overplayed 44?

[Allan]

I don't know much about the button's steal-worthy hands, as there haven't been all that many preflop folds to the button in this game. I have 4s4c in the BB and reraise the button open raise, the button only calls.

Flop comes KhJc3s. I bet button raises and I reraise, button only calls.

Turn is 8d I bet button raises, I fold.

Any comments greatly appreciated.

Allan

[Jeffage]

You blew way too many chips on this hand IMO. I can't really blame you for seeing the flop (though sometimes I prefer calling with your hand, and then checkraising if I hit or rags flop). If you take the reraise route, I think you can safely fold to the button's flop raise. What does he raise a preflop reraiser with that you beat? Or that he'll fold? The answer, generally, is nothing. Getting too fancy in these spots costs players a lot of money.

Jeff

[jai]

Against an overly aggressive player, I would 3-bet, but against "normal" opponents I would just call pre-flop. The flop looks pretty bad for you, but I would plan on check-raising the flop and leading out on the turn. If reraised on either the flop or the turn, I'd muck unless the button is known to push draws hard.

Out of position, you can lose a lot of money on small pocket pairs, and against an unknown oppoent I'd play it as above. If he plays back at you, you are most likely beat and I'd wait for a better hand to challenge him with.

[Jimbo]

It takes a much bigger hand to reraise from the BB than a baby PP. If the button plays in any manner other than maniacal here I might bet the flop and fold to his forthcoming raise, certainly not reraise him. The best way to play this hand is call the preflop raise, check/call his flop bet and fold to a turn bet when you miss your set.

Jimbo

[jai]

I agree with your play of the hand if your opponent is tight and predictable. However, against even moderately aggressive opponents, you will get run over with this strategy. There are many hands that an aggressive opponent would bet that do not beat 44, IMO.

[Jimbo]

How many more hands jai? I suspect there a few more hands he would bet in this manner but zero hands he would challenge you with in a raising war.

Jimbo

[jai]

You are right about not wanting to get into a raising war. But you said:

"The best way to play this hand is call the preflop raise, check/call his flop bet and fold to a turn bet when you miss your set."

That is quite passive and exploitable. If I were the button and you were on the BB, I would raise your blind everytime and bet the flop and turn until you figured out what was going on.

As to what a "normal" button would bet with against someone who has shown no strength that does not beat 44: Ax, Qx, x3. A checkraise on the flop would define where you stand much better.

[Jimbo]

From this post it is evident you bluff away many of your chips. I apologize for my incorrect advice and invite you to sit to my right and hammer at my BB all night.

Jimbo

PS: bring plenty of chips [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]