top pair second kicker facing huge turn bet

[jdl22]

In another thread I mentioned this hand and someone asked that I post it. My memory of it was fairly incorrect. I had top pair second kicker and potted the flop and turn. On the turn I was reraised and called as it smelled like a bluff. After the hand the villain (who was the worst table coach I've ever seen) told me I was a fool for calling his bet with K kicker.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (10 handed) converter

Hero ($92.20)
CO ($95.20)
Button ($147.55)
SB ($50.72)
BB ($410.95)
UTG ($86.20)
UTG+1 ($130.75)
UTG+2 ($88.70)
MP1 ($175.45)
MP2 ($97.30)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to $5</font>, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls $3.

Flop: ($11) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets $10</font>, BB calls $10.

Turn: ($31) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets $30</font>, <font color="CC3333">BB raises to $250</font>, Hero calls $47.20 (All-In).

River: ($358.20) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: $358.20
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: $185.40, between Hero and BB.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Hero ($185.40).</font>
<font color="#990066">Pot 2: $172.80, overbet by BB.</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
BB shows Td Jh (two pair, tens and fours).
Hero shows Th Kh (two pair, tens and fours).
Outcome: Hero wins $185.40. BB wins $172.80. </font>

I thought it was a bluff because this player seemed a bit reckless. He frequently was putting all his chips in without callers.

Also the way he bet his chips made it seem he didn't want a call. Not sure if this is an online tell, but I think that many times when people have you covered and they bet all of their chips they don't want you to call. If they want you to call they more often will bet a small amount more than all of your chips.

Was this a crazy play or a good call?

[CrisBrown]

Hi jdl,

I agree. There's a difference between betting enough to set an opponent all-in, and pushing in with a huge stack against a medium stack. The former says "Do you want to see this for all of your chips?" The latter says "I'm the biggest dog on this block and I want this pot, so go away."

Yes, there are exceptions, but I think this was a solid call on your part.

Cris

[gavrilo]

Do you routinely raise KTs in MP here?

[Ben]

I think it was a blind-steal semi-bluff.

[jdl22]

First in I would say yes.

There is a good chance I will steal the blinds and if called I will often still have the best hand or not be in bad shape.

It does cause problems like this one though.

[ZeroGee]

Why would you want to blind steal in a game like this? The money is made by taking someone's stack, or doubling your own. Not taking $3. This is a trash hand... oftentimes worth a limp, but not a raising hand. You flop a king, you bet, get raised, then what?

In terms of calling down with TPSK... well, you make a read in Big-bet, and go with it. If you decided he was bluffing, doesn't matter if you have a king kicking or what have you. You're deciding he doesn't have crap. (He actually did have crap... what if you were playing T8s or something in this case? Then you "call his bluff" and still lose).

There are also a ton of overpairs to your tens. Sure, it's unlikely given the betting so far, but you never know.

Make a read, go with it. You did this time, and won. Keep raising with KT and making similar reads, though, and you'll soon be regretting it.