NL Day 2

[Grunch]

Oops, forgot to follow up here. I got numerous PMs about this post.

Ok, let's look at my hypothetical Hand 1: (quoted passages are from OP)

[ QUOTE ]
Opponent is still relatively unknown at this point but seems on the loose side.

[/ QUOTE ]

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
Hero: $84
CO: $141.96
Button: $107.75
SB: $201.41
BB: $110.85

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is UTG with 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

<font color="#cc0000">Hero raises to $2.5</font>, CO calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($8.5, 3 players)

SB checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $6</font>, CO folds, SB calls.

[ QUOTE ]
Could be an 8, maybe a straight draw, 2 pair, a set... what else goes here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Turn: J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($20.5, 2 players)

SB checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $13</font>, <font color="#cc0000">SB raises to $41</font>, Hero ... ?

My response is to fold. Unless the opponent is a floater or especially aggressive (most aren't) this is often a strong hand. It's less likely now to still be a draw, although it is possible that it is a marginal hand that was made on the flop that just picked up a draw.

It's also possible that this was a marginal flopped hand that also flopped a redraw; something like 65. In which case you have the best hand, but you also have reverse implied odds. When you are behind you'll lose the most, but when you are ahead you'll win the least.

So this is a case where I fold knowing full well that I have the best hand at least some portion of the time. Another way to look at this is big-pot vs. small-pot. You have a small-pot hand, but the opponent is trying to build a big-pot. Don't oblige.

Sometimes you have a redraw &amp; implied odds to continue, but normally this is a fold.