floored

[Loci]

Accidentally posted this under the limit section, so if it seems familiar, it probably is...

Playing No lim at motor city, hero has about 2500 in chips two from the button. This is the third hand seen, so not much is known about players styles, aside from what could be viewed from the rail.

Action preflop: UTG limps, two others limp, hero raises A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] /K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] to fifty, button calls, blinds fold, UTG pushes all in for 330 total. Hero calls, Button calls.

Flop comes 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero checks, Button pushes all in for 980, hero calls.

Button turns over 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] for trip 7's and wins 2,900. UTG had J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] for a Jack high(possibly stealing, possibly a moron).

Now, the question is this, as my roommate and I have argued over it: Is it better to have raised to isolated the all in preflop by raising, or flat call the all in and assume that button will fold short of a premium hand...?

In case you're wondering, I checked to him on the flop, trying to show fear of the ace(implying KK-QQ-JJ), there-by trapping a weaker ace. Comments are welcome on this point too.

On a final note, I would like to add that this is but another example that poker is an unpredictable game, and I played maybe three hands for the next couple of hours trying to avoid tilt. I ended up a buck fifty for the night after rigorous play. My roommate, despite my positive comeback, says I should have left rather than continued play. How do you all feel concerning an early bad beat dictating an early leave if you feel that you can keep control and not tilt?

Best of luck to all.
Ez
p.s.-Button left ten minutes later. grrrrrrrr.....

[Nero]

if the button want to call off a quarter of his stack with 74s pre-flop, the least you can do is pay him off the times that he hits.

[Loci]

Yes, there is that... I'm wondering if it wasn't a tilt call. In retrospect I should have raised to isolate, but I don't know if he would have called that too... Short of floping a flush or trips, what can someone expect to win with on a 7/4s... (I do find it ironic that the bluffer UTG would have had a higher flush had they both hit.....) Eh, just another Bad beat story I guess, Sorry to bitch. Just wasn't quite what I expected when I got (what I thought was) the perfect flop. Two pair K kicker looked so damn good. C'est la vie.

[PokerFink]

I probably would have pushed preflop and hoped to god that the button didn't have a monster. You have to figure the button didn't have that strong of a hand, or he would have re-raised you're raise to isolate you in position.

[Loci]

I didn't know if he was trapping me or not preflop. I put him on low pair/Ace anything(specifically j or ten) and I thought His all in push (I thought) confirmed that for me. he flat called fifty and then flat called 280 more... as Nero pointed out, a quarter of his stack. Against a raise reraise all in, how can I put him on anything less than A suited/ pocket pair? A lot of times I would have folded a pocket pair in his place.
Also, as I said, I had only been there three hands and didn't know what to expect from him. I think he was on tilt and hit, so no big deal. I think I would play it the same way given a chance... if I reraised the all in, then I'm loosing the action/possibility to beat another opponent heads up post flop. If he has me beat, he'll call my reraise most of the time anyway.

[turnipmonster]

what nero said [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[turnipmonster]

I am LESS likely to leave after a bad beat, not more. it has nothing to do with getting even, it has to do with the quality of the game. bad beats generally mean that people are playing longshot draws against you and putting in a lot of money as an underdog. that's exactly the kind of game you want to play in! such games are not always common and are definitely profitable.

good job on staying in the game when you are probably a solid favorite and continuing to play your A game despite losing some money on an unfortunate occurence. I personally think those two traits are very important.

--turnipmonster

[nateChicago]

I agree with the above. That is some dangerous playing by the button player (usually great for you!), and was a bad beat. However, since it was so early in the game, would it have been appropriate to fold so that you can get a better read of the players?

[schwza]

i'm most interested in the preflop play. in order, i'd say my preferences are:

- fold
- push
- call

i'm not sure if this is accurate, but i feel like when the limp-reraise doesn't turn out to be AA/KK it's more often a middle pair like 88 than a mediocre non-pair hand like AJ.

[Loci]

I agree with you, and that's what I put limp raiser on, but I already had fifty committed, with fifty (from button) extra, with the opportunity to see the rest of the hand for free(or so I thought...) with what I expected to be two suited overcards, so I thought it was a good call. If he doubles through me, not a big deal as I'm confident that I can out play the field most times and if I win, well, I win. If it had been over 400, I probably would have waited for a better time, but it seemed worth the risk. As it turned out, not only did he not have a pair, only his J played for the final hand. Alas, not that it mattered. lol.