Two More From the Big Blind
 

20-40 CAZ, again.

(A) Pleasant loose aggressive hijack open-limps. His range is very wide. Cutoff overlimps. He plays back against the hijack frequently and well. SB completes, I raise Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], all call.

Flop J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB checks, I bet, hijack raises (very often a free-card or field-thinning play, from this guy), CO threebets, SB folds. I cut out two more stacks of four chips and pause very briefly -- like a fraction of a second -- as I decide whether to drop four more. The hijack immediately calls and the dealer is sweeping the bets in before I quite know what's happening. So I just pull my hand back.

Turn 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. I check, hijack checks, CO bets, I raise, hijack folds, CO 3bets, I call.

River A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. What's my line? I checked intending to call because Villain had shown an ability to valuebet thin, bluff in big pots, etc. Is bet/calling or bet/folding better?


(B) Button opens and I defend with 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. This is the cutoff from the last hand. He's thinking and loose and aggressive and seemingly good. He's checked behind on one flop after raising my BB preflop, so this won't be the first time.

Flop A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Check-check.

Turn 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. Check, he bets, I raise, he grabs 16 chips but then just calls.

River 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I bet, he raises, I fold.

--Nate

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

[ QUOTE ]
20-40 CAZ, again.

(A) Pleasant loose aggressive hijack open-limps. His range is very wide. Cutoff overlimps. He plays back against the hijack frequently and well. SB completes, I raise Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], all call.

Flop J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB checks, I bet, hijack raises (very often a free-card or field-thinning play, from this guy), CO threebets, SB folds. I cut out two more stacks of four chips and pause very briefly -- like a fraction of a second -- as I decide whether to drop four more. The hijack immediately calls and the dealer is sweeping the bets in before I quite know what's happening. So I just pull my hand back.

Turn 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. I check, hijack checks, CO bets, I raise, hijack folds, CO 3bets, I call.

River A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. What's my line? I checked intending to call because Villain had shown an ability to valuebet thin, bluff in big pots, etc. Is bet/calling or bet/folding better?

[/ QUOTE ]

Better is exactly what you did. Good play. Huge pot. No way you don't show down.

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

I check fold river in hand 1 and check call in hand 2. I feel hand 2 could be a fold also as I interpret his chip tell on the turn to mean "I should raise...well I'll let a black card fall off on the river" but then he raised the heart so maybe I'm just confused. Anyway I might have just called the turn in hand 2 also and just let it be a small pot if you have the best hand.

-DeathDonkey

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

I lean towards check/folding Hand 1. What do you beat? JQ exactly, and that's a real stretch to think he 3-bet the turn with that. AKs now has you beat. Sure feels like a flopped straight or set. I give it up--this is a good spot to fold for one more bet IMO. Your description does make it closer, if he's REALLY been seen to 3-bet the turn with hands that can't beat one pair or big draws....

Hand 2, I like leading the flop and bet/folding turn. Your line puts too much money into the pot with a very marginal hand. Also, I fold preflop...IMO, you're a bit leniant with defending your blinds. I think this is a clear preflop fold in a full ring, or anything more than 7-handed.

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

emerson --

Thanks for the reponse. Should I fourbet the flop? Should I bet the turn?

--Nate

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

[ QUOTE ]
emerson --

Thanks for the reponse. Should I fourbet the flop? Should I bet the turn?

--Nate

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I 4 bet the flop. But from your post I thought that is what you were trying to do when the dealer pulled in the chips or something. However, given what you have in mind for the turn, which has a good chance to work if you let this guy keep the betting lead, I like it as played.

Betting the turn is okay, but I like your check raise which has a better chance to knock out the guy after you.

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

I don't like 4-betting the flop. You have a very nice hand, but it's far from the nuts, and that's a dangerous flop. Turn c/r is okay, but I feel like it's overly aggressive given the strength shown and the dangerous nature of this board. I prefer leading the turn and calling a raise. It's nice to knock the guy out after you, but it's also important t remember your hand is very vulnerable and couldn EASILY be beaten already. Putting in three bets on the turn doesn't sound good to me.

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

[ QUOTE ]
I lean towards check/folding Hand 1. What do you beat? JQ exactly, and that's a real stretch to think he 3-bet the turn with that. AKs now has you beat. Sure feels like a flopped straight or set. I give it up--this is a good spot to fold for one more bet IMO. Your description does make it closer, if he's REALLY been seen to 3-bet the turn with hands that can't beat one pair or big draws....

Hand 2, I like leading the flop and bet/folding turn. Your line puts too much money into the pot with a very marginal hand. Also, I fold preflop...IMO, you're a bit leniant with defending your blinds. I think this is a clear preflop fold in a full ring, or anything more than 7-handed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Aragorn --

Yeah, if he hadn't been so aggressive during some earlier hands I think this is a clear c/f. Even so it's tough to find many hands QQ beats. One thing is that he was isolating the hijack very liberally. Therefore two pair and pair+draw hands are by far likeliest. I also think he would be willing to try to steal one from me, but I don't know if this is how he'd do it.

I probably defend too liberally, but it's just so easy to get an edge postflop. Against this guy in particular, folding 93s is probably best. I don't think 9- vs. 7- vs. 5-handed matters much.

--Nate

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

Nate,

Regarding Hand 1, he didn't isolate HJ here, right? So you're saying that he's more likely to have, say, J9s than KQ? I can buy that, but I think 78, KQo, and the two pair hands are all in his range. At any rate, I think it's very tough to be winning here unless your opponent is unbelievably tricky.

As for hand 2, yeah--you said this opponent is pretty good, so I see no reason to fight him OOP with 93.

G

Re: Two More From the Big Blind
 

[ QUOTE ]
I check fold river in hand 1 and check call in hand 2. I feel hand 2 could be a fold also as I interpret his chip tell on the turn to mean "I should raise...well I'll let a black card fall off on the river" but then he raised the heart so maybe I'm just confused. Anyway I might have just called the turn in hand 2 also and just let it be a small pot if you have the best hand.

-DeathDonkey

[/ QUOTE ]

DeathDonkey --

Thanks. I like all this advice. In particular I might be too sensitive to metagame and c/c + c/c UI might be the best turn/riv combo in hand two.

--Nate