Suited KQ-First Hand

[Phil2]

First hand post.

Tropicana 1/3 NL. I think I played this hand about as bad as you can play it, but I would appreciate any comments.

9 handed, all the stacks are pretty deep, ranging from $450-$2500. I buy in for the $300 max.

Hero is in BB for first hand, sees K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

UTG1 calls, UTG2 calls, MP1 folds, <font color="red">MP2 raises to $20 </font> , MP3 calls, CO folds, button calls, SB folds, Hero calls, UTG1 folds, UTG2 calls.

Flop: (5 players, $100) 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero checks, UTG2 bets $20, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, button calls, <font color="red">Hero raises to $75 </font> , UTG2 calls, MP2 calls, button calls.

Turn (3 players, $325) 4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Hero checks (like a little girl), MP2 checks, Button bets $75 (soft?), hero calls, MP2 calls.

River (3 players, $550) 4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero bets $200, fold, fold.

All in all I thought that this was a strange hand. Your thoughts?

[meHIGHyouLOW]

I dont like about the preflop call. First I se KQs as a drawing hand(most will likely disagree here) anyway you are out position and there should be decent chance of utg1 or utg2 been limping with monsters.
Flop: I like this check-raise pretty much here.
Turn: You must continue betting here, imho bet about $120. You wouldent check a set here, I assume.
River: Im very unsure about how to play the river after flop and turn, since your opponents cant really put you on anything else then spade draw. And they wont call your open bet without worse hand, so I quess check is correct play and only calling a bet.

Edit: oh I almost forgot WELCOME TO THIS FORUM!

[runnerunner]

The preflop call is marginal. I like the check raise on the flop, but hate the turn check. The problem with the check, call on the turn is that you are guaranteeing that you won't get paid if you hit your hand on the river. Lead the turn for about $100. If you are raised then you will be getting 4-1 to call the raise with at least 9 outs and possibly 15 if he has AJ, or maybe 11 or 12 if he has QQ. If he just calls and the spade hits the river, he'll have a hard time folding for your last $100 with over $500 in the pot.

[Phil2]

Thanks for the replies. Playing KQ out of position was definately an error. The spade draw was hard to get away from and the turn check was brutal. The river bet was pretty awful as well. It sucks getting involved in a hand for potentially your inital buy-in when you just sit down.

[iceman5]

MP bets $20 into a $100 pot and gets 2 callers (no raises) including the preflop raiser who probably has AK?

If I continue with the hand, I pushing all in.

You have to get the nut flush draw and AK out of there...or fold.

[fimbulwinter]

I don't like the preflop call.

Weakly check-raising OOP is bad as well, but you knew that.

If i have to make the preflop call, i'd just checkraise all-in on the flop if i thought people were capable of folding a bad J. pot is 160 getting back to you facing $20 so a PSR is to $200 which would only leave you $80 behind.

if they can't fold a J (which i suspect might be the case given the betting) just call the bet. you're getting massive odds to draw and are more likely to run into lower flushes via SC's and SB's (as you beat all but the nutflush) than you are running into the nut flush.

fim

[xorbie]

I agree with this post. If someone is going to call your push with KJ/QJ then it's not a great move. If they fold, go for it, because you're still just about coinflipping.

Also, if you call (which is what I would probably do) and hit a K or Q (but especially a K), I would play it pretty passively. Call if you have odds to hit your flush, but don't think that your TPGK is good.