Should I have folded somewhere?

PhilipJ · #1 08-30-2004, 12:56 AM

Last hand today. I am not sure if I should have folded somewhere or slowed down in the middle.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (6 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, MP folds, CO calls, Button calls, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, CO calls, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, BB folds, CO calls, Button caps, Hero calls, CO calls.

Turn: (8.50 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets, CO folds, Button raises, Hero calls.

River: (12.50 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, Button calls.

Final Pot: 17.90 BB

kgrad5 · #2 08-30-2004, 12:59 AM

if you are looking for a place to fold, it preflop. i usually dont complete Ax if the x < 7. maybe 6 if im feeling frisky. other then that hand looks fine.

PhilipJ · #3 08-30-2004, 01:10 AM

I was using Hilger's chart. It says to complete Ax in SB. I realized it was not a good play considering I had to pay 3 cents to complete.

Where I have the most doubt is whether I should have bet out on the turn when the villain capped the flop.

kgrad5 · #4 08-30-2004, 01:16 AM

im not sure if you are being sarcastic, but 3 cents is 3/5 of a sb as opposed to 1/2 and most people wouldnt complete Ax for even a 1/2 a bet, but its really not that big of an error, especially in one of the blinds as long as you can get away from the hand.

a capped flop could mean a whole lot of things from a set, to two pair to 4 flush, to a gutshot straight draw in the micros, your play was fine, if you lost the hand so be it.

PhilipJ · #5 08-30-2004, 01:41 AM

Thanks for the comments. I was not being sarcastic. I am new to poker so for starting hands I am almost always playing by the book. So completing A2o for 3/5 sb was on the low end of "completing Ax in SB". I know post flop play is much more important than differentiating 3/5sb vs. 1/2sb (correct?).

Tonight I was up 30BB in the first 20min and lost them back in the following 2 hours. In most hands I played I didn't see the turn because the flop didn't hit. In the middle I made some correct lay down. So hopefully it was more bad luck than bad play.

Anyway I am up 180BB for my first 2000 hands. So most likely I am still on a good streak.

kgrad5 · #6 08-30-2004, 02:03 AM

keep posting hands here, but it sounds like you are playing "fit or fold" and thats a bit weak, pick up a copy of small stakes hold em if you havent yet and you will increase your winrate a lot, and ed's starting hands discussion will answer some of the questions you probably have about preflop play. but really the starting hands charts / guidelines arent always correct, it depends on situations, whereas you would never play k6 offsuit in any position you might want to raise it if its folded to you on the button so things are very situational dependant in poker. the heart of it is, if you make a marginal preflop call and you have good post flop skills the call will generally cost you very little, but if you consistantly play marginal hands out of position etc. those small losses will add up. while post flop play is very important and much more dificult to master, pre flop play is still an important part of the game.

by the way if your Ax was suited its a call no question, the problem with A2 is that if anyone else holds an ace at all, you are losing a kicker war, so you need that extra flush possibility to play it well.

helpmeout · #7 08-30-2004, 02:17 AM

1. Any ace from the SB shorthanded is good if you can limp. Dont worry about your kicker, if someone else has an A and a good kicker they will usually raise preflop.

2. You have 2 pair, if the button has AT so be it that is just bad luck but more likely just has TPTK.

3. Dont be scared of the flush, its shorthanded, the odds of someone having a flush is pretty small, you could still hit a fullhouse on the river anyway, making up for the times he does.

afk · #8 08-30-2004, 02:54 AM

I'm a bit tigher in the SB than most here I think. I don't play any ace. A9o is usually about as low as I'll go, maybe A8. So fold preflop. I think you played it alright after that. I think arguments could be made for check-calling the turn because of button's aggression but I think your play is fine. I'd go nuts on the river as well.