Hand for review

[Percula]

Seat 3: Crawdad77 ($17.75 in chips)
Seat 5: Hero Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img],A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($30 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDS
bmo760 posts blind ($0.15), zorvi posts blind ($0.25).

Reads... Villian is pretty passive and a calling station. His mini-raise and call could mean any two paint or any ace. My image is aggressive.

PRE-FLOP
snookboytwh folds, Crawdad77 bets $0.50, spadechaser1 folds, Hero bets $0.75, UNDEVELOPED folds, maverick1967 bets $1, bmo760 folds, zorvi folds, Crawdad77 calls $0.50, Hero calls $0.25.

I messed up with the software, I intended to RR to $2, but instead mini RR... Then after the next RR I decided to just go with it.

FLOP Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img],K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img],9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Crawdad77 checks, Hero bets $2, maverick1967 folds, Crawdad77 calls $2.

TURN A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Crawdad77 checks, Hero bets $7, Crawdad77 calls $7.

RIVER 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Crawdad77 bets $7.75 and is all-in, Hero calls $7.75.

SHOWDOWN <font color="white">
Crawdad77 shows K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img],K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Hero shows Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img],A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
</font>

I am quite new at poker and have found myself getting trapped in hands like this quite often.

The solution that I have taken - and I am not sure if it is a good one - is checking the turn. The size of your opponents bet, or his check, gives you a lot of information about his holding. If you are confident in your hand you can always check raise.

This is the thing that has enabled me to start laying down TPTK when it looks like it is beat.

That being said, I don't think I could have dropped this hand either.

[Percula]

Bump for the day shift

[kurto]

Is he a calling station or isn't he? Because when a calling station raises pf (even if its a pansy miniraise... he probably has something.) I generally think when a calling station minraises, its usually a pocket pair or possibly AK.

Calling stations play junk preflop but they don't raise with it.

If you're going to play this hand, reraise him preflop. You want to isolate the calling station.

I would recommend slowing down on the turn. He called your bet. You had second pair. There is already a possible straight on the board. And if he raised with AK, you've only got 2 outs.

Finally- When a calling station bets into you on the river, you've been slowplayed. Your turn bet made the pot large enough that you have to call because of pot odds. But when a calling station bets into me, you can expect the nuts are pretty darn close to it.

[Percula]

[ QUOTE ]
Is he a calling station or isn't he? Because when a calling station raises pf (even if its a pansy miniraise... he probably has something.) I generally think when a calling station minraises, its usually a pocket pair or possibly AK.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh yes he is, with a VP$IP of 79 thru 123 hands.

[ QUOTE ]

If you're going to play this hand, reraise him preflop. You want to isolate the calling station.

[/ QUOTE ]

I tried but messed up with the software. The "2" typed in went into the chat box instead of the bet box, therefore the mini-rr. I guess I should have RR to 3 when it came back to me.

[ QUOTE ]
I would recommend slowing down on the turn. He called your bet. You had second pair. There is already a possible straight on the board. And if he raised with AK, you've only got 2 outs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep that crossed my mind alright! I was trying to put him on a hand that he would call the flop bet with. I could not put him on AA or KK, it would be super rare to see someone not RR PR with these with two RR after their PFR. If he had AK I would have expected a RR AI after my flop bet. The only hands I could come up with was KQ, AJ or TT.

So if he had KQ, AJ or TT I had him drawing and I wanted him to pay to draw.

[ QUOTE ]
Finally- When a calling station bets into you on the river, you've been slowplayed. Your turn bet made the pot large enough that you have to call because of pot odds. But when a calling station bets into me, you can expect the nuts are pretty darn close to it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this where I need more experience! I haven't played against too many people that wouldn't RR KK PF with two people RR after them, or slow play top set on a draw heavy board.

So going back to your advice...

Lets say I manage to use the software correctly [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] and RR to $2 PF and the other player drops and the villian calls.

So on the flop let's assume he checks again and I pot it for $4 and he calls.

Then on the turn he checks again, I should check behind and look for a cheap showdown calling a 1/2 to 2/3 pot sized bet on the river?

This also brings up the problem with a mini raise PR from a calling station... I had seen him make this play from EP to LP with anything from Ax suited to small/mid PP and two paint cards and on this one hand a big PP like KK/AA. I have seen him call a RR (not a mini but a real one to like $1.50 to $3) with these holdings and see him call them all the way to the river.

So how the hell do you put this type of player on a hand!?!? I guess on this hand the river lead bet, but I seen him check/call to the river where he checked/raised with the flopped nut flush and again with the turned nut straight and the rivered top boat...

Is it just this guy or is it calling stations in general that play this way?

[kurto]

[ QUOTE ]
If he had AK I would have expected a RR AI after my flop bet.

[/ QUOTE ]

You expect a RR from an aggressive player. Not a calling station ESPECIALLY a calling station with a monster hand against someone who is betting aggressively into him.

[ QUOTE ]
So if he had KQ, AJ or TT I had him drawing and I wanted him to pay to draw.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you had a set and were vulnerable to a flush or straight draw, then I agree that you want to make them pay. But you're in a situation where you have a moderate hand. And, you're bloating the pot forcing yourself to play for your whole stack on a very scary looking board where you might already be drawing dead.

The wonderful thing about these passive players is they'll let you make your draws cheaply. They'll pay you off with second best hands when you have the nuts. Use THEIR passivity against them. Play small cheap pots when you have weak hands. Bust them with monsters.

[ QUOTE ]
If he had AK I would have expected a RR AI after my flop bet.

[/ QUOTE ] from a good aggressive player you would. NOT from a calling station. He minraises pf because (he's bad) and he wants to juice up the pot if he hits. But at heart, he is a CALLING STATION. Calling stations wait until the river, when they know they're safe, and they slam it to you.

"Then on the turn he checks again, I should check behind and look for a cheap showdown calling a 1/2 to 2/3 pot sized bet on the river?"

Yes. I have seen calling stations check trips all the way to the river. They're waiting for someone to take the bait.

OR, at the very least... bet the flop and turn like you did... and then check behind on the river.

[ QUOTE ]
This also brings up the problem with a mini raise PR from a calling station... I had seen him make this play from EP to LP with anything from Ax suited to small/mid PP and two paint cards and on this one hand a big PP like KK/AA. I have seen him call a RR (not a mini but a real one to like $1.50 to $3) with these holdings and see him call them all the way to the river.


[/ QUOTE ]

I think I've played against this guy before. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] He is a person you want to play against. Because of his passivity, you know you can generally control the potsize. If you flop a set, bust him. If you flop top pair... make little value bets. If he pushes at any point, he probably has you beat. You WANT to play this guy. You know the kind of hands he plays, use that knowledge against him.

[ QUOTE ]
Is it just this guy or is it calling stations in general that play this way?

[/ QUOTE ] I've seen a lot of players who play this way. They make money when people try to bluff them. When people play against them incorrectly.

I say again... bet when you've got a very strong hand, check when you have nothing. Check your draws... they'll let you make your draws for free. Control the potsize.