Help me not get stacked with TPTK ($600)

[billyjex]

Online $600 3/6 NL. We are 5-handed, CO and I have $600, Button has about 400. CO is an aggressive TAG who seems pretty solid. Button is a little looser and not as aggressive but can still put me to the test.

CO opens to 18. Button calls. I call in the BB w/ AJo.

Flop is Jd 9c 5d.

I don't have the A of diamonds. What is my plan? I find this the hardest situation for me in NL, w/ a good but not great hand OOP.

[BobboFitos]

pf

If you find this hard to play (rightfully so), why call a raise OOP?

[billyjex]

so PF aside, what should I do?

if button had folded PF, is a call ok then?

FWIW the title of my post might be misleading. I actually won the hand at showdown but it felt very awkward throughout the hand.

[redtrain]

I definately make the preflop call, folding is just silly. You hit a good flop, but you can't put your whole stack on the line for a $57 pot. Depending on your opponents (do they always continuation bet? will they bet draws on the flop? will they call to chase?) I would either lead $40-50, or check-raise. If you lead and get only 1 caller, bet half the pot on the turn (assuming its a blank), otherwise shut down. If you check-raise, pot it, and if called, you better check/fold the turn.

Help you not get stacked? Are you looking to put all your chips in with TPTK or something?

Lead flop, evaluate CO and buttons play. If they just call, maybe you can check turn to keep pot small, see what they do. If they raise flop, maybe you get away from your hand. I'm interested in how your remaining $582 ends up getting into the middle here.

[tdarko]

no need to get redundant about pf.

lead this out on the flop and then play poker.

[BobboFitos]

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so PF aside, what should I do?

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Why "pf aside" ? It's the most important aspect of this hand by far. By far.

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if button had folded PF, is a call ok then?

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No!!! It's not a great spot to just call. It's 5way, unless opener is unimaginative, it's betetr to reraise here. Or fold. Both are fine. Both are better then calling.

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FWIW the title of my post might be misleading. I actually won the hand at showdown but it felt very awkward throughout the hand.

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Well, thats nice.

*Thing is, if you call pf, and then you say how do I not get stacked, it's real counter intuitive. If you call and J high board, and you throw alot of money but dont show the hand down, why bother playing AJ like that. rather, if you play for stacks, you deduce villains are either enough donks to value play a worse hand (KJ, ie) or aggro enough to push enough draws (fd, str, etc.) / pure bluffs that playing for stacks has intrinsic value.

if you think if all your money goes in on such a board you'll often have ~5outs or none, this is a real easy muck before the flop.

"trying to play a small pot on a draw heavy board out of position in a 3handed pot" is just not all that doable for 100bbs, sorry.

[tdarko]

[ QUOTE ]
If you call and J high board, and you throw alot of money but dont show the hand down, why bother playing AJ like that. rather, if you play for stacks, you deduce villains are either enough donks to value play a worse hand (KJ, ie) or aggro enough to push enough draws (fd, str, etc.) / pure bluffs that playing for stacks has intrinsic value.



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i think the villain makes these plays at you with 10-10 and it would be a sin to check call and then have the villain put you in a bind later in the hand.

am i wrong?

[AZK]

Bobbo is right. The whole hand is way easier to play if you do something different preflop. For starters, if you fold, it gives you time to go to the fridge, get a beer, and be back in time for the next hand. See how easy that was?