Trying to plug some leaks

faman · #1 06-01-2004, 10:30 PM

Here are a few hands from tonight that I think could've been played a lot better. Any help figuring out how to play these better would be much appreciated!

Hand #1
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, Hero raises, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (9.50 SB) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 players) 
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets, CO calls, Button folds, UTG+1 raises, Hero calls, CO calls.

Turn: (7.75 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players) 
UTG+1 bets, Hero calls, CO calls.

River: (10.75 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players) 
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, CO checks.

Final Pot: 10.75 BB
Main Pot: 10.75 BB, between Hero, CO and UTG+1.

Bet out on the flop since I almost always do after a preflop raise. The UTG+1 check-raise made me a little concerned, but I figure I have 7 clean outs (4 jacks for an inside straight, 3 Aces for an overpair) so I feel like it's a reasonable call. Should I be counting the aces as outs, or does the check-raise imply a stronger hand than just a pair?

On the turn the queen was an interesting card, it could possibly counterfeight my straight (split pot) if a jack comes on the river but at the same time may give me 2 extra outs for the river (Queens). And there's always the chance that nobody has a King and that I just made the best hand (or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to keep chasing that inside straight... [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]). How's the turn call?

I was happy to see the free showdown on the river.

Hand #2
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
Hero raises, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls.

Flop: (6.50 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players) 
BB checks, Hero bets, MP1 raises, BB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.25 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players) 
BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets, BB calls, Hero calls.

River: (9.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players) 
BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets, BB calls, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 12.25 BB
Main Pot: 12.25 BB, between BB, Hero and MP1.

I think I may have played this hand much too passively. Is a 3-bet on the flop pretty standard? Then call down if capped or bet out the turn if he just calls?

Hand #3
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, Hero raises, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB 3-bets, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, Hero calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (18.50 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 players) 
BB bets, UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, Hero calls, MP3 folds.

Turn: (11.25 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players) 
BB bets, UTG folds, MP1 calls, Hero calls.

River: (14.25 BB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players) 
BB bets, MP1 calls, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 16.25 BB
Main Pot: 16.25 BB, between BB and MP1.

Should this hand be tossed after being 3-bet preflop when the flop misses me and the 3-bettor bets out? This was one of those times when I wanted to throw away the hand but the calling station in me forced me to call it down [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Hand #4
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $0.75.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, Hero raises, MP3 folds, CO (poster) calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: (7.50 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players) 
SB checks, Hero bets, CO calls, SB calls.

Turn: (5.25 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players) 
SB checks, Hero bets, CO folds, SB calls.

River: (7.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players) 
SB checks, Hero bets, SB calls.

Final Pot: 9.25 BB
Main Pot: 9.25 BB, between Hero and SB.

Here's a situation that I get into a lot and that is probably costing me a lot of money. I raise preflop with big cards, and after the flop all that I have are overcards.

Should I be betting out on the flop here? I do pretty much 100% of the time, but then I'm not sure how often to follow up with bets on the turn/river.

How's the river bet especially? I wasn't sure what to put my opponent on, but I'd seen him show down some garbage so thought there was a chance that I might be ahead with my Ace high. Is the river bet -EV? Now that I think about it I can't see any hand worse than Ace high calling the bet. Should the river have been a check-fold?

faman · #2 06-02-2004, 05:32 PM

*bump*

JSD · #3 06-02-2004, 06:08 PM

Hand #1 (AQo in MP): Looks good.

Hand #2 (AA UTG): You slowed down way too soon. 3-bet the flop. Lead the turn even if villian caps the flop. I don't slow down until villian raises the turn. Then I start to think about giving him credit for TT or JJ or some garbage hand with a 6. But I'd say that AT is more likely.

Hand #3 (AKs in MP2): I would cap pre-flop. Then I would bet/raise the flop to try to get a free look at the river (check behind on the turn). If villian 3-bets or check-raises the flop, then I probably check-fold unimproved on the turn. But its capping pre-flop that sets all of this up. Put villian on the defensive if he's got QQ/JJ/AK. If he continues to show aggression despite your preflop cap, you can probably give him credit for AA/KK unless he's LAG and/or tricky.

Hand #4 (AJo in MP2): Pre-flop raise is good. Flop bet is fine. The turn bet is questionable with two opponents still in the hand. Headsup I make this bet almost every time. But do you really think they are both going to fold here? And you have to check behind on the river! Since he called your turn bet, he's very likely to call your river bet unless he was on a failed draw, in which case you're winning the pot anyways.