30/60 Halftime adjustments

[J_V]

My main opponent in the hand is on the button. Ive played with him many a time. He's a thinking, aggressive player. I'm not sure if he wins or not. He's been around a while, so he probably does ok. I'd put him in the usual category for this game...aggressive raising standards, probably too aggressive, loves pounding from late position. He actually was on tilt at this time although I didn't know it. I was playing multiple games and I wasn't privy to this yet. At the time, I had only gathered that he was playing more hands than normal.

EP/MP raises early. I don't know the guy, so I'll just assumed, slightly looser than normal standards. Button cold calls. I have black AA. I 3-bet. Both call.

Flop comes a healthy 9-7-2 with 2 hearts. My roommate is watching and asks me, "Is this is gonna be a 1000 dollar pot." I tell him, "only if i lose," and we both get a good laugh. Anyway, the action goes I bet, call call.

Turn is a ragamuffin. I bet..EP folds his drawing dead crap and Button calls.

Now here's what I know, the button could easily have a pair (probably does), he knows I have a strong hand but also that his pair is good. He's not gonna give me excessive action with one pair, because I'm just too likely to have one pair beat. The button also could be on a hand like J-10 and maybe even a flush draw. But I don't put anyone on a flush draw ever. Why? Cause they never have it.

Either way, I am gonna try and screwplay the river. If you can't find this screwplay, you're not trying. This one's setting up well. Might as well be teeball. Anyway, I'm all set to c/r the river when the last card is...

10h completing the flush. Do you still try to land the screw?

I made a halftime adjustment and bet it out, got raised...and called. The dude had 10-9. Good for him. I wonder if I woulda lost 3 my way? I could always fold if he three bet.......eh, F@#$ that. I'll leave that to the West Coast boys, we don't play that way in the Midwest.

Tilt? Not just yet, I just picked up (Ac-2c)-5c in stud8, I've got some gambling to do. We'll talk tilt after this hand.

[Coilean]

I like going for the screwplay in your spot. It gives your opponent a chance to make a desperation bluff with a hand he wouldn't call with, and wins you 2 bets quite often when your opponent has a 1 pair hand. Obviously, you don't try this against everyone, but it's amazing how often it works against thinking and aggressive opponents. Anyway, I think I would have lost the 3 bets here as I don't let a flush card sway my strategy in short handed games much. Say, if you never put your opponents on a flush draw, why did you change your mind and bet on the river? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[J_V]

I actually thought that my opponent might have hit 10-9 for some reason. Also, I knew there was a damn good chance I would get three bet if behind since he is aggressive. To be honest, it probably was a panicked decision on my part. I think I have a bias where I like to screw in situation where I am almost certain to have the best hand. Probably not optimal. You'll often see a weak player screw play a fullhouse, you will only see good players or crazy aggro's screwplay one pair. I should work harder to punish those aggros - even in tough spots.

[eeeguy]

why not fold and not see the hand??

[CrackerZack]

I play about a 10th of these levels online and about 1/3 max live so my level is a bit less, but why not go for the screwplay on the turn? Is that too obvious? I have a great time with it in the party 3-6 games but they aren't exactly intellectually challenging and every raise is auto-assumed to be AK. I do like the change of plan though if you're not folding to a 3-bet and I know I wouldn't.

[J_V]

There is a very good reason. On the river, if he has a draw I gain nothing by betting and lose nothing by checking. If he has a pair the play would work too.

And if he has a draw on the turn, he'll check behind and I do lose $$$ since he would call that bet. Thus, the turn play is a gamble, while the river play is practically a freeroll.