Passively played

[Octopus]

UTG+1 is a generally strong player: tight, aggressive, and tricky. Yesterday, he raised pre-flop (I 3-bet) and check-raised to trap two players with what turned out to be a small flush draw. The pre-flop raise on that hand was not normal for him, but the check-raise was. More than that, he noticed the time I took to think about his play.

Button is less familiar to me, but is quite passive and reasonably tight pre-flop. My only other note on him reads "does not push monsters enough".

On to today's hand:

UTG+1 limps, Hero raises with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] in MP2, button cold-calls and UTG+1 calls. Three to the flop for 7.5SB.

Flop is A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. UTG+1 checks, I bet, button calls and UTG+1 check-raises. If he had an ace he would be more likely to have waited, so I think there is a fairly good chance he is on a draw here (or just suspects my hand and is trying to push me off of it). On the other hand, button is a worry.

Raise or call? I called, as did button.

Turn is 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and UTG+1 checks. I hate to give villain (either one) a free card, but I am still scared of button. Plus UTG+1 is tricky enough to play an ace this way, AND is tricky enough to checkraise semi-bluff here.

Bet or check? I checked and button checked behind.

River is Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and UTG+1 bets out. Raise or call? I figured that neither villain would call a raise with a beaten hand, so I just called.

Comments?

[MattC]

maybe he knows that you know that he might pull a play like that and is therefore acting like he is doing that type of play to scare you but is really actually trying to get free cards to his draw.

perhaps 3 bet the flop lead the turn and if they are staying with you or still calling slow down and/or fold to a raise?

[meep_42]

Bet the turn, and i'd want to fold to a raise.

Button only called 2-cold on the flop, looks more like he's a donk or on the draw.

-d

[flair1239]

It's the read on the button that bothers me here. It is possible the button was just going to call the flop and then raise on the turn. From what I have seen, even passive players like to get cute with trips.

I guess honestly I am not playing this much different. If I bet the turn, I would want to fold to a raise. However the read on UTG+1 is that he is tricky and is capable of a semi-bluff raise.

I would play this the same way. The phrase that keeps popping into my head is showdown value.

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
so I think there is a fairly good chance he is on a draw here

[/ QUOTE ]
That's quite unlikely. The only draw is the flush and you have K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] with A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] on the board. That leaves UTG+1 TAG with about three reasonable starting hands to be semibluffing with.

Your chances here are heavily dependent on the possibility that UTG+1 is completely bluffing. Since hands like 88 and J9 are virtually never good and have 0-2 outs, I consider them to be bluffs.

Having Button locked into the flop makes this a difficult situation to run a bluff. I really doubt that UTG+1 is up to something here. Most of the time he has an ace or more. Even if UTG+1 is kidding you still will very often find Button with an ace.

In deference to the backdoor flush draw I would call the flop raise and see what happens. If UTG+1 bets the turn it's an easy fold. When he checks I check behind. I don't want to be checkraised and I don't really see any reason to call a bet except possibly if UTG+1 folds in front of me.

The checkthrough on the turn is encouraging so I call the river.

[Octopus]

Button folded the river. UTG+1 showed Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and my hand is good.

I wonder what the button had; I guess tens or jacks. A flush draw would mean he cold-called with J8s or worse, and that is not consistent with what I have seen from him in the past. I don't know if UTG+1 would have c/r'd the turn, probably not, but the extra gutshot outs he picked up might have made him even more frisky.

Thanks, everyone, for your input.

[Octopus]

I like your analysis better than mine. I was (both during play and during analysis) so focused on the previous day's hand that I may have over estimated the likelihood of a draw. I will be more careful about my thinking next time.