Commerce 1/2 hand from LAPC time

[Ryno]

This hand was vs. a Finnish player whom I had seen once before but had no reads on other than being TAG.

Folded to my button, I raise A9o, "Timo" 3bets, BB folds, I call.

Flop is J94, 1 spade, I check-call.

Turn is the 9 of spades, I check-raise, Timo 3-bets, I call.

River is a low non-pairing non-spade blank and I check. He bets and I raise.

As far as live reads go, I gave some mojo that I did not like the turn 3 bet so he was betting the river almost 100% of the time IMO. I felt like my turn act could make him think my river c-raise was a bluff. Who knows, you never know how people are perceiving you but that was my instinct.

I didn't check-raise that flop because there was very little chance he wouldn't see the turn card, plus he can 3bet a lot of hands that I am beating and set me up to make a bad fold, so I wanted to see it before deciding how to play my hand. Comments on this decision as well would be appreciated.

[goofball]

Preflop you were in position and postflop you were OOP.

[stinkypete]

[ QUOTE ]
Preflop you were in position and postflop you were OOP.

[/ QUOTE ]

finnish players are so good they're always in position

[goofball]

Assuming you were CO and he was button I think you should just keep the gas down on the turn. Hard to imagine him being able to fold a hand he's taken this far and you basically lose to JJ and 44. The problem with the pained and hesitating call on the turn is at least I interpret that as someone who wants to raise again and decide my hand is no good by the time it's my turn on the river.

As far as the flop goes I think it's fine given your player description although I think you should checkraise sometimes. The good thing about checkcalling is it keeps him off balance and makes it impossible for him to put you squarely on a draw/peel. The bad things are you're setting yourself up to c/c 3 times (which isn't usually best) or to make a sporty turn checkraise with second pair. Another bad thing is if you spike an A it could easily convince him to check behind on the turn.

[J.A.Sucker]

I am supposing you are the cutoff and he's the button.

On the flop you could have check-raised and played the pot out, or you could do what you did. Either is good. Having the overcard kicker, I would like to play the big pot right away with a somewhat coordinated board where you will get action from lots of worse hands. Folding later in teh hand would NEVER enter my mind, BTW. You should want to build up some decent pots in these spots on occasion.

I would 4-bet the turn against an aggro Scandanavian. There's a ton of draws and the spade semibluff is a decent thing for him to have. Lead the river.

I couldn't find that check-raise on the end, because I'd be scared of him checking behind unimproved too often. Glad you got it in, though.

[Ryno]

Oops sorry CO vs. Button.

[Ryno]

LOL

[Ryno]

"The problem with the pained and hesitating call on the turn"

It wasn't really like that, more like a smiling hand caught in the cookie jar look, that someone who can beat a J might think means I have a J, whereas someone with a draw might think I am drawing too. I really wanted that river bet.

My thinking was that if he has a draw and will fire the river on a miss, I am freerolling vs. 4-betting the turn. If he has a made hand better than a Jack, he might check behind the river, but he also might fold right there to a turn 4-bet. If he has a bigger hand than me and I'm not folding I lose the same with my line as 4-betting the turn.

I think he has to pay off my river check-raise with anything because my line is weird and could be a missed draw whatever % of the time it needs to be for him to have the right odds.

Your other comment about having to check-call 3 times with middle pair, yeah I probably would have gotten locked into that. I'll have to consider that next time although it is certainly a club in my bag to check-call someone down.

[Lestat]

I think you played it masterfully!

I also like your thinking on the flop. There are a lot of turn cards you'll probably have to give up on if he 3-bets the flop. I really think you played (and thought through), this whole hand very well.

[spino1i]

What about 4-betting the turn? Good or bad? I think it has some merit as you punish him for possibly semi-bluffing and possibly get more value out of a weaker 9. On the other hand, you lose more money against full houses.

As played, I like a raise on the river. I feel he makes this bet with any 9, and you are ahead of more hands than you are behind here.