The best player at the table

[David Ottosen]

I was discussing hands with someone the other day and he described himself as the "best player at the table". He was playing 9-18 at the Commerce and telling me about his bad beats. What do you think of his play?

Hand 1:
Hero is in the SB with K [img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] 4 [img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img]. An early middle player limps. Hero limps. BB takes the free play.

Flop KJ4 no suits specified

Hero checks, BB checks, limper bets. Hero calls, BB folds.

Turn 4

Hero checks, limper bets, Hero checkraises, limper calls.

River J

Hero bets, limper raises, hero calls.

Hand 2:

Hero is on the button with T [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] 9 [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img]. One middle player limps to him and he limps. SB raises. BB reraises. Limper cold calls. Hero calls. SB calls.

Flop: T93 no suits specified

SB bets. BB raises. Limper reraises. Hero calls. SB and BB call.

Turn: T

SB checks. BB bets. Limper raises. Hero reraises. SB folds. BB calls, limper asks how many tens in the deck and says he needs a queen and calls.

River Q

BB checks, limper bets, hero calls, BB calls.

How did Hero play these two hands?

[David Ottosen]

I thought Hero misplayed each hand repeatedly.

Hand 1: He should raise preflop. He should bet or checkraise the flop. He should probably bet out on the turn though this one is debatable. He ended up losing to AJ.

Hand 2: He should raise or fold after the limper comes in. He should fold to the raise-reraise. He should cap the flop. He lost to QT (BB showed AA).

[Homer]

On hand 1, you really think he should raise K4s preflop? (Ok, I know you think it, I just want to know why you think it. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img])

-- Homer

[David Ottosen]

What kind of hands open limp in EMP? Suited connectors and low pocket pairs. Your preflop raise means you win the pot unless he hits his set. It's almost to the point where I consider this the same as a button steal when one person weakly limps in. I'd openraise K4s on the button, so this situation is just a little more risk but with more reward too.

[Homer]

Thanks for the explanation.

Would everyone else raise K4s on the button or in the small blind after a single EMP limper?

-- Homer

[Georgia Peach]

AXs might be a raisable hand pre-flop, on the button, depending upon game environment, but I wouldn't raise KXs. I'd limp (or fold) and fold if raised by any of the blinds. But I'm new at this. A cagey vet might be able to play that hand in a limit game.

[Rube]

Hand 1:

I'd either bet the flop or checkraise, the hand isn't strong enough to rope-a-dope.

On the turn I'd bet out unless the BB was aggressive and will almost always bet if checked to but will call a turn checkraise with one pair.

River play is fine.

Hand 2:

Preflop should be pump or dump, I'd raise here almost every time.

I'd cap the flop, most of the time you'll be calling a cap anyway.

Turn and river are fine, it's good to go for the river overcall especially after limper calls out what card they need and get it

[MtSmalls]

Hand 1: There must be a mistake here, Hero would have 4's full, and shouldn't lose to three jacks with an A (did he lose to KJ?)

Hand 2: I don't know about a pre-flop raise but he has to be capping on the flop and turn,as there is NO WAY he is anything but way ahead catching that flop. If you put the raisers on big pocket pairs or open end draws, he isn't going to lose the action, and he has to make them pay to hit that Q.

[Rube]

For me to raise Kxs from the SB, the little blind would have to be 2/3 the big blind and the BB would have to be tight enough or respect my raises enough to fold almost all the time.

There are too many times that I'll be playing a dominated hand or playing agasint 2 opponents out of position for me to make this a profitable play.

If I'm on the button against a single limper with Kxs, I'll usually raise.

[David Ottosen]

On a board of AJJ44, AJ beats K4.