Aggression Baby!

Cardzy · #1 12-21-2004, 01:31 AM

Both opponents were slightly loose (21% and 29% VP$IP). I probably showed way too much aggression in this hand, but I'm not sure. I bet preflop as the first in, I bet the flop as it was checked to me as last to act and had a backdoor straight draw (lol, yeah, wonderful draw there! not.) Again it was checked to me on the turn, I'm thinking I'm probably going to be trapped here as one of them had to have a K if they called raises preflop, but what can I do? I figure I have to represent a strong hand as I have been the aggressor thus far and I had a crappy gut shot draw. Shrug.

Let me know what you think about how this was played.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, Hero raises, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: (6 SB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, SB calls, BB calls.

Turn: (4.50 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, SB folds, BB folds.

Final Pot: 5.50 BB

ThreeAces · #2 12-21-2004, 01:42 AM

Reel it in! Fairly sure the book play is to call JTs pre-flop from there. Your raise may have caused players behind you to fold, when, w/ JTs, you want PF callers. Nice win here, but your post-flop action is probably -EV w/ such a small pot.

Cardzy · #3 12-21-2004, 01:49 AM

Maybe I should have limped, but from all my learning, it is never good to limp as first in and that has stuck with me. Am I wrong in thinking this way? Also I figured I could steal the blinds, but they didn't fold for me. hehe.

OrianasDaad · #4 12-21-2004, 01:56 AM

Raising from MP3 is good here, since you really want to limit the field.

Betting the flop is good, since not only do you have your backdoor straight draw, you also have two overcards, improving your draw considerably. Using SSHE for a guide, your zero-gap gutshot is worth 1.5 outs, and your overcards mabye 4 outs (the diamonds put a flush on board, and you could be reverse dominated). 5.5 outs means the pot needs to lay out 7.5 bets for you to call, which it will if both your opponents call you - plus you have a chance to get a free card on the turn, so your implied odds are also good.

The K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] is the second-worst "good" card you could have gotten (next to the K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]). While it gives you a gutshot, it's an overcard to your hand and the pot is small. Your two opponents with their VPIP could easily have spiked a pair, since they aren't THAT loose, after all. One of your reasons for raising the flop should have been to peel off a free river card if you could. Getting called in this spot almost certainly means you are beat. Take the free card. The pot is small.

OrianasDaad · #5 12-21-2004, 02:01 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I should have limped, but from all my learning, it is never good to limp as first in and that has stuck with me. Am I wrong in thinking this way? Also I figured I could steal the blinds, but they didn't fold for me. hehe.

[/ QUOTE ]

First in from MP3 is a standard raise (for me) with suited broadway cards, since you want a very short-handed pot. The pot at most will be 5-handed from this position, and you are better off with more or less players. You don't want to be in against 4 players, two of which you are out of position on, with JTs.

UTG - mabye limp. MP3 with at least two callers - limp.

ThreeAces · #6 12-21-2004, 02:09 AM

[ QUOTE ]
... from all my learning, it is never good to limp as first in and that has stuck with me. Am I wrong in thinking this way? Also I figured I could steal the blinds

[/ QUOTE ]

In a higher limit game, a blind steal attempt from that position might work. At Party-micro? Almost never, IMO. JTs is just not good enough for 2 bets from that position w/o at least 2 callers behind. From that position, in that game, first in, its call and wait for the action that almost invariably comes from behind. Glad he won the small pot here. However, plays like this do not maximize value, IMO.

ThreeAces · #7 12-21-2004, 02:11 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Raising from MP3 is good here, since you really want to limit the field.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just don't think you want to limit the field w/ JTs.

Cardzy · #8 12-21-2004, 02:22 AM

I can understand where you coming from, but some of these $1/$2 games are very tight. I'm amazed at how tight they are compared to .50/$1 and even some of the higher limits I have been watching. Strange stuff.

But you are correct, a blind steal attempt from that position is kinda ridiculous thinking at these levels.

So at moment the real discussion is "did I want to limit the field or not?" Should I have limped or raised preflop as first in? Would love to hear more comments pertaining to this.

Hack · #9 12-21-2004, 03:00 AM

You want the remaining 4 people in this pot with you. JTs is a somewhat speculative hand that makes 4 nut straights and nice flushes. It plays great in a 7 or 8 person pot where you can beat them with a nice str8/flush or even two pair rarely. It's not a great hand 2 or 3 way.

OrianasDaad · #10 12-21-2004, 03:06 AM

I stand corrected. I guess JTs doesn't hold enough overcard strength to raise here often enough. Just did some research in SSHE and HEPFAP, and mabye fixed a potential leak in my own game.