2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

I am watching this forum for a while, and now the time has come for my first post. I hope you will be nice to me :P
This hand is from a $2/4 table at Pokerroom. Things are not going too well lately, so I need help to improve my game. The table is tight, not too aggresive. Opponent is 25.6/14.4/2.4 over 160 hands.


Poker Room skin
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $2/$4
10 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is BB with J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
4 folds, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 raises</font>, 4 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4.5SB, 2 players)
Hero checks, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 bets</font>, <font color="#cc0000">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 3-bets</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (5.25BB, 2 players)
Hero checks, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (7.25BB, 2 players)
Hero ?

Is our hand good enough to call here? What do you think of the other streets?

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

nice hand, now check call the river.

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

Welcome to the forum.

I think you played it fine. MP2 could have raised the flop with a lot of hands that you still beat such as AK,AQ,AT,KQ,A9,KTs.

I think I would prefer to check the river and call a bet. Some people might like a b/f but I think that if you are ahead you will not get paid off often enough.

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

[ QUOTE ]
I am watching this forum for a while, and now the time has come for my first post. I hope you will be nice to me :P
This hand is from a $2/4 table at Pokerroom. Things are not going too well lately, so I need help to improve my game. The table is tight, not too aggresive. Opponent is 25.6/14.4/2.4 over 160 hands.


Poker Room skin
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $2/$4
10 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is BB with J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
4 folds, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 raises</font>, 4 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4.5SB, 2 players)
Hero checks, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 bets</font>, <font color="#cc0000">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 3-bets</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (5.25BB, 2 players)
Hero checks, <font color="#cc0000">MP2 bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (7.25BB, 2 players)
Hero ?

Is our hand good enough to call here? What do you think of the other streets?

[/ QUOTE ]

looks good to me. C/C the river is good as it allows you to induce bluffs from AK/AQ. no better hand is folding, and aggros/highly skilled players may raise the river for value here with overpairs/AJ.

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

In this situation, I like bet/3bet a lot more than c/r. The main reason for this is that an aggressive opponent (as your opponent seems to be from his stats) will be looking to make noise on the flop regardless of what comes down and your action. Furthermore, if he respects you as a decent player and is thinking, he'll expect a c/r hu if you're going to play with him at all. As an example, I would consider a c/r with a very wide range here - much worse than TP.

Since he raised from MP rather than the hijack or button I am willing to give him credit for more than a bare ace, but the 14.4 still suggests he's opening with a wider range than most of us. Since this is the case, I like our hand. In addition to your TP, you've got two more jacks, three queens, and four nines that vastly improve your hand.

If villain caps flop given this line, I think I just check/call unless things get a lot worse (i.e., an ace falls).

Given your line, I check/call the river.

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

if your hand was good enough to call on the turn what has changed?

there are a lot of hands you beat in what could be a steal situation ...

also , I don't mind the suggestion of donking the flop (off and on)

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

[ QUOTE ]
if your hand was good enough to call on the turn what has changed?

[/ QUOTE ]

Given that villain is representing an overpair or a stronger jack, hero has ~7-9 outs after discounting. The turn call is primarily a drawing call.

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

you played it fine.

my personal opinion, betting the flop has advantages. alot of folks on this forum like flop c/r and it's a perfectly fine route to take. i just think they're often overused. this is actually a spot that alot of lines work well given the blind-steal-type scenario. don't fold the river getting 8ish-1 HU. you will be good often enough.

Re: 2/4 Top pair - My first post
 

I am usually one of those people. However, given this opponent and board I do like a donk/3bet attempt very much.