Hand Reading Exercise (2 of 2)

[Ed Miller]

This is the second in a series of two posts. I chose to post these two hands because I think that you can reliably narrow my opponent's range of hands down to a very small number of possibilities in each instance. Each hand also has the added bonus of featuring a mistake by yours truly.

10-20 at Muckleshoot. I am in the SB with the 4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. Folded to the button (the habitual bluffer from the first hand) who limps. I complete, and the BB checks. The BB is a new player to me, but I have yet to see him make an error. As such, my assessment is that he is the best player I have ever played against at Muckleshoot. If he's not, he's close, even having only observed him for two hours.

Flop is A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I check, BB checks, and the button checks.

Turn is the 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I bet, BB raises, button mucks, and I call.

River is the 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. I check, BB bets, I raise, BB 3-bets.

What does the BB have?

[Franchise (TTT)]

66 or 55?

[slavic]

MK -

I'd put him down likely for 2 pair on the turn and the rivered house. He didn't bet the flop into a guy who likes to bluff raise to clear you out so I'll say Q5 or 65. The sucky side is even if he only has a flush you can't beat it unless exactly a 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] or 7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] falls on the river.

[Paul Talbot]

This one is harder, AQ is out due to thr three bet so, a flush or 65 or 55. Since he was BB and a free play we can add in Q5. You can probably also discount 55 since it is so unlikely so 65 is my guess. I could also belive a slow played QQ or AA, but not really from your description.

Regards,

Paul

[1800GAMBLER]

... trying not to be off topic on both posts but i gave up. Someone explain to me the advantage of smoothcalling on the turn against a loose player? I'm seeing this a lot at the moment and i'm just confused. If another heart falls you can't checkraise?

[Ed Miller]

Someone explain to me the advantage of smoothcalling on the turn against a loose player?

My opponent in this hand was most definitely not a "loose" player.

I decided to smoothcall the turn and checkraise the river because I thought there was a strong chance that my opponent held just a weak ace. Without a habitual bluffer on the button, I would expect him to bet his ace. But with the bluffer on the button, he might well decide to checkraise his ace in this small pot on the flop.

So when he raises my turn bet, he can easily have the same hand (unimproved) that he missed his flop checkraise with. If I 3-bet the turn, he may realize that he is drawing dead and fold. Instead, if I just call, he will probably bet his ace for value on the end, assuming that I bet a pair smaller than his ace on the turn.

That was my thinking at the time, at least. BTW, if my opponent were poor and/or loose, I would have just 3-bet the turn expecting him to call me down.

[TheLoser]

I don't like just calling on the turn. If he is semi bluffing with a high heart you aren't going to get any more money out of him on the river unless he hits and then you lose, get the money in on the turn, and if he does just have an ace which you said u thought he had I think he will pay you off anyways. As for what I think he has, I would have to say 66.

[Nottom]

I think this would be a better play if the Ah was on the board. If you think he might be making this play with an A there is a good enough chance that he had the nut flush draw and you should make him pay now.

[Schneids]

65 or A5? I could see it being equally likely it was either.

[1800GAMBLER]

Sorry i misread the hand i thought the button was still your opponent and habitual bluffers are usually looser than average i think.