I have a few problems with premium hands that become top pairs or overpairs. I have no idea how to reconcile keeping the pot small while still value betting.
Hands like this confuse me...
Poker Stars, $0.01/$0.02 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com -
Hand History Converter
UTG: $1.57
UTG+1: $5.07
MP1: $0.74
MP2: $5.06
Hero (CO): $1.24
BTN: $3.29
SB: $4.94
BB: $5.18
Pre-Flop: A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (CO)
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.02, MP2 folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $0.04</font>, BTN calls $0.04, 2 folds, MP1 calls $0.02
Flop: ($0.15) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 Players)
MP1 checks, Hero checks, <font color="red">BTN bets $0.10</font>, MP1 calls $0.10, Hero calls $0.10
Turn: ($0.45) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 Players)
<font color="red">MP1 bets $0.10</font>, Hero calls $0.10, BTN folds
River: ($0.65) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">MP1 bets $0.50 and is All-In</font>, Hero calls $0.50
Preflop: I think I screwed up with the min-raise here. MP1 is a good player (didn't have the read at the time, but subsequent play confirmed this). I guess I'm gunshy from constantly stealing the blinds at 2NL with anything larger than a 3BB raise. I have no read on BTN.
Flop: This is the part that kills me. SPR is good: ~4 against EP opener, ~8 against button. I think I should have bet 2/3-1x the pot.
However, it feels like an SPR of 4 is still a really tough spot to be in. If I make a pot-sized bet and get called, aren't I way behind on the rest of the money going in?
I know that PNL talks about the issue of SPR = 13 with top pairs. I just have a hard time even making the bet at the committment threshold (SPR = 4), knowing full well that getting called will result in a difficult all-in decision on the turn.
Turn & River: Complete donkey play, I know.
I guess my question is this: I feel like SPR 4 is almost as difficult as SPR 13 in a lot of cases because pulling the trigger on the flop commits you for the rest of the hand. If I bet the aces here and get called, anything that falls on the turn is going to give me heartburn. Am I a wimp? How do you guys get over the SPR 4 situations?