AKo - knock out or fold?

[ccwhoelse?]

Party 2/4 - 9 handed

The table is ok to pretty tight. I don't really have any reads on any of the players, except that they aren't very loose.

i'm dealt A /images/graemlins/club.gif K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif in MP

MP1 calls, I raise, button, SB, BB and MP1 all call.

5 handed to flop of

K /images/graemlins/heart.gif 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif 8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

checked to me, I bet, button calls, SB raises, BB 3-bets - I cap.

I am almost sure I am behind two pair or better? Is that a reasonable assumption?

Do I fold or cap to try to knock others out?

I don't think calling is worth anything - is that wrong?

Will knocking other players out increase my chances of winning the pot if i'm behind to two pair.

If the board was K72 instead of K78, would capping it be a better or worse play?

[DeuceKicker]

Who is going to fold if you cap? The only one who you have a chance of folding out is the button, and you want him along if you improve to a winner (though even if you improve to a set or 2 pr, you have a hard time knowing if it's good.)

[Harv72b]

Unless you have a read on your opponent as being particularly passive postflop, never assume your TPTK (or better) isn't good on the flop. Meaning that, against unknowns or players you know to be aggressive, unless there is a very obvious hand that would beat you on the flop (ex: you're holding AJ on a flop of 9TJ) or someone else showed aggression preflop (same hand/flop vs. a preflop 3-bettor), you probably shouldn't slow down until the turn. Too many people will overplay a KQ/KJ (or worse), or try to jam the pot with an OESD, or think that you're full of it and 3-bet with their masterfully slowplayed QQ here. Go ahead and cap it up & see what happens on the turn--the pot is already big enough to stop worrying about keeping opponents in and start worrying about winning it.

Nobody will ever fold two pair, unless it's painfully obvious that they're beaten (and even then, generally only for 2 bets on the river). So this is not a case where you can get anyone to fold a better hand than yours...it's simply trying to get the max value with what is probably the best hand (or has redraws vs. a flopped 2 pair).

Note that I am not folding this hand vs. unknowns, at least not on the flop. If it's two bets to me on the turn, especially after I capped the flop, that's when I'll think about mucking it. As long as it's just one bet to continue, I'm continuing by default.

Against this large a field, you don't want to slowplay no matter how devoid of draws the flop is. So K72 or K78, I'm still capping. If I'd flopped top set on a K72 flop, that's when I'd think about just calling the flop 3-bet in hopes of getting in my raise on the turn, but a set is a much stronger hand than TPTK.

[revlwb]

I continue to play aggressively until the SB gives me a reason otherwise.

[bobhalford]

[ QUOTE ]
Unless you have a read on your opponent as being particularly passive postflop, never assume your TPTK (or better) isn't good on the flop. Meaning that, against unknowns or players you know to be aggressive, unless there is a very obvious hand that would beat you on the flop (ex: you're holding AJ on a flop of 9TJ) or someone else showed aggression preflop (same hand/flop vs. a preflop 3-bettor), you probably shouldn't slow down until the turn. Too many people will overplay a KQ/KJ (or worse), or try to jam the pot with an OESD, or think that you're full of it and 3-bet with their masterfully slowplayed QQ here. Go ahead and cap it up & see what happens on the turn--the pot is already big enough to stop worrying about keeping opponents in and start worrying about winning it.

Nobody will ever fold two pair, unless it's painfully obvious that they're beaten (and even then, generally only for 2 bets on the river). So this is not a case where you can get anyone to fold a better hand than yours...it's simply trying to get the max value with what is probably the best hand (or has redraws vs. a flopped 2 pair).

Note that I am not folding this hand vs. unknowns, at least not on the flop. If it's two bets to me on the turn, especially after I capped the flop, that's when I'll think about mucking it. As long as it's just one bet to continue, I'm continuing by default.

Against this large a field, you don't want to slowplay no matter how devoid of draws the flop is. So K72 or K78, I'm still capping. If I'd flopped top set on a K72 flop, that's when I'd think about just calling the flop 3-bet in hopes of getting in my raise on the turn, but a set is a much stronger hand than TPTK.

[/ QUOTE ]

What he said. Nice post.