I hate NL and want you to tell me how bad I suck

Or just tell me if I played it horribly, or just not optimally.

I had raised a few pre-flop in the several orbits I had been there, and had to fold to any aggression due to some bad flops, etc., so I may have been viewed as a bit weak-tight (if they had in fact been paying attention). Villain was loose and quite aggressive, quite random, liked to bet big to pull people off hands, etc. No stats on him at the time cuz PAHUD sux right now.

My thinking on the turn was that he would almost certainly bet if I showed weakness. I didnt have a good hand range on him aside from some random draw amongst all that mess. If he was more passive I would have definitely bet, but I figured he was probably betting, so was checking to induce a bluff best, or is the chance of giving a free card in that spot super terrible?

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em, $.50 BB (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

CO ($17.35)
Button ($19.55)
SB ($22)
BB ($25)
UTG ($38.50)
UTG+1 ($40.75)
Hero ($50)
MP1 ($81.85)
MP2 ($42.85)
MP3 ($58.75)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG+1 calls $0.50, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $1.5</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Button calls $1.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, BB calls $1, UTG+1 calls $1.

Flop: ($6.25) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $4</font>, Button calls $4, BB folds, UTG+1 folds.

Turn: ($14.25) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero &lt;Checks and induces a bet from donk&gt; or &lt;pushes all-in&gt; or &lt;bets some other amount&gt;??

[jsnipes28]

Raise more preflop. Check/call turn and bet river, size depends upon spade hitting or K hitting etc.. Fold to a river raise unless he is a maniac and will raise without the J.

[guns4show]

[ QUOTE ]
Raise more preflop. Check/call turn and bet river, size depends upon spade hitting or K hitting etc.. Fold to a river raise unless he is a maniac and will raise without the J.

[/ QUOTE ]

If he check calls a standard sized bet of 8 or so, villain would only have $5 going into the river.

[Isura]

[ QUOTE ]

I had raised a few pre-flop in the several orbits I had been there, and had to fold to any aggression due to some bad flops, etc., so I may have been viewed as a bit weak-tight (if they had in fact been paying attention). Villain was loose and quite aggressive, quite random, liked to bet big to pull people off hands, etc. No stats on him at the time cuz PAHUD sux right now.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't raise preflop.

Don't raise PF... maybe just limp and see what happens... limping up front with KQs in a 10 handed game will make later descions easier.

[FreakDaddy]

Just limp pre-flop. Perhaps if you hadn't been raising a lot pre-flop, you could raise OOP here, but if you did, you need to make it much bigger than 3x BB after a limp in front. I don't mind isolating here with a read, but your raise is going to induce more calls, unless you're on a fairly tight table for this level.

The turn represent the exact problem of playing these hands OOP in a raised pot. See why you don't want to do it? You'r going to have to commit a lot of chips here, and you may very likely be behind. I'd check and see what action occurs.

[MikeSmith]

[ QUOTE ]
had to fold to any aggression due to some bad flops, etc., so I may have been viewed as a bit weak-tight (if they had in fact been paying attention).

[/ QUOTE ]

At this level of play i doubt anyone is paying attention

I see what you mean. I play a ton of limit, but almost never play NL except for just a change of pace. I guess this would be controlling the size of the pot? Is there any really good reading recommended on this skill? I'll do some searching on here later, but if anyone has some bookmarked handy toss 'em in here, it'd be much appreciated.

Will

[CallYNotRaise06]

Why is limping a more optimal play instead of raising? You are OOP after the flop either way, and atlest w/ raising you have the lead in the hand

[Godfather80]

[ QUOTE ]
Why is limping a more optimal play instead of raising? You are OOP after the flop either way, and atlest w/ raising you have the lead in the hand

[/ QUOTE ]

My response is written assuming a full ring game (as short-handed may differ).

You don't want to build pots with mediocre hands OOP. With KQs, you need a flop to come that hits your hand before you invest.

Sklansky wrote, quite rightly, that you should ONLY be raising with hands that "don't mind being reraised". Meaning, that you should definitely raise your premiums because you'd love to get your money in preflop if you are reraised; AND, you can raise trash if you like because you are happy to fold if you are reraised. With medium strength hands like KQs, you really want to see a cheap flop and see what develops from there.

Yes, you can raise KQs OOP, but you are just turning it into 72o when you do.