Early position KQ, Party 15/30

QuikSand · #1 12-23-2004, 01:33 PM

Troublesome hand below -- I now question my line at almost every step of it.

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Party Poker 15/30 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG (2+2 Player) calls, Hero calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO calls, Button folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (5 players)
SB checks, BB bets, 2+2 Player raises, Hero calls, CO folds, SB calls, BB calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, 2+2 Player bets, Hero raises, SB calls, BB folds, 2+2 Player calls.

River: (12.50 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, 2+2 Player checks, Hero bets, SB folds, 2+2 Player calls.

Final Pot: 14.50 BB

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Flop - I was prepared to raise the early bettor on the flop with my top pair, good kicker -- but UTG (a name I recognize from 2+2) jumped the gun and raised it himself. At that point, I make him for AQ, dominating me -- but I'm not so sure how secure I ought to be with that read. I call the two bets, rather than three bets -- was calling actually the worst option here?

Turn - My intent here was to isolate with UTG, and presumably get a cheap showdown. I figured I might be behind, but since I planned to call down, I'd try to get the two bets in now, and get to the end cheaply. He calls the raise, doesn't reraise, and the plan looks good until...

River - Q on the river makes me think my read is less secure (only one other Q out there, so the AQ seems somewhat less likely, even though his play all adds up to that hand to me), so rather than checking down, I bet again. I don't like his call (which should have told me soemthing, I guess).

...any thoughts?