Party 5/10 - A6o

[Vendal]

How do you like this line out of the BB? Playing this hand out of position I thought I'd try to hit the middle point between saving bets when I'm behind as well as inducing the pfr to bluff when behind and getting good value when I'm ahead.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP raises</font>, CO calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Hero calls.

Flop: (6.40 SB) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP bets</font>, CO calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.70 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP bets</font>, CO folds, Hero calls.

River: (6.70 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP calls.

Final Pot: 8.70 BB

The more I think about it the more I think I should have led the flop. Any thoughts are apprecaited.

[exist]

i think it's a fold PF unless the MP open raiser and the cold caller are particularly loose. A6o looks too weak here to me.

i don't think you need to lead the flop because the PFR will bet here the large majority of the time, and a good portion of the times the PFR doesn't bet the CO will bet on autopilot.

although this board is drawish, it doesn't matter as much because it shorthanded and people are not likely to even have a solid draw, and if they do have a solid draw, it's not like you can punish them very much with aggressive betting. the point i'm getting at here is that you can treat this as a way ahead way behind scenario. therefore you shouldn't worry too much about taking the lead, and you can't raise the MP's bet to make the CO call 2 cold (not that that would necessarily be a good idea) so i can't find any reason to do more than check and call, unless you think your hand is so likely to best and the players are bad enough that you should check raise the flop for value.

on the turn a blank hits, so the board is not anymore dangerous than it was on the flop, you relative likelyhood of being ahead or behind is the same. the difference here is that you cannot rely on the MP to bet again. PFR's are very likely to bet the flop but are much less likely to bet the turn (with nothing, or a weak hand) after 2 players called their flop bet. so for the sake of value and not giving free cards, i think you should bet out on the turn here. now a player dependent factor comes into play, how will the MP respond to your bet with his various possible holdings? if you can fold safely to his raise, then it fits in with your plan just fine. if he is tricky or over aggressive then you must handle the situation when the time comes and call down or fold accordingly.

on the river another blank hits so now if you had taken the lead on the turn and the MP or CO had just called, obviously you should bet the river for value. as the hand actually happened, i think the river bet is good because you still have a good chance of having the best hand and the MP is not likely to raise with a worse hand (and some better hands), and so you can safely fold if he raises. if he actually is overaggressive enough to try to bluff raise 2 people on the river, then you should just check and call, since he will probably automatically bet the river and you can get value for your hand that way.