, I might have pushed, simply because of the wide range of hands I'm ahead of. Remember, this game has some ultra-poor play sometimes, and people are bound to be making much worse mistakes than I'm making when I'm pushing with A3 on that flop.

As far as pre-flop, I mostly play small stakes limit games, so I guess it was just my Party 2/4 tendencies kicking in.

JrJordan · #6 08-12-2004, 04:35 PM

I really don't see anything wrong with checking this flop, if your intent is to checkraise. It's not a draw heavy board at all so there's no real scare cards you need to worry about. The LAG raised preflop, so normally I would expect him to bet again on the flop as well. Betting out is fine, but don't be so hard on yourself for missing a checkraise. Seems like a fine play to me.