[Buzz]

Chancery -

Hand #1 - After the flop, all you really should want to see is the case five. If you take one off, assuming it's only one small bet, you'll catch a five on the turn 1 time out of 45. Will you get paid at least 45 small bets at the showdown (especially with low already possible)? No? Then check/fold.

Hand #2 - I don't think this is a great starting hand. It's playable, but not great. You really want to see an ace on the flop, and then you may still need the board to pair. You won't see that much. (The hand also has some other possibilities, but the best feature is clearly the pair of aces).

Then you basically miss on the flop, but pick up a three out draw for an ace high straight. (I'm not counting the J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] as one of your outs). Plus you have back-door draws to 2nd nut diamonds and a full house. But back-door draws are generally only worth approximately one out - and you're usually stuck for another bet with a loser. So call it three outs.

That's not really very good, is it?

Whatever. At any rate, you bet the flop after SB and UTG both check. I don't think that's terrible. Maybe they'll both give up.

But Sb and UTG both check/call on the flop. What could they be playing? Since it's a five/ten game, you'd think they'd know better than to draw to runner-runner lows, but that's a possibility. I'd guess it's more likely they're drawing to flushes or straights, or maybe two pairs. Hard to say for sure.

The turn is a low card.

Whatever these guys are drawing for, they'll continue after this turn.

You might win if the board pairs, or if you catch a non-spade jack (or even the J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]). The board pairing is not a certain win for you - only a possibility. (There's a reasonable chance SB or UTG made two pairs on the flop in addition to a draw for a flush or straight).

In my humble opinion, your turn bet is a tad on the too-aggressive side. Not by too much. You sort of like about a third of the cards and you have two people matching your fresh money bet. It's not a terrible bet, but I think it's over-playing your aces by a bit.

Then you miss on the river, but anybody who doesn't have at least two pairs won't pay you off if you bet, so that you wisely check the river.

[ QUOTE ]
Hand #2 Should I play this different?

[/ QUOTE ]I'd just call pre-flop and then maybe check the flop. If SB or UTG bet the flop, I'd fold. Then I'd take the free card on the turn. But I don't fault the way you played it.

[ QUOTE ]
I want to force the low callers to pay for their draw.

[/ QUOTE ]Reasonable. Anyone paying to draw for low after this flop is an idiot. You shouldn't let a low drawer have a free card.[ QUOTE ]
What are the chances I'm good at the end?

[/ QUOTE ]Poor. I think one of your opponents has a better hand than you on the river something like three times out of four. On the one time out of four you have the winner, I don't think you get paid off.

Buzz