Opinion Wanted

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

Here's a hand that came up the other night in a $40-$80 stud game that I was playing at The Bellagio. This game has a $5 ante.

A deuce brings it in for $10. A 7[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] calls from a middle position. It's passed to me and I'm in late position with 7[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]7[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]Q[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img](and the queen is my upcard). Behind me is a K [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] and the bring-in. What's my play and why?

Best wishes,
Mason

[GrinningBuddha]

The best way to learn is to participate, right? Ok, let's keep that in mind then...

The deuce is bringing in for $10, so I would think he likes his hand. We see one of our 2 7s dead, and we see someone with a higher upcard than our kicker.

Call - Worst option. What are we drawing for?

Raise - Can we scare the others out? Given the bring-in's strength we might get it heads up.

Fold - My personal choice. Even if I hit my kicker, Queens up may be an expensive second best hand. I don't like my chances here.

So, what am I missing about this hand?

[CJC]

Hello Mason,

I'll take a stab at this..

I am going to assume that it was a full game here as you didn't say it was shorthanded!

I am also going to assume that the person with the K showing was a relatively solid player, as you didn't say otherwise.

The key to this hand is that it is only a standard $5 ante game! not the overante $10 game at the Mirage ( if that game still goes, it was when I was out there last August. I guess I will see this August when I am back )

Since it is just a $5 ante game, what I do now is largely dependant on how the opponent with the K showing plays.

Most players here might say that it is either a raise or fold here ( and with the $10 ante it is a clear Raise ) indicating you would like to play heads-up with the 7. But I am going to be in the minority here and say a call is just fine.

Why call! Well since you didn't indicate otherwise ( as I asked above ) that the K was overly aggressive, or anything else was leaking in his game.......... I am sure that you have some respect when you enter a pot. If the K DOES raise, then you can play accordingly. If he FOLDS, you are playing against just the bring-in and the other 7 and you have ( basically ) accomplished the same thing.

Also, by just calling here, it allows you to play the hand differently on later streets than it would if you raised. ( I.E representing a flush draw or made trips or something like that )

By the way, your hand is nothing to be too excited about here. Folding isn't that bad of an option here...

CJ

[CJC]

As I am thinking more about this hand..

I really DON'T like raising here ( and this is coming from me.. MR aggressive here )

The problem is if you raise and the K has any sort of playable hand.. if he is smart it is going to $80 no matter what and you really have a tough call with your holding.. cause you don't want to be playing heads up against the K.

CJ

[Al_Capone_Junior]

I think this is a very marginal situation here, which is probably why you posted it. With all live cards, raising is a viable option, to represent queens. A seven wouldn't look like a threatening card to your opponents, and you might get paid off big if someone makes kings or aces up. However, one seven is dead, so it's less appealing to me to raise it here. You are raising into a king, leaving the possibility of getting popped again. However, it's Ok to raise into one higher card, just not two, at least according to Doyle. Of course he might have been speaking of when you actually have the queens, I'm not going to reference it. Given that one of your cards is dead, AND that there is already a limper, who will almost certainly not fold if you raise, I think raising is only a good idea if you want to try to get it heads up with the limper. Given that you only have sevens, and one is dead, this is probably another very marginal situation. While you might be able to eek a small long term profit out of this one, I would probably pass.

al

[Mike]

Save your chips for the next hand. Your 7's are dead, your Queen isn't so big with a King showing, and you have a rainbow flush with no straight possible.

In the event you control the table, a raise is in order, but looking dim from my view of the table.

[patrick dicaprio]

with the ante and the fact that the other player with a 7 could easily have a pair of sevens it is a close call between folding and raising. it really depends on what type of player the K is. i would tend to fold here unless i had knowledge of how the K might play his hand. for example if he would raise here with TJK then i would raise and hope he reraised. but even then it is still close because of the other 7.

Pat

[patrick dicaprio]

its funny reading these posts because they remind me of taking the bar exam and studying for the bar. the key thing they teach you in law school is to identify the issues. in this case the issues are the ante, quality of the players etc.. so i guess that studying for the bar is good practice for poker. too bad it isnt the other way around.

pat

[FishyWhale]

I think I´d raise to get it heads-up with the seven, when the king reraises I think I´d have an easy fold with one seven dead.

[polarbear]

Why on earth would you want to fold? There's a deuce bring-in and a 7-up limper. You have a pair of 7s. Seriously, what do you think these guys have, pocket aces? Sure there's a K in front, but he hasn't put in any money yet, and probably has a bad hand. It only costs $10 to call into a $60 pot, and you probably have the best hand.

The decision is between calling and raising. I would raise, however the small ante and the fact the K might fold without a raise is an argument for just calling.

Folding just for the sake of "playing tight" won't help you win.