2-5 live game in the ATL

[BigEndian]

This is a hand I used to raise routinely from the blinds when I just started playing NL. Now I base my actions on how many have come in and what type of players they are. I'm learning, little at a time.

My stack: $450
Villain: $300

A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
5 limpers to me, I complete, BB checks. 7 to the flop.

Flop: Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (pot is 32)
Great flop, but I’m out of position. I check to see what develops. Checked to a player two to my right who bets 15. The player between us folds. Awesome, I raise 30 on top. Folded around to the initial bettor, he calls. 2 to the turn.

Turn: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (pot is 120)
I check, he checks.

River: K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
I check, he pushes, I fold.

Thoughts?

- Jim

[ahnuld]

I think by checking the turn your pretty much giving up on the pot. Once you checkraise, you need to follow through with a bet between 60-120. If he raises that, your probably beat. If he calls, then check fold the river. But i think a bet around 75$ will win the pot enough to make it worth it.

[mythrilfox]

What is your plan if:

(a) he bets the turn?
(b) river blanks, he bets?

If you check/raise flop you have to lead the turn. If he plays with you again you're probably done with the hand, unless you can try to pick up a read on him.

How you play this otherwise is pretty read dependent. I like a stop and go if you think he's bad. If he's good I'd just flat-call the flop and check to him on the turn and try to gauge his response.

Preflop complete is fine, btw, maybe even preferable, depending on the table.

[BigEndian]

I agree with you.

- Jim

[turnipmonster]

I think it's very rarely correct to check raise the flop and then check the turn with the intention of calling.

[BigEndian]

If he bets the turn, I mix it up between calling and CRing again. Mostly calling.

I only call the river.

I disagree with a call on the flop, it's a clear raise imo.

- Jim

[mythrilfox]

Why is it a clear raise? Was the turn a clear check? First you want to build a pot out of position and then you don't.

[BigEndian]

Woah, easy there.

I think it's a clear raise on the flop because I have 4 more players behind the action.

I agree the turn check does not look like I had just CRed the flop and is a misplaced action.

- Jim

[AceHiStation]

There are so many hands he could have that you've allowed to catch up to you. AJ(or any Jx), JJ, flush draw, KQ, actually... i don't feel like listing them all. Basically if you play AQ, you're playing for a flop like this. You want to bet aggressively on the turn, I definately pot this after checkraising flop. If he calls, that river card may be the worst card in the deck, check and muck to anything bigger than a 1BB bet.

Like everyone else said, I can't see the point of checkraising your TPTK only to check/check the turn and river. Open up and take advantage of what was probably a mistake for him to call the flop raise. Several players at these limits refuse to fold to checkraised flops but have no trouble laying their hands down at the turn.

[rootsmusic]

Hi,
Preflop I like it. I would only raise this up (big) if several limpers were very short-stacked. Or if I was sure (given table texture) that I would get 1 caller only.

On the flop I think your line is pretty good, though I would pot it some percentage of the time to see who wants to play this pot on what seems like a passive table. I would also be potting it with flsh draw (occasionally), open-ended (occasionally) and 2 pair or better hands (almost always, unless certain of being able to check-raise aggressive LP player), obviously. Once it's checked all the way around to villain, the checkraise is right, IMO.

Turn: Like everybody else said, after C/Ring the flop, I bet $90 every time on the turn. If I'm raised I probably dump it.

River: Given the action you obviously have to fold here. The turn is where to decide how far to take this hand.