Now I know why god hates short stacks.....
 

Villain here is 43/6/1 over 100 hands.

Would like some feedback on my line versus this short stack and what I should do on the river.

Full Tilt Poker, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

SB: $48
BB: $61.50
UTG: $22.60
MP: $50
CO: $53.30
Hero (BTN): $166.75

Pre-Flop: T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (BTN)
UTG calls $0.50, MP calls $0.50, CO folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $2.75</font>, 2 folds, UTG calls $2.25, MP folds

Flop: ($6.75) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
UTG checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $5</font>, UTG calls $5

Turn: ($16.75) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: ($16.75) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">UTG bets $14.85 and is All-In</font>, Hero?[/i]

I raised preflop, I c-bet, I checked behind with middle pair on the turn, and the river card was the pure embodyment of evil. It made my two pair, but also completed the flush draw and the straight draw. Shorty then pushes all in giving me one more reason to kick the dog.

Now that Fido has a limp, what would you do here? Was I wrong to check behind on the turn, even though stack sizes would have dictated an all-in move there with second pair.

Feedback is appreciated.

Re: Now I know why god hates short stacks.....
 

Preflop is a bit on the frisky side, but can be OK depending on table conditions. Given two callers a raise with ATo seems unreasonable. If I REALLY want to get involved I might raise, but only if I know that I'm going to isolate against a donk who will either frequently fold to a c-bet or who will pay me off like a slot machine when I hit any pair.

The flop is awkward: you've got middle pair and no chance to improve and villain is short-stacked compared to the pot. The flush draw is annoying, but the K on the board gives you extra folding equity. I'd probably make a standard c-bet here (though my standard c-bet would be more like $4.50 -- stylistic differences, not a big deal). When he calls my c-bet I swear at the monitor, because that's not what I wanted to see.

When the turn bricks I either push or check depending on my table image. If I'm looking like a cold-blooded donk-killing nut-flopper, I'm pushing this turn and hoping he calls with his draw or folds to my "obvious" king. If I've been struggling and stealing unsuccessfully, I probably check behind with the intention of giving up on the river.

As played, the river is a VERY reluctant fold for me. That push is either a naked ace that got extremely lucky or it's a flush or straight that wants value. If villain's aggression were any higher than it is I'd call this a "reluctant call," but this guy is passive. Against an aggressive opponent you'd have to call in case your turn bet induced a bluff; against this passive dude you're allowed to trust him and dump the hand. This is doubly true given that the flush AND the straight made it on the river -- when BOTH of the obvious draws come on the river and a passive opponent wakes up and open-pushes, you can assume your two pair are garbage.

Again, swearing is allowed while you fold, because this is a heartbreaker.

Re: Now I know why god hates short stacks.....
 

wot pokey said...have had 3 two pair hands turn to [censored] over last two days in similar circs...

Re: Now I know why god hates short stacks.....
 

I push the turn here. The amount of times he has a draw, a worse 10, some random pp definately beats the amount of times he has a K.

Crappy spot, but on a board like this, against this kind of shortstack, Im shoving.

Re: Now I know why god hates short stacks.....
 

Is it awful to bet that turn for ~8$, then check behind river? Because thats how I have been paying hands like this.

Re: Now I know why god hates short stacks.....
 

[ QUOTE ]
Is it awful to bet that turn for ~8$, then check behind river? Because thats how I have been playing hands like this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, in situations where villain's range includes a lot of draws, 'floats' with PPs, weaker MPs, and also hands that beat me I'd rather bet turn.