$2/$4 hand

[Roland]

[ QUOTE ]
Roland, were you going to post the follow-up to this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah.

7 Card Stud High ($2/$4), Ante $0.25, Bring-In $1 (converter)

3rd Street - (1.00 SB)

Seat 1: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___calls___calls
Seat 2: xx xx 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 3: xx xx 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___folds
Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___completes
Seat 5: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 7: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___brings-in___calls

4th Street - (6.00 SB)

Seat 1: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___calls
Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___bets
Seat 5: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 7: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___calls

5th Street - (5.50 BB)

Seat 1: xx xx T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___checks___folds
Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___bets
Seat 5: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 7: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___checks___calls

6th Street - (8.50 BB)

Hero: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___???
Seat 7: xx xx 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___
Seat 8: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___bets

Surprised you bet 5th.

Fold 6th.

I give up at this point. With no read on seat 8, it's difficult to pin down but, assuming weak, the bet is ominous. There's lotsa spades out but you could be looking at a flush. For that matter, a boat is not inconceivable. Also, Ks or Qs up looks huge.

[MRBAA]

A guiding principle for me in these games is that the players make many, many more calling errors than they do folding errors. So when I play fast on 3rd and 4th, which I often do as a semi-bluff, I only continue when I improve or think there's a decent chance I'm best. Otherwise, I abjectly give up and check fold, which is what you should have done on fifth here. The real money to be made in these games -- and they have never been juicier -- is simply by betting when you are best and getting called. Sometimes the pots get big and the other players get tricky and you are advised to call -- as my post the other day. But often it goes like this, pot not big, hand not improved, opponents not leaving, time to stop betting because now you don't want to get called.