Hand to Talk About

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

Here's a hand I played earlier this evening in a very loose $30-$60 game.

Five people limped in and I called (for one $10 chip) out of the small blind with Q[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img].

So six of us, including the big blind took the flop which was A[img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]J[img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img]T[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]. Everyone checked.

The turn was the K[img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]. Everyone checked.

The river was the 8[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]. I bet, and one player who held the 9[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]7[img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] (for a smaller straight) called.

All comments welcome.

Best wishes,
Mason

[MrHeadsUp]

[Ginogino]

Mason:
Your preflop and flop bets are straightforward, I think. On the flop you have to believe that someone has caught a piece of something better than your 10's, but why not draw if you can draw cheaply (and how much cheaper could it be).

When you hit the straight on the turn you check because you almost have to give your opponents a free card. When the flop is checked through, it's apparent that no one has anything (unless one or more of them is really tricky), and this would be a wonderful situation in which to bluff. But you actually hold the nuts, darn it!

The free card paid off, and that's just why you gave it. Neat idea. I don't know whether I'd always see it at the table.

Gino

[RydenStoompala]

The rainbow flop would have made me bet the turn. Low pair on the flop means checking through it on a straight draw was a good play. Nice to have six in for that flop.

[pilchard]

Preflop
Clear call

On the flop
I think leading into that size of field with bottom pair is out of the question so I would check too.

On the turn
Rainbow board, six of you in this tiny pot (3 Big bets)
I would always check here. Unless the other players at the table are complete idiots they would have to be mad to call a turn bet without a Q. Regardless of the fact that you probably have a tight image anyway, who would lead into 5 other players without a Q in such a tiny pot. Furthermore, if you do lead someone with a Q behind you might raise (idiotic but possible) but even calling would clear the rest of the field.

So the reasons for checking the turn is a) you may induce a bluff from a late position player on the turn and b) you may induce a call on the river from a player who doubts your Q.

What of the dangers of giving a free card. No flush draw, preflop and flop betting makes it highly unlikely anyone has two pair or a set, the only risk is that a Q comes on the river.

On the river you have to bet and hope someone calls. Not worth checking and hoping to induce a bluff.

I think you maximised your profit on the hand.

[skp]

Preflop and flop are fine.

The turn is situation dependant: If you have been betting a lot in the game already, you should bet. If you haven't made a move in quite a while, you should check.

One thing to note here is that if someone has two pairs, that someone is likely in early position. I say this because a late position player with one pair on the flop would likely have bet. The early position player with middle or bottom pair may well have checked the flop (as you did).

So, on the turn, if the two pair holder is in early position, he too might check (now fearing the queen). On the other hand, if you bet, he might well call. Again, depending on your image, he may well call on the turn with a view to also calling you on the river.

Having said all of that, the turn decision depends a lot on current image considerations, whether or not there are players in the game who will call with two pairs (even though the pot is so small), whether someone will be tempted to bluff if you slip it etc.

[mike l.]

i think you shouldve checked the river because acting first with that many players someone is sure to take a stab often enough (and who knows, someone may make a counter-stab before it gets back to you) on the end, and youre sure to get a checkraise in often enough to make that more profitable then betting the river. it's really not close so im surprised you bet the river.

other than that, well played.

[skp]

I beg to differ on the river. Having checked the turn, I say that it is way better to bet the river. You are going to get crying calls way more often than induced bluffs or thin value bets (by checking). Notice that this board is 2 pair friendly. That 2 pair hand may be afraid to step out but will generally call a river bet particularly because no one bet the turn.

If Mason had bet the turn and been called (I will call that scenario 2), then checking the river might have more appeal but even then Mason's opponent would have to be of the fairly aggressive type who likes to value bet when checked to on the river. The reason why the guy with two pairs is more likely to bet scenario 2 (as opposed to scenario 1 where no one bets the turn) is that he knows that his call on the turn may be taken by Mason as a sign that he smoothcalled with the nuts on the turn. In scenario 1, the guy with 2 pairs will be less likely to bet out (with something like KT) because he knows that his opponents are specifically not putting him on a straight.

Bah...that's expressed unclearly but the hell with it...I am too lazy to reformulate what I am trying to say.

[mike l.]

"Notice that this board is 2 pair friendly. That 2 pair hand may be afraid to step out but will generally call a river bet particularly because no one bet the turn."

30-60 most players bet 2 pair on the end on this board when no one bets that straight board. they just dont check it down here, no chance. they probably call a checkraise as well, although against mason they may not. they definitely dont raise mason with two pair when he comes out betting the river though.

[Diplomat]

I agree with mike here. I think any decently agressive player would bet two pair after being checked to twice in middle or late position; someone might even bet a lone ace, especially if the game is a bit agressive.

I think the questions to ask are how agressive your opponents are; how likely they are to bluff; and how likely they are to call a checkraise. As usual, I don't really have answers, just questions. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

-Diplomat