Two Pairs, Scary Flop, On Bubble (cue chilling music)

Solitare · #1 09-08-2004, 08:41 PM

I've had a couple of hands just like this one recently and they leave me baffled.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (6 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

CO (t2003)
Button (t3694)
SB (t8205)
Hero (t3246)
UTG (t7221)
MP (t5631)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
1 fold, MP calls t300, 3 folds, Hero checks.

Flop: (t750) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets t300, Hero raises to t1500, MP calls t1200.

Turn: (t3750) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t1446 (All-In), MP calls t1446.

River: (t6642) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t6642
Main Pot: t6642 (t6642), between Hero and MP. > Pot won by MP (t6642).

Results in white below: 
MP has Ts Qs (two pair, queens and tens).
Hero has 9d Tc (two pair, tens and nines).
Outcome: MP wins t6642. 

Even though I'm on the bubble, I think I have to play this flopped two-pair. Since the board is pretty scary, I decide to check-raise. I figure my opponent will make some play at the pot and I think the check-raise is the best way to show as strongly as possible that I have a made hand. (I realize after the fact that If I make this play, I should go all-in since my bet leaves me pretty pot committed.)

Is this the right play? Or do I pass on this danger flop (with only my blind in play) to ease into the money?

Was my opponent's call after the flop correct?

I know I have trouble with hands like this in underestimating my opponent's chances. After the flop, I'm only a 52% favorite based on his hand.

Thanks for the help!

adanthar · #2 09-08-2004, 10:39 PM

The problem with bottom 2 pair on a board like this is that the hand will either be a lot more valuable or a lot less valuable on the turn, but a good chunk of the draws are getting such great odds that they'll call a big bet anyway.

Therefore, I think the correct play is probably to either bet a smaller amount or checkraise less- something around a minraise- and then all in on a blank turn. If an 8, J, or Q comes, you can ditch the hand.

Note that a heart is a great card for you; he almost certainly doesn't have a flush, because with the J and T out, he would have to have AQ-AK or Axs. If you all in when a heart does hit, he's probably not calling unless he's a total fish.

ron dogg · #3 09-08-2004, 10:51 PM

I like the way you played it up until the amount you ck raised him for. I would have pushed here. Does he call? Yes. You got the chips in as the favorite. As they like to say around here, "cards happen".

That is all,
R-

Synth · #4 09-08-2004, 11:44 PM

Hey Solitare.

[ QUOTE ]
Even though I'm on the bubble, I think I have to play this flopped two-pair. Since the board is pretty scary, I decide to check-raise. I figure my opponent will make some play at the pot and I think the check-raise is the best way to show as strongly as possible that I have a made hand. (I realize after the fact that If I make this play, I should go all-in since my bet leaves me pretty pot committed.)

Is this the right play? Or do I pass on this danger flop (with only my blind in play) to ease into the money?

[/ QUOTE ]

whether you're on the bubble or not, against 1 MP limper you gotta play two pair, it's whether you can lay two pair down that's usually the bigger problem. In your case, I would push on the flop when he bet.

Anyways, his bet was a little less then half the pot when on the flop so I would assume that he thought you missed the flop with your 26, 35, 28, etc hand and is just betting out small to take down the pot, so in this spot I like the check raise.
It's also pretty good to have an understanding of your opponent before making a check raise play simply because if you do plan on checking and he checks behind you on a draw, you could be in trouble and could be delt with having to fold the best hand to a bluff incase he senced weakness on the turn if checked again to him. However, I don't fault the play except for your raise of $1500, it shoulda been an automatic push(which you already mentioned would've been the better play).

[ QUOTE ]
Was my opponent's call after the flop correct?

[/ QUOTE ]

I personally believe so. Open ended draw with middle pair nice kicker leaving him with 14 outs on the turn. I would make that play as well if I were him but that's just me, I take gambles where a few wouldn't [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] (not saying this was a major gamble, infact your opponent was getting a little over 2-1 on his money, 1200 more to win 2550).

- Synth

Bigwig · #5 09-09-2004, 12:02 AM

You played it fine, except for the non all-in bet, but you realize this.

Personally, I would bet out on the flop. I like always betting out on the flop, because it will buy you hands later when people see that you didn't slow play hands. I wouldn't consider this a situation to slow play, since the board is scary. But that's just me.