25NL: How can I limit my losses here

[PJo336]

No real reads. Standard player, smart enough to value bet and make lay downs.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Hold'em Cash Game
$0.10/$0.25 Blinds
4 Players
LegoPoker HH Converter

SB: $34.25
<font color="black">Hero (BB): $22.35</font>
UTG: $40.40
<font color="black">BTN: $30.50</font>

<font color="black">Preflop:</font> Hero is dealt Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 Players)
UTG folds, <font color="red">BTN raises to $0.85</font>, SB folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $1.45</font>, BTN calls $0.60

<font color="black">Flop:</font> ($3) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $1.75</font>, BTN calls $1.75

<font color="black">Turn:</font> ($6.50) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $3.75</font>, BTN calls $3.75

<font color="black">River:</font> ($14) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">BTN bets $5</font>, Hero folds
Uncalled bet of $5 returned to BTN

Pot Size: $14 ($0.70 Rake)

I feel like I could have lost less on this hand. Would there have been anything wrong with just calling preflop? This is the kind of situation where I dont wanna build a pot OOP.

[CobraGoat]

c/f turn? pot control&gt;&gt;&gt;protection.

[artard]

don't bet out the turn

[.KeviN.]

No, preflop is actually the only street i really love on this hand. Betting the flop is good, but I would have made it around $2.25 instead of half the pot. So thats basic. Now what Id do on the turn is really read specific. I hate betting and I hate checking. Without reads I might just check. The avg micro player with a flush draw will prob either check behind or put out a real weak bet. Ill prob just fold to a strong bet and call a weak 1 then reevaluate on the riv. As played, river folds fine and you probably lost less on this hand than you could have.

[doppelganger]

If you're going to 3 bet PF you have to pot the flop when that A shows up, otherwise it looks exactly like what you have, a big pocket pair that missed. You could also smooth call PF and then c/r the flop. In either case, once villain shows he's happy w/ the ace I think I'm done w/ the hand unless I improve.

[PJo336]

With my 3 bet preflop, should I have made it bigger? Min bets are kinda lame, and maybe I could have pushed him off a few more hands if i didnt min it. Thoughts?

[PJo336]

And about the turn, I didnt wanna check in case he had a flush draw, but I didnt wanna bet in case he had an ace. I had no idea what was the best play

[LOwrestling2001]

that PF 3b is terrible. make it 2.5-3 to go (a lil more than a PSR). in a RR pot, a bit over half pot bet should be able to take it down, but because u 3b so small preflop this flop bet looks really weak. So, as played, 2/3 on the flop, if called, check turn and you are done with the hand.

[BishopsFinger]

1 - im putting more in preflop - we all know qq is uber vulnerable and .60 into 2.40 isnt even folding out the rag aces that qq is way ahead of atm = RAISE MORE PF

2 - flop cbet should be standard here, id bet more but if your standard cbet size is a little over 1/2pot then fair enough. = id still bet more on the flop (3/4 ish)

in my opinion if you do that then youve made your decision making much easier and if he calls the flop bet then youre pretty much done with the hand. for an initial investment (pf and flop) youve saved yourself a nasty turn decision and the money you invested here on turn, gained a load of fe and just generally played the hand better. (to answer the op qu.)

[doppelganger]

Yeah, I think that PF raise needs to be for $2 - $2.50 or so.

Making your plays more straightforward, especially when OOP will force your opponents to let you know where you stand earlier. If you raise bigger PF and then make a decent CB on the flop, you know exactly what villain has based on how he reacts to the flop bet. That makes the whole hand easier to play, and really doesn't cost more than the way you played it.