Odd 20-40 hand, comments requested.

I.Rowboat · #1 11-10-2003, 04:04 AM

Good 20-40 game, with a mix of decent players and a few fishier players, but no maniacs, drunks, or idiots. I raise UTG with A-A. Called in five spots, including the button, SB, and BB. Most players at this point are playing well, and I respect the play of the button and the small blind. I have been winning and showing good cards, esp. from early position, so I am surprised that so many call my UTG raise.

The flop comes T-T-T. I bet, four call, including the button and SB. (Comments?)

The turn is an A. I check, and it is checked around. (Comments?)

River is a 6. I bet and am check-raised by the SB. I call (comments?), and am shown T-8o, which drags the pot.

Although I obviously didn't put the SB on a hand like T-8o, I did put him on a T and not the case A. (By his style of play, I think he would have called with an A and would only have raised me with AA or the case T. Since I had the former, he had to have the latter.)

My question is, if this were your hand/your flop, would you necessarily assume the fourth T was out there? I know I could have either lost or won more money on this hand if I had played it harder, but I was unhappy with the number of callers and slowed my action down a little. I also immediately gave the raiser credit for the case T and not the case A. This is actually the second time this hand has occurred for me this year (pocket AA, flop TTT, turn another A, winner had garbage hand w/a T).

I'm not whining about this as a bad beat -- crazy stuff happens -- but I am curious what others would have done in this situation.

Thanks,

anatta · #2 11-10-2003, 05:13 AM

I would think thats a good flop, but once my flop bet got called in four places by decent players I would think "hmm". Still, I would bet the turn, but since I would have to call a raise, I dont think checking is too bad. So I would have lost more.

rigoletto · #3 11-10-2003, 06:21 AM

You have to bet the turn here. The fact that so many called your UTG raise and flop bet could indicate a lot of pocket pairs out there and they might have a hard time letting go of those even with the A out there, besides the case A might be out there.

So many players check their strong hands on the turn on a board like this which IMO a mistake: what will they call the river with that they wouldn't call the turn with?

lil' · #4 11-10-2003, 10:01 AM

I don't know what they are all calling with, but the point is they keep calling you. With that in mind I would bet the turn.

andyfox · #5 11-10-2003, 01:36 PM

"The flop comes T-T-T. I bet, four call"

Uh-oh.

nykenny · #6 11-10-2003, 03:02 PM

what happened to you was unfortunate. but i don't think there are more than one way to play it against typical players (good or mediocore).

you simply bet your AA all the way through until raised and call. never take it to 3 bet. you can sometimes lay down to a three bet on turn or river. that's all i can think of.

Kenny

I.Rowboat · #7 11-10-2003, 04:59 PM

Thanks for the comments. This hand still has me shaking my head a bit. Like Andy said, four callers on the turn was a definite "uh-oh" for me, but I can't see checking the river or folding to a single raise, even though the raiser almost certainly has the stone cold nuts.

Anyway, thanks for the comments. If this hand comes up yet AGAIN, maybe I'll figure out how to play it better.

'boat