80/160 #1: AA in SB

[nef]

I think it is a close call. Betting is better against his mediocre hands like a deuce, low pocket pair, or a five. Checking is better against an eight, JJ, or a busted draw. If he has a J that paired after missing a flush draw, or a mid to high pocket pair betting or checking is neutral. I think some of the mid to high pocket pairs are unlikely due to prior action.

I think betting is best, you will get called with worse hands more often than you pay off a raise to an 8. Plus your flop reraise makes him less likely to bluff the river if you check. It is not a huge show of strength, but most of the hands you do that with here will check call rather than check fold the river.

[Paluka]

I think you played it fine.

[SpaceAce]

If I ever accidentally sat down in an $80/$160 game, I'd play this hand exactly the same as you did but I would expect to see the pot go to the other guy most of the time.

SpaceAce

[Nate tha' Great]

Opponent had T8s and HHIG.

I had the strong sense at the time, actually as soon as the turn card came, that my opponent had an 8. I don't think the board is scary enough to make some kind of pure semibluff especially exciting for him on the flop, and he'll be defending his BB with more cards containing an 8 than a 5 or a 2. OTOH, I think I'm going to get killed in the long run if I'm bet-folding on the end here. I haven't done all the math here, but I think that check-calling the river is probably correct.

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
I think just calling the river is okay. I first wanted to say 3-bet, but I can't see VGP paying you off with a hand like AJ if you 3-bet him on the river here and he will 4-bet you if he has you crushed with a set or something that he was slowplaying and 3-betting the river and folding to a 4-bet would be sexy but not something I'd want to do.

[/ QUOTE ]

vgp player isn't raising with just a jack. nate raises out of hte sb and 3 bets th eflop, tha tis a high pokcet pair

[rory]

Yes you are exactly right.

[anatta]

Your opponent just called on the turn. Its hard to put him on an eight on the river as many would chose to raise the turn. Maybe he reads you as very likely to bet river/possible fold to turn raise. I think once he does just call on turn you are doomed to bet river.

There are many medium pocket pair type hands that he can have and will call with. Not that many eights playable preflop, some but its gotta be suited and connected usually. So I think Bayes favors a bet, but the fact you gotta call the raise maybe not.

[Lawrence Ng]

Hi Nate,

I would lean towards folding 80% of the time on the river and call 20% of the time based on your description of the VGP here and the situation at hand.

Any VGP will realize that you could very well have overcards on that flop and will raise with any pair and/or draw.

I think once you re-raise the flop, you have shown enough strength to make your hand know that is at least at overpair.

If he reads your hand correctly for an overpair, then he played it poorly IMHO. Often times, a raise on the turn would garner an extra big bet being called on the river since the 8 offers a good chance to bluff out the overpair hand. You know this, and as such I think warrants a call on the turn and river.

I think the way the hand played out I would still bet the river here. It's a good value bet because if he has any other pair, he's very likely going to check it down for fear that you do have that overpair, so I can't see him betting here for you, but I do see him calling with a pair to keep you honest.

The river raise is tough one, but this is where I would fold. Unless he's shown a tendancy to knock people around with river raises, it is very likely you are beat, albeit a call is not incorrect either and will give you peace of mind instead of having to second guess for the whole night.

Lawrence

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
vgp player isn't raising with just a jack. nate raises out of hte sb and 3 bets th eflop, tha tis a high pokcet pair


[/ QUOTE ]

Not entirely true Danny,

A player like Nate can easily 3-bet with AK or AQ and then continue to bet it strongly on a non co-ordinated or driven board. However, by the time Nate re-raises the flop, it's pretty clear he has the overpair.

Lawrence

[wrto4556]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
vgp player isn't raising with just a jack. nate raises out of hte sb and 3 bets th eflop, tha tis a high pokcet pair


[/ QUOTE ]

Not entirely true Danny,

A player like Nate can easily 3-bet with AK or AQ and then continue to bet it strongly on a non co-ordinated or driven board. However, by the time Nate re-raises the flop, it's pretty clear he has the overpair.

Lawrence

[/ QUOTE ]

its a little broken, but its there.