Set pushes the turn on a very scary board.

[Pokey]

<font color="blue">Here's an interesting hand I played earlier today. Take a look and see what you think.

The deck has been hitting me squarely in the face, so my image is a bit LAGgy right now -- I'm playing about 40/20 on this table. Despite this, my c-bets are still getting TONS of respect, and I'm winning most hands without a showdown.

The table as a whole is awful: all three limpers in this hand had VPIPs over 50%. They are not threats here.

However, villain (CO) in this hand is decent: 22/10 preflop, 2.6 average aggression postflop, and he usually shows down a winner.</font>

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $173.95
UTG+1: $44.60
CO: $100
Pokey: $125.25
SB: $46.35
BB: $99

Pre-flop: (6 players) Pokey is Button with 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#cc0000">CO raises to $6</font>, Pokey calls, SB calls, BB folds, UTG calls, UTG+1 folds.

<font color="blue">With as bad as the other three players are, I can easily call this bet on implied odds. I'd be shocked to see a limp-reraise, and I fully expect at LEAST one other player to call behind me. I also expect to snap off a good c-bet with a check-raise if I hit nicely.</font>

Flop: 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($26, 4 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, <font color="#cc0000">CO bets $20</font>, Pokey calls, 2 folds.

<font color="blue">Interesting; in addition to my pocket pair, I've added an OESD to the mix. Villain's bet is big, but I call anyways, hoping to entice overcalls behind me. I also expect to stack villain if I hit nicely.</font>

Turn: 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($66, 2 players)
CO checks, <font color="#cc0000">Pokey bets $74</font>....

<font color="blue">The interesting play. My feeling is that a decent, thinking opponent is going to know I'm not drawing to an inside straight for $20 on the flop; therefore, he'll expect the 8 didn't give me the straight. That means he should call with a WIDE variety of hands that I'm killing, like overpairs, two-pair hands, TPTK, nut flush draws, maybe even A8 or AK.

What do you think of this play?</font>