Thinking through a couple of $2/$4 hands...

[Ray Of Light]

Hello everyone! I have just made the move up to $2/$4.

Here are a couple of hands that I had problems with. I played them quite smoothly at the time, but in retrospect, I feel that I am wasting money by playing them in the first place... HELP! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]



HAND ONE Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Ray Of Light is Button with 7c, Tc.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls, Ray Of Light calls, SB folds, BB checks.

This was an automatic preflop fold, I know. I did not have enough players in the pot before my action, and I had no guaruntee that the SB would join the pot.

Flop: (3.50 SB) 5c, 4s, 3h (3 players)
BB bets, CO calls, Ray Of Light calls.

This is one of those marginal hands, that I feel I am often wasting money on.

I have an inside straight, and a backdoor flush draw. I also have one overcard, but the kicker is so weak, that it barely adds any value to my hand, so altogether that gives me 6 outs and about 7 to 1 pot odds. Only 0.77% of the pot equity is mine. Is it worth my calling here for 1SB, to protect 0.77SB?

The CO is a v.passive player, playing over 80% of his hands, and staying in to the river when catching any part of the flop (so obviously, he went straight onto my buddies list!). I feel I can be guarunteed the CO's extra bet on the turn.

BB is a tight preflop player, so when he bets out on the flop, I put him on a small overpair, or over cards.

Turn: (3.25 BB) 4c (3 players)
BB bets, CO calls, Ray Of Light raises, BB calls, CO calls.

Was this good aggressive value play? With 12 outs to a straight or a flush, I had 40% pot equity. However, since I am not drawing to the absolute nuts, is this an over investment?

River: (9.25 BB) 8h (3 players)
BB checks, CO checks, Ray Of Light checks.

Final Pot: 9.25 BB




HAND TWO Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Ray Of Light is BB with 5s, 4s.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 raises, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls, Ray Of Light calls.

Flop: (8 SB) Qd, 4d, 5c (4 players)
SB checks, Ray Of Light checks, MP1 checks, MP3 bets, SB raises, Ray Of Light 3-bets, MP1 folds, MP3 calls, SB calls.

There are multiple draws on this board. I 3-bet, to drive out the MP1, which worked. Should I have waited to the turn instead, to protect my bottom two pair? Or am I right to jam the pot? Or should I even be looking for ways of escape from this hand?

Turn: (8.50 BB) 8c (3 players)
SB checks, Ray Of Light bets, MP3 raises, SB calls, Ray Of Light calls.

I figure I am just plain chicken here. I very much doubt that MP3, a tight preflop player, would cold call with Q8, Q4 or Q5 preflop (sooted or not). And with the action on the flop, I am guessing he wouldn't slow down on the flop if he had the trips.

SB is a v.passive player who calls with anything preflop, and rarely raises. He could be the real danger here, with some wild two pair such as Q4. But as he checked, do I have to assume that he does not have two pair or better and that my hand is still good?

River: (14.50 BB) 2c (3 players)
SB checks, Ray Of Light checks, MP3 bets, SB calls, Ray Of Light calls.

Final Pot: 17.50 BB

[Gravy (Gravy Smoothie)]

Hand 1: fold preflop, not even close

Hand 2: Preflop call is a shade thin but probably OK, it's an easy call with one more person in the pot. Postflop play looks good.

[jclin]

Hand 1: I prefer muck PF, but it is playable in 2/4. Bet the river. Worth losing one bet to "advertise" and possibly win.

[steaknshake925]

Hand 1
[ QUOTE ]
The CO is a v.passive player, playing over 80% of his hands, and staying in to the river when catching any part of the flop

[/ QUOTE ]

Given this read I would check behind the river.

In hand 2, I think just calling the turn is fine. I wouldn't be comfortable facing a possible cap with just bottom two pair either.