Three $4/$8 Kill Hands From A Recent Session

[WhiteKnight]

Recently at my local casino, I played a session which I felt went rather poorly. These three hands stick out in particular. The first two hands occurred fairly early on (no real reads), while the thirds was just before I left. Over the course of approximately 40 hands, I played perhaps 5 or 6, and I think that the other players were somewhat cognizant of this.

HAND ONE:

Very first hand since I sat down and waited two hands for the big blind. Hero is in BB with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, four limpers, Hero checks (5 handed).

Flop: A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif K/images/graemlins/club.gif Q/images/graemlins/club.gif ($22)
Hero checks, EP bets, 2 callers, Hero folds (?).


HAND TWO:

Kill is on, Hero is in LP with 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif
5 limpers, Hero calls, CO calls, BB calls (8 handed)

Flop: 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif T/images/graemlins/club.gif J/images/graemlins/heart.gif ($66)
EP2 bets, 2 callers, Hero folds (?)


HAND THREE:

Kill is on, Hero is UTG with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif K/images/graemlins/club.gif
Hero raises, Villain (MP) calls, LP calls, Blinds fold (3 handed).

Note that Villain has been on a sick rush for the past few orbits. He has always delivered freight at showdown with the absolute or near nuts, but has been playing and raising at least half of his hands. He has not always had appropriate odds to make the calls he has been (calling down to the river and spiking trips with 66 while people are betting with scary overcards on board.

Flop: A/images/graemlins/heart.gif A/images/graemlins/spade.gif Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif ($30)
Hero bets, Villain raises, LP folds, Hero calls(?) (2 handed).

Turn: 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif ($62)
Hero checks, Villain bets, Hero calls (2 handed).

River: 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif ($94)
Hero checks, Villain bets, Hero calls (2 handed).

Results in white: <font color="white"> Villain shows Ac Td, Hero mucks. </font>

Should I have tossed this one when I was raised on the flop, or was going into calldown mode the correct call?

[Chino987]

"Over the course of approximately 40 hands, I played perhaps 5 or 6"

is this including the blinds? sample size is low, but if this is your normal VPIP you're playing too tight to make any money whatsoever

[Chino987]

hand 1: call the flop and see what the turn brings before giving up. you could easily have the best hand here.

hand 2: easy raise preflop. your raise preflop would consequently have given you pot odds to probably call to the river.

hand 3: read dependent, against a real loose passive player I fold, without a read you should call down in general as this is often Qx


EDIT: hand 3: if player is laggy like you say, there is no way you could fold this

[ProfessorBen]

Hand 1: Lead the flop. I want to define hands that either raise or call and this board being checked through is terrible.

Hand 2: I'm raising preflop for value. As played, the flop fold is fine. Pot is 11 SB and all 4 of my outs seem clean, but there are times when I'm drawing to a chop. I can't raise and try to see 2 cards for cheap because getting 3 bet by EP2 or someone waking up with any 2 pair(esp. JT), AJ/KJ, or even 89 is a real possibility.

Hand 3: If this villain is tricky I'm calling down. If he is straightforward and not overly aggressive I'm B/F the turn. Queens are highly unlikely to raise again unless he's super aggressive or tricky. I would also hate for a small queen to check behind the turn. No way I can fold the flop to a single raise. People will raise with Qx all the time.

I think that 3 betting and folding to a cap or turn raise is also acceptable, though you are vulnerable to an opponent who waits until the river to raise.

[WhiteKnight]

This advice makes such sense in retrospect... I'm pretty bad at this game, sometimes I see gills when looking in the mirror. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

How low would the pocket pair have to be in hand 2 before it's no longer an easy raise for value?

[Frond]

Some say 88 or some as low as 77. It is table and player dependant but with that 99 but probably have the best hand going in so a value raise is good. For me personally, I usually don't like to raise higher than 88 in this case. some may disagree though. Middle pairs are some of the tougher hands to play for sure.

[Shean]

Hand 1: Lead out and bet the flop. Though your kicker isn't that great, nobody raised preflop, so you're not putting anyone on a big Ace. Having checked, I like a check-raise for value when it gets back to you, as it seems that the 2 callers are on straight or flush draws.

Hand 2: I like the limp pre-flop. I tend to treat 99 the same way I do 55... limp in and hope for a set or straight draw, otherwise, run. On the flop, you've gotta call with the gutshot straight draw. If it doesn't hit on the turn, dump the hand. Since you're in late position, if you do hit, you're likely to get the implied odds to make this flop call worthwhile.

Hand 3: Depends on the player you're up against. I personally don't know why the guy raised you on the flop... drove out some customers with an almost unbeatable hand. That said, it's really hard to know whether to fold or check-call down the hand without knowing the player you're up against. But don't get married to good-looking pocket pairs like KK or QQ, especially when the dreaded Ace hits the flop.

[ProfessorBen]

[ QUOTE ]

Hand 2: I like the limp pre-flop. I tend to treat 99 the same way I do 55... limp in and hope for a set or straight draw, otherwise, run. On the flop, you've gotta call with the gutshot straight draw. If it doesn't hit on the turn, dump the hand. Since you're in late position, if you do hit, you're likely to get the implied odds to make this flop call worthwhile.


[/ QUOTE ]

Pot is 11 SB. Factor in when you are only drawing to a chop and you are NOT getting odds to draw to your straight. Implied odds are meager here, as action will slow down greatly if the board hits a 4-straight. EP2 will not be calling 2 bets on the turn if a 4-straight comes. It's also not clear, but Hero is not closing the action so this is not a good spot to call. This is an easy fold, not a call.