AJs

Unless SB just plays his own cards, he has to know there is a pretty high chance you made a wheel on the turn. Would a reraise on the turn have earned you a check on the river, unless he had you beat for certain (allowing you to lay down with a clear conscience)? I'm assuming here that your 4th bet would "cap" it; if it doesn't, it's not as good an idea.


Anyway, on the river it's probably close between calling and folding. Your pot odds are 20:1, but your chance of winning can't be much better than that unless this guy might take a desparate shot at you when it should be obvious what you have. I would call just so I don't have to torture myself wondering if I folded a winner. I'm guessing he shows a 56.

I'm not crazy about raising under the gun with AJs in a loose game. Even though you haven't played a hand in a while, the chances of picking up the blinds are probably very slim and nobody's going to throw away AJ or AQ at a loose table. Even though you're more likely to have a much better hand than your opponents, you should really want to keep the pot small so that you can protect your hand when you flop a pair. I don't think you need to raise to tie people to the hand, because in a loose game they'll probably call down your flush anyway, regardless of the pot size.


I like 3-betting the flop. If you can eliminate a bare ace or a bare six, you've done well. If not, you've built a huge pot with the best draw. You also may be able to get a free river card.


I also like raising the turn. You could have the best hand (45 or 44 isn't out of the question for the SB), you could be on a freeroll, and if you don't or aren't you still have a big draw. I think the combination makes the raise correct. Also, by raising, you may still get bet into on the river, giving you an additional bet when you make your flush since you represented a made hand on the turn, whereas if you just call the turn, you may get checked to on the river.

OK, serious answer this time.


In a tighter game I think the 3 bet is pretty clearly the best play. there could easily be an A-Q, A-K out and you would like your ace to be good if you hit. There is also a small chance that you win unimproved.


In this loose game you certainly don't mind that bb check raised but you also have to severely discount your overcard outs. Would you 3 bet if you knew that everyone would call? I don't think it matters much either way. In these loose games I tend to play much more passively until I have a hand.

"Unless SB just plays his own cards, he has to know there is a pretty high chance you made a wheel on the turn. Would a reraise on the turn have earned you a check on the river, unless he had you beat for certain (allowing you to lay down with a clear conscience)? I'm assuming here that your 4th bet would "cap" it; if it doesn't, it's not as good an idea."


He would know that I have a wheel only after I raise. He would not know it when it is his turn to act. The 4th bet would not cap it as the bb had folded to the sb's 3 bet leaving us heads-up.


"Anyway, on the river it's probably close between calling and folding. Your pot odds are 20:1, but your chance of winning can't be much better than that unless this guy might take a desparate shot at you when it should be obvious what you have. I would call just so I don't have to torture myself wondering if I folded a winner."


I disagree strongly on this point. I think a river call is mandatory beacuse the sb could easily have 3 bet me on the turn with an Ace because he knows that I can't have a 6 and he knows that I can't know whether he has an Ace or a 6.


"I'm guessing he shows a 56."


Close. K6. Effectively the same thing. The pot had $210 when he was faced with calling two more bets cold on the flop. I suppose his call wasn't all that criminal.

After reading the other responses, I have no problem with your reraise on the flop, especially since it sounds like from your description of the game you could usually expect many callers for your reraise. Your 1.9:1 draw will beat whatever any of them is drawing at when you make it, so the more money and players in the pot the better. Often you would have 12 outs to win, making you even money to beat the field (too bad it turns out in this case you only have 9 outs). Sometimes your flop reraise will create the extra 3 outs for you, which makes it all the better.


I also like the turn raise, since the SB might have a wheel with you (the freeroll you mentioned), or could even be getting frisky with two pair or a set against your perceived overpair. While you might be losing to a 6, the possibilities that you are winning or freerolling combined with your chances to beat the 6 if you are behind would seem to make the raise a play.


I thought the most debatable plays were your raise preflop (which probably doesn't affect your EV much either way, but increases your SD) and the call on the river, which is mostly a function of the pot odds and knowing your opponent; since I don't know your opponent, all I can say is use your best judgement.

You make good points about the possibility for a tie on the river. I still think you are usually beaten, as this guy probably isn't thinking at the level you talk about and would likely call the turn raise if he thought he was tied, but the somewhat higher chance to tie should swing a close fold/call to the side of calling.

"First of all A-Js is not a lucky hand..."


Does this mean that you disagree with the preflop raise?

Haven't read the other responses yet, but I'm assuming the main topic of conversation is your 3-bet on the flop. I kinda like it, since a lot of good could come from it. Mainly, eliminating some of the hands you don't want in, while continuing to collect implied odds from hands you'd want in when you make one of your hands.


I'd also expect some controversy from your raise on the turn. Honestly, I think it's close. But I like the raise. You turned a made hand. If someone has a 6 (65s?) God bless 'em. You still have the re-draw and you're free-rolling on any other aces. You also make up for any lost bets on the river if a 6 comes or the board pairs and you're forced to slow down. Hope you won...

"I don't understand this point. Firstly, I 3 bet the flop. That should tell the sb that it is unlikely that I have an Ace (unless it's AA)."


you may 3-bet the flop with Ad-Ku, 6 outs to top/top and 3-outs to the gutshot, and a backdoor flush draw if you feeling spunky, and probably you'd 3-bet the flop with Ad-xd(i would, you did), im not sure how much of a stretch it would be to put you on these hands in the heat of battle, but i would definately consider them possibilities once you raise the turn(more like Ad-Z). also AA is an option. i dont think youd raise this turn with KK, QQ, or JJ.


once you raise the turn it becomes almost certain you have an ace, making it easy for him to laydown some hands you beat that he may continue betting with. also he wins extra bets when he does have the 6.


i dont think its wrong to raise the turn, i just would opt to call. that maybe makes it less likely he'll pay off my river raise if i hit my flush though.


interesting hand.

I agree with all your comments.