Two interesting hands

[ThePopinjay]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (6 max, 6 handed) converter

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

CO ($1027.20)
Button ($200)
SB ($754.05)
Hero ($387.60)
UTG ($559.05)
MP ($231.60)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="CC3333">UTG raises to $15</font>, <font color="666666">4 folds</font>, Hero calls $11.

Flop: ($32) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG bets $30</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $62
<font color="green">Main Pot: $32, won by UTG.</font>
<font color="green">Pot 2: $30, returned to UTG.</font>

Results in below:
No showdown. UTG wins $62.

Seems to me that I should've folded this hand preflop. No specific reads but opponent seems tight, maybe a little tricky. Being out of position in a raised pot HU, it seems as if I can only continue on past the flop if I flop an Ace or a King. I am only 29% to do it, so calling preflop seems -EV. I was contemplating a raise, one where I could get him to fold preflop. However, if I made it that big, and got reraised and even called, I'm almost forced to play a big pot with cards I don't like all that much.

The next one is really tough. I think I made my mistake on the river. The opponent is from Malmo (Spicy?), has a VPIP of 60, and PFR of 16.5. He didn't seem to be playing THAT maniacly this session, but I have seem him call raises preflop with crap.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (6 max, 6 handed) converter

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

CO ($162)
Button ($2203.21)
SB ($459.90)
BB ($488)
Hero ($1359.90)
MP ($233.20)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $4.
<font color="CC3333">Hero raises to $10</font>, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, Button calls $10, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>.

Flop: ($30) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets $20</font>, <font color="CC3333">Button raises to $40</font>, Hero calls $20.

Turn: ($110) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets $65</font>, Hero calls $65.

River: ($240) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets $75</font>, <font color="CC3333">Button raises to $185</font>, Hero does what?

[muzungu]

Popin-

Hand 1: You are giving up way too much if you fold this preflop. Even on pot odds alone, you are getting roughly 2:1 (21:11) on your call, which is roughly your odds of hitting a K or A. If you hit, you stand to have some implied odds as well. You can often pick off their flop autobet, and if the A hits you will sometimes win a nice pot when you have them outkicked. Easy call. With the effective stack size approaching 100BB, I don't like reraising out of position here v a tricky opponent, b/c it gets tough if he calls and you miss. On the other hand, if you are only reraising with AA-QQ from the blinds normally, and you are getting a lot of folds, maybe you can throw AK in there for Shania value. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

As for hand 2, that second 2 on the turn sucks for you. Now you are facing the prospect of calling twice for a probable chop. If you are sure he has at least an A, and that there is a chance for him to have you beat, you might consider folding the turn, b/c if he puts you on Ax he can make things really ugly for you with a big river bet. (Hmm... now that I think about it, I like leading out strong on the turn, putting the same question to him.)

Having called the turn, betting the river sucks. It screams "I have Ax, and i want you to call and we'll chop." This gives him greater incentive to bet big on the river. Again, if his range of hands is say 80% Ax and 20% something that beats you, this is horrible for you. Just check-call a reasonable bet (unless you want to go crazy and 3-bet him and try to steal it yourself, which I would not recommend unless you are psychic).

-muz

[TM1212]

[ QUOTE ]
However, if I made it that big, and got reraised and even called, I'm almost forced to play a big pot with cards I don't like all that much.

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't like Ak that much? Pretty powerful hand. I wouldn't have cold call preflop, I got to raise see if hes got Aces or Kings, if he raises you can then and only then fold assumeing AA or KK (and maybe QQ or JJ), if he calls he could still have AA, or KK, but more likely 77-QQ, some suited broadway cards, Or maybe a hand you own Like AQ. At least if you flop and Ace or a King you can be a little more confident that your hand is best. Also a fold preflop there to that raise without a read is hard. If hes a player who never raises under the gun with out AA, KK then you can fold otherwise Ak is probably playable, it dominates many hands.



[ QUOTE ]
He didn't seem to be playing THAT maniacly this session, but I have seem him call raises preflop with crap.

[/ QUOTE ]

You both have deep stacks, you raised utg, and there are some huge implied pot odds, Id probably play a "crap" hand against you in this situation as well.

I can limit your hand posiblities to a pcoket pair, KQ or better, and I could easily break you with a connector, or a small pair, or some low cards with an amazing flop. (I won't play a trash hand but there are people who would.) All this for just $6 over the blinds.

Preflop- not much to say I like it.

Flop- You bet out on a pretty nice flop for you (or so you think) and he raises. Now here I am always ethier folding or raiseing.

Why call...??? Your not going to improve your hand over his unless you hit a jack, and even if you hit your jack he still may have AK. By calling your not getting any information and your giving him a card to make his hand if he is behind you.

In this situation I would have folded. But a strong raise could have picked you up the pot right there for you, or If he calls a flush (with a striagth draw also maybe), or an ace with a weak kicker are his mostly hands. If he reraises you, hes probably got you in a bad spot and you can just lay it down.

Turn- A call here make no sense to me. The 2's on the board just Elminated your Jack kicker, which also could have been a good thing if hes got AQ. By calling Your commiting yourself to the pot.
Your ethier gonna split the pot when he has an ace, or lose a lot when hes got a set, Ak, A2, K2, or maybe just a 2 if hes crazy! I would have already folded, but if you think your ahead here, and your call means you do, Its time to raise. Maybe get him to lay down a flush draw, or he calls getting bad odds on his draw and you get some information on his hand strength.

River- Oh now you raise, Think this is a bad move cause hell fold if he missed his flush, and raise if hes got an Ace or better, and could easily bluff you with a pretty scary board even if he simply missed his flush.

I think you made your mistake on the flop.

[ThePopinjay]

I like the flop call very much because he might have something wacky like 45 clubs and raise all-in in which case I have to fold. The turn I really messed up bad. I didn't even realize at the time that the 2 made for a chop. And I'm not quite sure why I checked either. I called the turn merely because I didn't think he bet that much at all, and I could very well have the best hand. I really don't want to have him go all-in either, or raise it a ton, so maybe thats why I didn't bet out.

The river I was just tryin to get a showdown, but my bet was much too small for that.

[cornell2005]

hand 1: standard

hand 2: tough hand. those are some big stacks to deal with.
flop: eh, whatever. you can fold this too, depending on how he is playing his big stack
turn: agree with muz that you can lead out. but i lead out in hopes of freezing him on the river and having it go check check. having AJ puts you right on the borderline in this hand so its a tough situation out of position. overall my play in this hand is entirely based on how he plays his big stack at this table, and vs you. im assuming you know a bit about each other by now.

the chance of him bluff raising you on the river and bluff betting you on the turn seem pretty equal, so a river bet cant really be right or wrong. it is of course too small though.

[arkose]

the only comment i want to make it that i doubt he is bluffing you on the river in hand #2....maniac or not, a raise of $110 into a pot of $490 is very small, and he knows you will probably call

at that point, i think you have to call even though the best you can do is chop (and i would expect thats what will happen)

[SpicyF]

Well, this Malmo player isn't me if that is what you meant. What nick was it, it might be someone I know.

Hugs

[theBruiser500]

Hand 1 is an easy call preflop.

Hand 2... I don't like how you played it. You could lead out on the turn and then lead out on the river or check/call the river. Or you could, check/call the turn and check/call the river, or you could check/call the turn and lead out on the river. I think all these plans are valid however if you are going to adopt your plan of leading out on the river you must know what to do if he raises you. If you cannot safely fold, check/calling is better.

[TomCollins]

Hand 2, I call just because its a big pot. Its 115 to get about 250 back for a chop, so you have got to be about 67% sure you are beat. I don't think that is the case shorthanded. If he had the two, I would presume he bets more. I call unhappily here.

I would have played differently by check-calling any non enourmous bet. It gives him more chances to bet with a worse hand, and since you will likely only be called by a chop or better, betting doesn't do too much other than make the pot bigger. At this level, he will realize weakness too much and raise you on that small bet. Against overaggressive players, I love check calling.

[creedofhubris]

Your preflop raise to $10 in the second hand seems very low.

I'm probably leading on the turn and check-calling the river.