Comments on Hand

Jbrochu · #1 02-05-2005, 05:53 PM

Any comments or suggestions on if I played this hand correctly. I'm a new player, so I'm trying different things in an effort to learn what I can get away with.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter

MP1 (t1450)
MP2 (t1675)
MP3 (t30)
CO (t2725)
Button (t1325)
SB (t1960)
Hero (t1460)
UTG (t1015)
UTG+1 (t1860)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
5 folds, CO calls t30, 1 fold, SB completes, Hero raises to t120, CO calls t90, SB calls t90.

Flop: (t360) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets t300, CO folds, SB calls t300.

Turn: (t960) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: (t960) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: t960

Results in white below: 
SB has Qs 4s (one pair, queens).
Hero has Js As (high card, ace).
Outcome: SB wins t960. 

I felt with the pre-flop bet I could take down the pot, but didn't really like getting two callers. After the flop, I had a lot of outs, and might already have been ahead, so I bet fairly strong because of 2 players still in. I would have been happy to take the pot right here.

Once I got called by SB on my post-flop bet, I felt that SB must have caught at least a piece of the flop. I would have never guessed he was drawing to the flush based on the pot odds I gave him. Decided to take the free card on the turn and river to try and catch the flush (or an A) as I felt I was beat at this point based on how the hand had played out.

I thought about trying to steal on the river, but thought I would only get called if I was beat.

Is my thinking ok on this hand? Thanks in advance, I've learned a lot from this forum in only a few weeks.

John

AtticusFinch · #2 02-05-2005, 06:05 PM

I like your play here. Since you weren't reraised PF, it's unlikely that villain has a high pocket pair, so your overcard outs are probably good. That leaves you with about 15 outs, so you're nearly even money to win this hand even if you're beaten on the flop (assuming he didn't catch trips), and heavily favored otherwise.

Your flop bet also bought you a free look at the river. I like taking a free card here, although some may argue for a bet. When he checks the turn, my thinking is there's a good chance villain caught a small piece of the flop, but is also drawing at the flush. So take a free card, knowing that if the flush hits you'll probably take his whole stack.

Scuba Chuck · #3 02-05-2005, 06:25 PM

AAhh, the perils of playing with outs, and getting no cards.

Let's try and define what our villain (SB) might have with calling the flop bet.
1) flush draw
2) set
3) straight draw
4) A7

In the end, I think looking back, this is a learning mistake. The only way you could have taken the pot is with a turn push. Which unfortunately, probably would have gotten called because villain hit top pair, and still has the flush draw.

The important things to take away from this are:
You are the aggressor, villain should be wary of your hand. I wouldn't be surprised if villain thought you had QQ+ on the flop after your bet.

Second thing to learn, you have better edges to play with on a different hand. Save your chips for those hands.

Final comment: Make notes on villain. "Calls with bad odds on flush draws" Get your chips back on another hand, perhaps in a different game. Especially because he probably has you in his notes as "Fishy."