Tricky play with middle set

[rocflight]

Here is the situation:

2nd stage in Royal Vegas steps, blinds at 15/30. I've maybe played 1 hand in the first blind level.

J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] UTG and I raise to 110, called by UTG+1 and cutoff, incidentally the two largest stacks at the table.

Flop comes Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]:

I lead out with a bet of 210, or a bit more than half of the pot, cold called on both spots. It seems probable that one or both were on a strong draw, with a high possibility that one has a made hand.

I had 1160 left after the flop and with a turn coming up a blank, I led out with 600, showing that I'm committed to the pot. I was not pleased that UTG+1 cold called again (he outchipped me by about 600 or so at the beginning of the hand). At this moment, I was fearing that he has AK in the hole. Cutoff folded.

The river came 9, filling all possible draws even if UTG+1 didn't have a made hand. Had to check and fold to an all-in bet.

After reviewing the hand, I feel that a better line would be to bet on the flop, perhaps about pot size to test the waters. If I still get cold called, I must slow down and maybe check-fold then.

Please offer some advice as to how to play this hand.

[lastchance]

You know you need to push the turn.

Do it.

Yup. Push the turn. And if anyone had AK, they should have reraised the flop with two clubs out there.

[rocflight]

What do you put UTG+1 on since he cold called again on the turn? I mean I already "showed" that I'm pot committed by betting over half of my remaining stack.

But I guess the general line is to bet pot sized on that flop and push a non-threatening turn?

[the_joker]

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I had 1160 left after the flop and with a turn coming up a blank, I led out with 600, showing that I'm committed to the pot.

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Had to check and fold to an all-in bet.


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Clearly you weren't commited to the pot! As the others said push the turn.

[lastchance]

Flop bet is ok, but you need to make it large enough to comfortably push the turn.

And I put UTG+1 on a lot of hands, very few of which beat you. The set's good, quite a large bit of the time.

Without a read (and not knowing the buyin), UTG+1 could have 99,1010,QQ,AK,AQ,QJs as likely holdings. But you never know what people call preflop raises with in these tourneys (i.e. any suited ace)if it is small buy-in.