A,J Grossly Overplayed and Badly Played?

[cepstrum]

babe -

when the small blind bets into this crappy board and into someone who is virtually certain to bet the flop herself, something is fishy. this is often so even when your opponent probably isn't very good and would rather be shooting dice.
and when something is fishy, raising is often not the best play.

lg

cepstrum

[PokerPrince]

I think you played it just fine PokerBabe, don't sweat it. These are inevitable situations where you are GOING to lose a fair chunk of change.

PokerPrince

P.S. I'll be in Vegas Sun-Wed.

[andyfox]

When they bet into that Ace on the turn and it helps me, I usually don't raise unless I want to be reraised. Either they're snowing or they want to be raised. If they're snowing, let 'em keep going since I'm not worried about overcards.

Cowboy played the hand well. Would you have laid down if he 3-bet the turn?

Regards,
Andy

[elysium]

hi babe
played perfectly.

[Barry]

I can't think of playing it much different, but then again I'm not the rock-like Babe who might think about folding to the 5-bet on the flop.

We're still digging out from our 1st snow storm of the year and I can't wait to get out of here to get there later this month.

Practice your golf game...

[SinCityGuy]

[ QUOTE ]
He stops for a second and says "ok, well, if you really have a set of Jacks, I just call"

[/ QUOTE ]

I share your confusion on that comment. If you did indeed have JJ (the flopped nuts), then you certainly wouldn't have just called the final raise on the flop. In fact, you probably would have smooth called his first bet, then drilled him on the turn.

As for the hand, I probably would have check/called the turn, but I tend to play too weak/tight at times.

I have no doubt that you will get those chips back (plus more) if the cowboy stops by again.

[leon]

Babe, based on your description he sounds like a loose aggressive player. I know how you love those types [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]
It sounds like he's got the macho thing going on. Here's how I'd play the hand, with intrahand narration-

Preflop- easy raise. Good, he called, we're HU and I have position.

Flop- Good, TPTK. Hmm he bet, I'll raise, hmm he three bet, Maybe he has a real hand this time. I'll call and pop on the turn barring a new development or read.

Turn- I should have the best hand. Good he's betting into me- Raise! His chatter is meaningless and he just called.

River- I should still have the best hand. Good he's betting into me- Raise!

Here's where the tale ends b/c I don't know how he would have responded here. But my instinct says he'd call.

So basically I would have played it the same as you except on the flop. And that's only b/c I gain no info 4 betting on the flop- he might 5 bet out of pure spite, pure nuts, or both. A turn raise and his reaction to it gives me more info. I feel very confident on the flop, and even better on the turn and river, to the point I lose one more BB than you on the river (but not as much on the flop).

Your mistake here, if there was one, was perhaps tagging him as a maniac who was willing to throw many chips in with no hand, as opposed to a LAG who will play many hands, but then might not commit as many without a real hand. You were there so I'll trust your read. In fact you never specified if he was a true maniac.

This hand is pretty straightforward. Top two vs a set- you're SUPPOSED to lose a lot of money. If you didn't you probably played it wrong.

Better luck next time.

Leon

[PokerBabe(aka)]

Andy, you stated, " When they bet into that Ace on the turn and it helps me, I usually don't raise unless I want to be reraised." [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
I was digging for info on this one, thinking that Rodeo boy pops it for a buck twenty if he does INDEED have a set. Apparently, he was spooked just enough to only call the raise, but then his river bet totally nullifies his spooked-ness!! In fact, when he bets that river, it's a total act of defiance [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]. No real gentleman cowboy would do that to the Babe [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

As to your question about laying it down for a 3rd bet on the turn.....YUP, this cowgirl now goes back to the barn and puts on some chaps if my hat wearing pal puts the spurs to the horse on this one.

And...YUP, Cowboy played it well. Gosh darn it.

LGPG,

Babe [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[PokerBabe(aka)]

Practice my golf game? Hey, I'm tanglin' with cowboys and all you can think about is golf? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

See you soon and Happy Holidays,

Babe [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[PokerBabe(aka)]

Hi leon....I think your categorization of cowboy as LAP vs. maniac is correct. Yet, a rose by any other name is still a cowboy who plays lots of hands preflop for a raise without much thought to those little issues like position and S&M "starting standards".

All this aside, I felt a river raise would accomplish nothing, as my roping champ will not fold for one more bet (he is NOT a Tommy A type). I think raising the river is just futile here.

I tried to muscle it on the flop and the turn kinda hoping to get that infamous "free" showdown on the river. I also was a bit surprised that this guy just keeps coming in the face of such strength by a preflop raiser. I mean it IS possible that I had a set of Jacks or even Aces (especially when I raise the turn, right). As I thought more about this hand today, I was really a bit surprised the guy didn't check the river. As you noted, however, my top 2 vs. baby set means lots of lost chips in the cow pasture. Shucks, I do so hate when that happens.

LGPG,

Babe [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]