44, Too Aggressive Pre-Flop? Too Passive on the Flop?

[Sandberg]

Hi there. I've been lurking here for a few months and really need help on my poker game. Here is a hand that happened to me recently and I'm wondering how badly I misplayed it.

$2-$4 Hollywood Poker. Had only played with the big blind before and he is a calling station.

Hero is CO with 4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

3 folds, <font color="green">MP1 calls </font> , 2 folds, <font color="red">Hero Raises </font> , Button folds, <font color="green">sb calls </font> , <font color="green">bb calls </font> (8 sbs)

Flop is 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

SB checks, BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero?

[crablegs33]

i don't like the raise preflop... if you were the first one in the pot i'd raise this as a blind steal, but with one limper i flat call or fold here... you have a read on bb as a calling station so it is unlikely that your attempt to isolate here will work...

this board is right in the range for ep limpers and blind callers to be in... i'd take a free one, fold to any aggression UI and chalk it up as a learning experience...

[Sandberg]

I thought I might have been too aggressive preflop. I tend to overdue things with small pocket pairs.

[Nick Royale]

Hi, my name is also Sandberg so I think I need to help you out here.

If the limper is weak/tight and the players left to act are very tight a preflop raise is fine here. Most often it's not though.

If the players left to act are loose and passive you can limp preflop. Most often I just fold though.

If I somehow got into this spot on the flop, I could take a stab on the flop as, probably as the last money I put into the pot. But almost always it's correct to just take the freecard since these players seem to be too loose to get rid off.

I hope I was to some help. Lycka till!

[homebrewer]

Raising PF is a pretty aggressive move here. I might try this if I thought I could fold the SB and put MP1 off of anything but a monster. From your read it sounds like the BB will be with you a while. Given your PF raise, I think you've got to follow up a flop bet and hope to get a free card on the turn unless your improve.

[MrCharlie]

I am a newbie, but, I typically fold this preflop, unless the players are very tight. In many of the 2/4 games I think you will have to hit your set to win this hand.

[Sandberg]

I am a newbie, but, I typically fold this preflop, unless the players are very tight. In many of the 2/4 games I think you will have to hit your set to win this hand.

LOL. Which I did on the turn only to see the first limper catch a gutshot on the river, hence this post.....

[W. Deranged]

My standard play with small pocket pairs (22-55) in mid/late position behind one limper is to limp. 44 is almost never enough for me to want to raise if anyone has entered the pot. Why not limp here? You're quite likely to encourage the button and both blinds to come along and build a sufficient pot to try to flop a set, in position. Raising is not great, in my opinion, as it'll be hard to bully your way through this pot, particularly as the fish in the big blind will likely come along and not want to fold any time soon.

After the action and that flop, you are done with the hand. Check the flop and don't put any more money in the pot unless you hit a set.