Play Along..... Street by Street - THE TURN

[Gomez22]

The flop post got some good attention, so I thought I would post the turn a little earlier than I anticipated and add some of my thoughts during the hand and sort of play catch-up to posters that may have missed the PF post.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

BB (t1630)
UTG (t5535)
UTG+1 (t4905)
MP1 (t1190)
Hero (t1480)
CO (t1430)
Button (t1960)
SB (t1285)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. 2 folds, MP1 calls t100, Hero calls t100, 1 fold, Button calls t100, 1 fold, BB checks.

Here, from the OP, it was more or less the consensus that limping was acceptable as I had listed the table as L/P, and in fact that is what I actually did in the hand. I felt that I had a more than adequate hand to go to the flop with at this table, and was confident that I was easily the best player at this particular table, although that may NOT be saying too much.


Flop: (t450) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets t300, Button calls t300, BB folds, MP1 folds.

We got alot of differing opinions about how to proceed here, ranging from betting slightly less than 1/2 the pot, to pushing. At this point in the hand, I felt that I had the best hand, and the 2 players to act before me sorta comfirmed this with their checks. Although the flop is a bit coordinated, giving any 2 hearts the FD, and hands like 87, 97, QJ, AQ, Q9 the SD, I felt I had no reason here to push in this place. IMO, a bet of less than 1/2 the pot, if called by button, could entice hands such as a gutshot or OESD to hang around. I also thought that any 2 hearts here would call that size of a bet. The only player in the hand with a smaller stack was MP1, and since he checked, I was not afraid of him too much. Button and BB were my biggest concern, and since BB had checked to me, I felt he had nothing. Many players MAY try to CR here with a strong holding, and given that I had 1380 behind, I felt that a bet of 300 was about the right play here. If I get check-raised, I MAY be able to let the hand go and still have a little time to work with, but I may also call a check-raise on this table. I don't think playing a small pot is correct here because of 2 things: 1) This is a multi-way pot, and I really feel that I have the best hand at the moment; and 2) My hand IS vulnerable to some draws that are quite possibly out against me, and I don't want to price those draws in. If the flop had been, K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], I could see controlling the pot size somewhat and trying to get worse hands to pay me off, but here, I think I need to get a feel for where I am while also putting pressure on any draws. As we can see, button IS interested in the hand.


Turn: (t1050) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img](2 players)
Hero ???

Now... I ask again, what is your play here, why do you make it, and what do you put the button on? Please be as specific as possible, and back up your actions with reasoning as you all have done already.

Also, does anyone have anything to add to my reasoning?

EDIT: Also, please give some ranges that you can put button on here.....

[Firefly]

Push the turn- you have 1080 left and the pot is 1050. (btw this is why i feel a bet of ~300 is better on the flop, because we can push the turn without overbetting the pot, which i'm doing on any turn card.)

I push because i like the T1000 you are going to pick up if not called and that we got an awsome turn card (total blank). Now i'm going to let villan make the mistake, I highly doubt we are behind (because i'd assume a set would raise a semi co-ordinated flop) So i don't mind if he calls or he folds, but i want to play for all my chips, so i think pushing is best.

[zambonidrivr]

Push the turn- you have 1080 left and the pot is 1050.

Villan gambled and didn't hit. I put him exactly on a flush draw or a weaker king. if he has 2 pair so be it. my stack is going to center as quick as possible here.

As you know from my earlier post u know how I felt about the smaller raise... which has not left you much. I am pushing any remotely good card here and you got just that. You may get all of villan's chips anyways as he's built this pot up as well. Time for him to turn on the luckbox.

I'm not sure there is anything you can do besides pushing here. Going back to the flop route, if you bet the pot on the flop for example, and he smooth called, would you still put him on a draw? What would your line be then? Still a push likely, but if a heart came off? Or a possible straight out? Or a multi-purpose card? What do you do from there? When I talk about controlling pot size I don't mean letting people draw out on you, I mean regulating the pot's size to your benefit, to get the most information, get the most chips while ahead, and lose the least if you do happen to get behind.

[djshawk]

At this stage any bet has you commited so you need to either push or check.

Button range: AXh, AJ, AT, QJ all of which we are ahead of.
Less likely: KT, 66 which beat us.

I dont think we can check and risk giving the free card, so I think its time to push. But something tells me we are only getting to get called by stronger hands which he may be slowplaying, I've got a feeling he'll flip up KTs.

Pushing here is easy. I don't expect this will get nearly the attention the flop post did, because we could actually argue that one [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

But I really like AJFenix's questions.

What do we do if the heart comes off? If the ace comes off?

What's your line if the 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] comes on the turn?

[ QUOTE ]
I've got a feeling he'll flip up KTs

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you check top 2 on that flop?

[fnurt]

I feel compelled to push here. While the play of checking the turn with top pair is often reasonable, here it makes no sense because his most likely holding is a draw, meaning you need to charge him now.

[texaspimp]

Great post.

I believe strongly that button is on the FD with 78, 89 figuring he has "plenty" of outs with the FD and SD.

He could have Kx, or QJ, but my read is suited connector. I definitely push here. No reason to check and allow him to catch up if he is behind, IMO. You are going to be ahead more often than not in this situation.

[woodguy]

If I have notes that villian will bet when checked to, and I think I have best hand, I will check/raise all in here *if I know he will take my check as me giving up my hand*

There is the danger of him being on a heart draw, checking behind and getting a free card to bury you.

Pot is big enough that a push is in order, but c/r here is good if you *know* he will bet.

Regards,
Woodguy

[rockythecat99]

I like woodguys line here. Most likely he is in some kind of draw. Something like Axh or QJ are the most likely here. Maybe even J9h.