First Posted Hand!

[JS Inc]

Hi, lurked for some time and learned a lot!

Any comments welcomed.

Would you reraise preflop? Would you bet the turn?




UTG ($22.25)
Hero ($52.50)
Button ($85.25)
SB ($8.10)
BB ($73.05)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls $0.50, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $2.5</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to $8.1</font>, BB calls $7.60, UTG folds, Hero calls $5.60.

Flop: ($24.80) 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($24.80) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $15.5</font>, BB calls $15.50.

River: ($55.80) 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: $55.80

[Acein8ter]

RR PF w/88? I don't think so... 99+ has you beat ~80% of the time... SB threw in a good sized 3 bet here indicating a premium starting hand. Since he checked the river, it may have been something like AKs...?

[samwallistea]

Im not sure about calling the reraise preflop, it depends on how the SB and BB are playing of course but I think there are better spots for you to win money.

I think you played the rest of hand correctly not entirely sure what BB has, obviously not a high PP as he most likely would have reraised the SBs allin preflop, you may be good here. I think you were right to take a stab on the turn though there is an argument for just trying to check it down here.

[JS Inc]

I had no reads on either player. BB snap called the SB's raise. The small SB can pretty much have anything here.

Ace: Wouldn't QQ,KK,AA,AK three bet in this spot? If that is true then that tightens his range to 88-JJ, AQ, maybe smaller pairs or maybe AJs, ATs. So if I reraise here I am repping QQ+ which would probably get him to fold. Thoughts?

Sam: I guess you wouldn't reraise pre either?

[Suaimhnea]

[ QUOTE ]
RR PF w/88? I don't think so... 99+ has you beat ~80% of the time... SB threw in a good sized 3 bet here indicating a premium starting hand. Since he checked the river, it may have been something like AKs...?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, SB shoved for his last $8.10. That's an easy call. He's asking whether to squeeze against an over-caller.

I generally don't like re-raising an overcaller unless he's particularly loose-passive, giving me a chance to see five cards against a single opponent with a third of the pot being dead money. Readless, I'm calling.

On the flop, I'm probably also leading, again: read dependent. That flop is semi-coordinated but there's a lot of hands that don't fit that sort of board texture: AQ, AK, 66-77, 80% of which we'll fold out if we continue here.

[O Fen�meno]

nh

[Pokey]

I think your only mistake was on the turn: I would have gladly checked behind there.

Your bet on the turn is a semibluff, but there's no upside to folding out your opponent since you're still fighting SB for the pot. You've got four clean outs (7s) and six dirty ones (8s and Qs), so why risk more money? You can see a river card for free, and it's unlikely villain will try to bluff you off a hand on the river since the pot is protected. You get to play perfectly against BB, so take the opportunity to do so.

BB can't call that $15 bet with any hand that you beat, and won't fold many hands that beat you. Furthermore, even if you fold out BB the pot isn't yours, so you might as well take another free card. I think your best postflop line is check/check/check, calling a turn bet with odds but folding to a river bet when you miss your straight.

[samwallistea]

[ QUOTE ]
Sam: I guess you wouldn't reraise pre either?

[/ QUOTE ]

No never with a reraise and a call before me.

[JS Inc]

Pokey would you reraise pf?

I bet the turn for a couple reasons. To build the pot if I hit the river. To have him fold Ax hands and to charge him for flushes. I do see your point though.

[jmgambler]

What happened to the hand history?

I dont like BB cold calling here, I would take the turn check too, though I really cannot fault you taking a stab here

[Pokey]

[ QUOTE ]
Pokey would you reraise pf?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. The only reraise that makes any sense would be a push, and against a push you're folding all hands that you beat and getting called by several hands that have you stomped into the ground. Swear, call, and play poker postflop with position.

[ QUOTE ]
I bet the turn for a couple reasons. To build the pot if I hit the river.

[/ QUOTE ]

The pot is already sizeable, and if you hit on the river you're still more likely than not to hit with a dirty out. Are you really going to be thrilled to see a Q on the board, giving you the ugly end of a one-card straight? Does hitting your set really cheer you up? How happy does the 7/images/graemlins/club.gif make you? The pot is already at about 50 BBs, and I see no reason to try to milk it, given that there is no sidepot to compete for and that you won't necessarily recognize your gin card(s).

[ QUOTE ]
To have him fold Ax hands

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, he cold-called a three-bet preflop; just what Ax cards do you expect him to hold? AK might fold, but AQ has a straight draw (better than yours, no less), and AJ has you over a barrel. Folding AK out is possible, but only buys you four ours if SB has you beaten (which is entirely possible on this board). If your goal is to build a sidepot for yourself to win, I'd make a smaller bet -- $11 or so.

[ QUOTE ]
and to charge him for flushes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Charging draws makes sense if you think it's likely. In this case, I think it's not going to be common to see a draw in his hand, and I think that if he folds you don't really buy yourself much equity in the pot. Also, I don't see villain folding a 9, T, or J very often here, even while I don't see him betting a 9 or T very often. This bet could easily backfire on you.

[ QUOTE ]
I do see your point though.

[/ QUOTE ]

And, to be honest, I see yours. I don't think betting the turn is the worst move you could make, but in a protected pot I'd prefer a smaller bet if you think you could extract value from a player who is behind. With three overcards and facing a smooth-caller of a preflop reraise, I'm very hesitant to get too out of line with my 88. The worst possible scenario here would be a check-raise that forces us to fold, or a check-raise that forces us to call on pot odds or implied odds. You don't want to have to walk away from your draw in a big pot like this, and you also don't want to have to put your stack into play on a weak hand and weak draw. Take your infinite odds and hope to hit lucky on the river.