What to do... What to do...
 

New table no reads. Hero and Villain both have top 15 chip stacks at the time. So many ways to play this one. Lets take it in stages hoping to find the best way if that's possible.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (9 handed) internettexasholdem.com

MP1 (t2920)
MP2 (t6105)
MP3 (t3195)
CO (t3055)
Button (t1810)
SB (t1800)
Hero (t3905)
UTG (t3955)
UTG+1 (t1495)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises to t250</font>, <font color="#666666">7 folds</font>, Hero calls t200.

Flop: (t525) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

small pot, check call the flop. I'm not folding unless another heart comes though.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

Why not reraise this PF? But yeah, unless another heart comes im calling down. I play this weak and just call down here.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

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small pot, check call the flop. I'm not folding unless another heart comes though.

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Isn't a check-raise more appropriate here?

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

I like this line. I always try to keep pot control in mind when I am playing a marginal hand out of position. Which I think this hand has now become with that flop.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

Ok...humor a micro-limit fish...why doesn't anyone like leading with a bet on this flop? With such a draw heavy flop, I would make a pot sized bet. Fold to a reraise, and probably fold to any decent sized turn bet. Seems like a check-raise is a more expensive way of discovering I'm likely to be behind, and I'd prefer to check-call on a less scary flop, where I actually think I'm likely to be ahead. Plus, if he checks behind I'm giving him a free card. What's wrong with my thinking here?

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

i would normally reraise this to around 1000 preflop. if he reraises all in, i think you can safely pass and if he calls you can make a pot commiting flop bet of around 1500

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

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Ok...humor a micro-limit fish...why doesn't anyone like leading with a bet on this flop? With such a draw heavy flop, I would make a pot sized bet. Fold to a reraise, and probably fold to any decent sized turn bet.

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because you've just turned your hand into 72. you have showdown value and it is unlikely villian already has a flush (or even that he has a heart at all). a bet/fold line is fine w/ any hand you're not showing down. but AK has a lot of value here, too much to just throw away to a raise from something like KhTx or AxXh.

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Seems like a check-raise is a more expensive way of discovering I'm likely to be behind, and I'd prefer to check-call on a less scary flop, where I actually think I'm likely to be ahead.

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I don't like c/r either. It shows too much strength and will fold out hands we're ahead of that will likely either bet the turn or call a decent river bet if the turn gets checked through.

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Plus, if he checks behind I'm giving him a free card.

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Like I said above, a free card is likely a 2 or 3-outer (if that), or 5 outs if he has something like KT, so it isn't the end of the world. And a lot of times the heart is just as scary for him, so you'll get a pretty cheap showdown.

Basically, don't turn your hand into complete trash by bet/folding this flop. Bet out the flop w/ trash and flushes. Don't do it w/ something like our hand here.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

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i would normally reraise this to around 1000 preflop. if he reraises all in, i think you can safely pass and if he calls you can make a pot commiting flop bet of around 1500

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You can raise to 1000 preflop and fold to a push?

Can I play at your table?

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

you're welcome

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

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you're welcome

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Ok, my sarcasm was uncalled for, but how can you justify folding after investing so much? I can't see villain having AA or KK nearly enough to do this.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

I like reraising preflop with AK almost all the time, especially in tournaments, because you will miss the flop so many times and you really need to try to accumulate chips with every hand you enter.

However, I can understand calling preflop here because there are no other callers and it would suck for you to reraise here and then have him call and have to play this hand out of position.

However, once you don't reraise preflop, I'm not looking to play a big pot here unless I hit the flop hard. I'd lead for 500 and see what happens. Most people seem to tighten up on monotone flops and if he comes alive here, I'd get out of the hand.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

it's only a quarter of his stack and after such a display of strength, his opponent must have upwards of queens to move in.

the downside of this move is when the villain holds aces and just calls the reraise preflop.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

OK I'll throw some thoughts in at this point.

I don't like a preflop reraise in this situation because I'm not looking to flip here based on my stack size and the early blind level. Also if reraising, then folding to a preflop push from villain just isn't a consideration for me so I like calling here and seeing the flop.

OK I've hit my Ace on a draw scary board. I believe that in most cases I'm ahead here. So what's my goal? I'm OOP which is of utmost concern to me.

Help me discern the value of leading this flop if that's your preferred play.

Does leading at this flop and deciding what to do based on villains reaction really tell us anything for sure? For example; we pot bet $500 and villain reraises to $1000, what did we learn? 2 black QQ could do that. OR, we pot bet and villain pushes, a non-suited big Ace could do that as might KK with a heart in which case we'd be well ahead of both hands.

For those who want to ck/call down how likely is it that you'll make it to a showdown and actually win the pot? Only a weak villain will allow you to get there on the cheap. If you're in villains position isn't this an "easy" pot to win by outplaying your opponent if a scare card hits on later streets?

Do you agree that we're ahead of most of villains ranges on this flop?

Does a ck-raise push look good to anybody? Assume we ck and villain bets $500. If we push now what does it look like we have? Does it look like an Ace, does it look like a draw? Do we get a non-suited AQ to call us? Do we have any fold equity against a good drawing hand that we wouldn't mind seeing fold but would be a favorite against if they called? Does a push ever discourage 2 red QQ's from calling?

Please continue on.......

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

Well, since the Ah is on board, it is almost impossible that Hero is behind, and the villan is drawing to a flush.

Since the Ah is out, I am willing to assume he doesnt have the flush now, if he raised UG with KQh, nh him.

The only way I would ever CR-push this flop is if he made a big overbet here, which will almost always mean KK QQ with a heart. Even then, I think calling down is fine. I think we are ahead here, and there is &lt;50% chance that he is drawing to more than 3 outs. I want to win as much as possible, but also keep the pot managable in case he gets agro when the 4th heart falls.

Take a second, and look at a reasonable PF range for him. Then take another look at the board, this is a fairly good board for us. The most likely hands that a villan is betting strong here are AX, Xh. AK, Kh is our only really scary hand (other than a set, or AT), and that is a very small % of his range.

Re: What to do... What to do...
 

doylestown, i think i addressed all of those points in my post. if i missed something or if it isn't clear, let me know