BB Bubble Hand

[Vanquish]

I haven't been playing SnGs seriously for very long, and I decided to start at the bottom and work my way up, so hopefully I'll be posting hands semi-frequently so you fine people can abuse me into improving my game.

I thought this hand was interesting in that it went from a flop semi-bluff/steal with low pair to a damn good hand. I had been stealing quite a bit on the bubble, but I chose not to try to steal pre-flop this go-round. As far as a read goes, the SB was folding to many of my steal attempts and he tended more towards calling station than showing any sort of aggression.

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Hand converter is down apparently because there are a bunch of "no talent ass clowns" in the SSH section who post hands without reads or context. So here is my attempt at pretty.
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PokerStars $5+1
Blinds: 100/200 (25 ante)

SB: T3960
Hero (BB): T2760
UTG: T3930
Button: T2850

Dealt to Hero 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

UTG folds
Button folds
SB calls 100
Hero checks

FLOP: [7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] Pot: T500
SB checks
Hero bets 400
SB calls 400

***Here's my semi-bluff/steal attempt. Since I checked preflop, I deprived myself of an opportunity to test the strength of his hand by betting, but I assume he didn't call with complete crap, even from the SB.***

TURN: [7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] [3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]] Pot: T1300
SB: checks
Hero: bets 800
SB: calls 800

***I can see why some might advocate slow-playing here, but there are two concepts that led me to bet, especially since it was a $5+1 game:
1) The saying that goes something like "If you don't lose a lot of money with trips, you aren't playing them right," not that I was REALLY worried about a straight or flush.
2) I had what I believed to be the best hand at this point, one that I would only lay down to a spade river and serious action, and people tend to be looser with their calls with cards to come than on the river, so I wanted to get some more money in here.***

RIVER: [7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] [3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]] [K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]] Pot: T2900
SB: checks
Hero: bets 600
SB: calls 600

***Yeah, I know. 600 into a 2900 pot? I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking. This was definitely a situation where I should have pushed for my last ~T1500. I think this was the biggest mistake since Mr. Calling Station probably would have called my all-in.***

SHOW DOWN (in white): <font color="white">
Hero shows [3d 5d] (three of a kind, Threes)
SB shows [4d 7s] (two pair, Sevens and Fours)
Hero collected 4100 from pot</font>

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear some critiques on what is not a hand I don't usually see. Thanks.

[Vanquish]

Nothing? Help a new guy out. I thought this forum was for hand analysis and strategy discussion, not whether to fold Aces preflop!

[Unarmed]

It's fine.
He's either drawing, has two pair, or a boat.

I'd be hesitant to assume the latter as he'd normally bet the river, but then again you've shown strength throught the hand so a check-all-in isn't completely out of the question.

Two pair is just unlikely here due to the slim odds of hitting it.

A busted draw is by far the most likely holding here, followed by a boat, followed by two pair. (IMO)

Given that read, I wouldn't be betting anything on the river as the only hand that calls you is the hand that beats you. (ignoring the slim chance he's on 2 pair)

Alternatively, you can bet some small amount and force a 2-pair hand to make the crying call, which is what you did. Its a riskier play though as it gives the boat a chance to CR you all-in.

There's some advice! Unfortunately my ROI just dipped below 30% (!@#!$!@#$) so take it for what its worth.

EDIT: Flop and turn play are obviously fine. I rarely slowplay trips without a bulletproof read...especially here when there's a very good chance opponent is drawing and your hand can't afford to give a free card.

[Avgard]

There is not much to analyze here. The SB played the hand horribly. He should have check-raised you all-in after the flop.

The turn bet was fine to feel what he had. By calling both bets, it seems he had top pair (the fact that he had 2 pair and was a calling station shows his level of play).

The river bet can be debated two ways. If you pushed, he could have put you on a king in your hand making two pair kings over threes (beating his sevens over fours). So a push might have prompted a fold. By betting a similar amount as earlier, he probably thought you had a seven for sevens overs threes and he had sevens over fours. Your smaller bet probably got you paid off.

The other factor is your read on this player. You said he was playing less aggressive and turned into a calling station. If you sensed that he would have called the bet you made or an all in, then you should have pushed.

[Vanquish]

[ QUOTE ]
It's fine.
He's either drawing, has two pair, or a boat.

I'd be hesitant to assume the latter as he'd normally bet the river, but then again you've shown strength throught the hand so a check-all-in isn't completely out of the question.

Two pair is just unlikely here due to the slim odds of hitting it.

A busted draw is by far the most likely holding here, followed by a boat, followed by two pair. (IMO)

Given that read, I wouldn't be betting anything on the river as the only hand that calls you is the hand that beats you. (ignoring the slim chance he's on 2 pair)

Alternatively, you can bet some small amount and force a 2-pair hand to make the crying call, which is what you did. Its a riskier play though as it gives the boat a chance to CR you all-in.

There's some advice! Unfortunately my ROI just dipped below 30% (!@#!$!@#$) so take it for what its worth.

EDIT: Flop and turn play are obviously fine. I rarely slowplay trips without a bulletproof read...especially here when there's a very good chance opponent is drawing and your hand can't afford to give a free card.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks! I'm not trying to be an attention whore, but there seems to be a dwindling amount of hand discussion here, which is fine, but it's what I need right now.

From the way he was playing I put him on top pair, good kicker or possibly a pocket pair that was a "low" overpair (88, 99) or an actually low one that missed the flop but gave him draws. I really didn't even consider the possibility of a boat at the time, though now that you bring it up, if I had a boat, I would probably have kept calling myself and then raise all-in or C/R all-in on the river, which I gave him opportuinity to do. I'll have to think more about that next time.

[Vanquish]

Well, the fact that people think there isn't much to analyze is also useful information for me. I'm going back over my game from the ground up to try and plug as many leaks as possible.

I was obviously feeling skittish on the river, since I normally don't bet so small here with a hand as good as trips. I had him pegged as a calling station, yes, but I'm always a little wary when my 1/2 pot to pot sized bets get called on the flop and turn. Feels a little like slowplaying, but I should have had more confidence in my read that this guy was just a bad player.

Anyway, you're probably right that my smaller bet paid me off