Weak or correct cautious?

[Swiss Cheese]

I am in the small Blind with A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 20-40 harrahs in East Chicago. folded to MP, any 2 card player, who limps, solid aggressive player raises, button calls, I just call, BB calls and limper calls. 5 players to the flop.

Flop 3-K-Q no 2 flush. I check and it is checked all the way around. OK where is the trap?

Turn is 10 no flush possible. I am not real fond of this card either. I check knowing original limper will bet if he has any part of the flop the original raiser grabs a bunch of chips and calls. I know this could be a play, or he could of raised with AJ after 1 limper pre-flop, and now he is gonna just call to get some other calls behind him. Button folds and I call, BB folds.

River is a total blank I check MP limper bets, original raiser just calls I just call.

Did I play this too weak or cautious correct?


Swiss Cheese

P.S. My hand was good limper had a Q and original raiser mucked before I showed my hand.

[Kevin J]

It's hard to believe optimal play could involve checking top pair 3 consecutive times against multiple opponents.

[Swiss Cheese]

I was looking for the check raise on flop.....foiled. Turn is a 10 a scary board for 1 pair. River I think a bet or a check raise was the play but I think the most I get is 1 more bet. Is my thinking flawed?

Swiss Cheese

[jujujaja34]

Swiss,

I like 3-betting from the SB preflop in this situation. I'd like to get the BB and limper to fold here and play 3 handed. Also, 3-betting lets you take control (granted you are out of position, but with AKs I'm not too concerned) with likely the best hand.

[SoBeDude]

Hi Swiss.

Unfortunately you played it very weakly. You should bet out on the flop and re-raise if raised back to you, or you can go for the check-raise. If you do check the flop and it's checked through, you MUST bet the turn.

And the T is not a real scare card. It puts you behind only to KT, QT, and AT.

Good luck!

-Scott

[elysium]

hi swiss
you should reraise pre-flop and bet out on the flop. you want the raiser to raise you on the flop. and you three bet pre-flop because of your poor position. you need to get the bets in there right away. you can't fool around from the SB.

[Ed S.]

Hey what about re-raising in this game? How do the percieve you? Anyways now and then with that hand and the way it came down on pre-flop its good to raise. But not necessarily all the time.

Oh btw, how are the 10-20 HE games going there? I haven't played there a while. Hows the tables? Tight? Loose? passive? Last time I played there it seemed at bit tight and passive at times.

Thanks.


Ed S.

[arod4276]

Elysium has it right. Reraise preflop and pound the hell out of them postflop from the SB.

arod

[Kevin J]

Hey Swiss-

Sorry. I had no time last night and just shot off a quick (attempted humorous) response.

AKs is a big hand that plays well both short-handed and multi-way. I think sometimes 3-betting pre-flop is fine, but not mandatory as some are implying.

After smooth calling pre-flop, it might seem like check/raising (the flop) would be automatic, but did you at least consider betting out? This pressures the two players between you and the pre-flop raiser while at the same time, possibly forcing others to call two cold on a drawing board. It's tough.

I see your point on the turn and river. It was a tough hand to play and I think you did fine.

I've been playing almost exclusively at Harrah's lately. I must be running good to have avoided you on the one day I didn't play.

[Kevin J]

[ QUOTE ]
And the T is not a real scare card. It puts you behind only to KT, QT, and AT.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about AJ and J9s? You are also assuming no one else was check/raising the flop (and missed) with a better hand than one pair.