How could I have built the pot better?

CountDuckula · #1 08-24-2004, 10:51 AM

The reason I'm only playing .02/.04 is that I'm still imperfectly implementing the concepts I'm getting out of SSHE and took a bit of a bath at higher levels, so I'm practicing at micro-limits until I think I have them down better. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Absolute Poker 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls, MP folds, Hero calls, Button folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (2 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets, SB folds, BB calls, UTG folds.

River: (4 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB calls.

Final Pot: 6 BB

I'm trying to figure out whether there was any way I could have sucked more people into calling me down. I tried slow-playing the flop, but nobody bit. Then, since I was last to act, I tried betting the turn and hoped the others would see it as a bluff, but only got the one caller who did call me down. Should I have slow-played the turn, too? Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Mike

papawawa · #2 08-24-2004, 11:09 AM

bet out the flop. You are closing the action, people will suspect you of stealing.

bisonbison · #3 08-24-2004, 11:11 AM

You understand that the reason the pot is so small is that you hold all the good cards, right? You've crippled the deck. That having been said, I bet the flop, on the theory that

1) Look at me, I'm betting when checked to.
2) It's easier to call one SB than one BB.
3) I bet many hands here.

CountDuckula · #4 08-24-2004, 11:27 AM

[ QUOTE ]
bet out the flop. You are closing the action, people will suspect you of stealing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm.... I was afraid that doing that would scare people away. It didn't occur to me to pretend to be stealing. Thanks! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

-Mike

CountDuckula · #5 08-24-2004, 11:31 AM

[ QUOTE ]
You understand that the reason the pot is so small is that you hold all the good cards, right? You've crippled the deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I was hoping someone else was holding Qx (until the river, natch) or Jx and might think they had a shot. Or that they could outkick me with Ax. Guess not.... [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
That having been said, I bet the flop, on the theory that

1) Look at me, I'm betting when checked to.
2) It's easier to call one SB than one BB.
3) I bet many hands here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah. So, maybe they would have all called, giving me another 1.5 BB? And maybe think that they were more pot-committed on later rounds, or that I was just continuing to try a steal?

Thanks,
Mike

jedi · #6 08-24-2004, 12:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Hmmm.... I was afraid that doing that would scare people away. It didn't occur to me to pretend to be stealing. Thanks! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

-Mike

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a page in SSH that talks about something like this. The question goes something like this:

You flop quads and everyone checks to you. What do you do?

Answer: Bet out. Everyone's going to call you anyways.

Tony Corbett · #7 08-24-2004, 12:27 PM

The best advice I can give on this one is if you're serious about improving your play then concentrate on hands and situations that occur frequently. Perfect play with a crippled deck will not turn a loser into a winner, but playing flush draws, TPTK, OESD, middle set, overcards etc. correctly most of the time will.

CountDuckula · #8 08-24-2004, 12:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The best advice I can give on this one is if you're serious about improving your play then concentrate on hands and situations that occur frequently. Perfect play with a crippled deck will not turn a loser into a winner, but playing flush draws, TPTK, OESD, middle set, overcards etc. correctly most of the time will.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this one just stuck in my mind because it was such a monster, and I won such a pittance from it; it just didn't seem right to me. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] But thanks, I understand what you're saying, and you're right; I was focusing on the wrong thing here.

-Mike