I probably could have played almost every street differently

[Foucault]

This is a 3/6 Stars Stud High game. It hasn't been running along, but I may have a somewhat aggressive image already. I was unsure of how to proceed at nearly every decision point, so I'm going to provide my thinking on each street, and I'd really appreciate anyone telling me whether my line was reasonable and what, if anything, would have been better.

7 Card Stud High ($3/$6), Ante $0.25, Bring-In $1 (converter)

3rd Street - (0.25 SB)

Seat 4: xx xx 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___folds
Hero: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___raises___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___brings-in___raises

[b]I pretty much never 3-bet after open raising from late position, generally either calling (with a decent draw/big pair) or folding (garbage, small pairs, bad draws) depending on the situation. I'm not wild about having a 3-betting range of just overpairs, should I be doing it anyway? Or 3-betting more aggressively? It seems to me that in these low limit games my late position raises don't get reraised nearly as often as they should, so in general I don't feel the need to punish light 2-betters with a wideish 3-betting range.

4th Street - (4.25 SB)

Hero: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___checks
Seat 6: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___checks

Looking for a check-raise. Should I consider check-calling and waiting to make a move on a big bet street? I'm so aggressive that a check from me probably means weakness more often than is optimal, so I actively look for spots to check-raise. Is this a good one?

5th Street - (2.13 BB)

Hero: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___bets___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___raises

A good player could be raising here with worse hands than mine putting me on a four-flush that's making a play after his passive action on 4th. But I don't like to give low limit unknowns that kind of credit, so I decided not to bloat the pot too much and just see if I can improve.

6th Street - (6.13 BB)

Hero: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___checks___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___bets

Do I want to lead? It's got to look like I've got a flush, and even if he just folds a worse pair, I gain some equity, and maybe he folds some two pair hands that are slightly ahead of me?

River - (8.13 BB)

Hero: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___checks

I was really unsure about this check. For some reason I felt like he was either bluffing or had me beat, but I can't really justify that looking back on it. I don't expect him to value bet too many worse hands. Would bet/fold be better than check planning to call?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[TomBrooks]

I just started dabbling in stud, but I'll take a stab like it's a quiz and see what more expert opinions say later...

3rd: Cap it.

4th: Bet. If raised, 3Bet. You just caught a 2 making rolled up 2s for him less likely.

5th: Now your on the big streets and I'd rather not find out Villain has rolled up twos now. That's why I would have rather jammed 4th and if Villain capped, slow down on fifth. I can't tell where you're at now and that is making me tend to go passive here and on the following streets.

6th: same as fifth

7th: I still don't know if your two pair is good or not. Never found out from previous street action.

[TheSalche]

Perfect analysis

Once you get that flush draw on 5th you're in till the end. Fourth was an easy bet. Check/calling fifth and sixth given heavy 3rd and 4th action is the best play here. He likes his hand a lot so let him do the betting.

I wouldn't be surprised if you saw another AA or KK in the hole. Check/call 7th is a good line. If you caught trips or the flush I'd go with bet/call

[Andy B]

Presumably, you're raising third with a fairly wide range of hands. The other guy is probably assuming this, so he'll probably pop you with a lot of hands. I don't see any need to get tricky. I'd just three-bet. I'd also three-bet fifth street. Your hand is very strong, and even if he somehow happens to have a set, you can always suck out. Unless he raises me at some point, I'm betting sixth and the river. I do think that some folks take the mindless aggression thing too far in shorthanded stud, but I think that this is one hand where it's called for.

[Wahoo73]

I generally agree with the responses you have already received...cap 3rd and bet 4th, re-raising if necessary. If after all that action and you bet 5th street and still get raised, then it is definitely time to slow down.

But I'm guessing that had you played 3rd and 4th more aggressively you wouldn't have gotten that kind of action on 5th. More than likely, Villain put you on an ante steal from the start and probably had nothing more that a pocket pair.

FWIW, Villain's aggressive play looks suspiciously like a very frequent player in the PS 3/6 stud game. By chance, was this player named milaN? If so, she undoubtedly had something but I doubt it was better than your As...she is notorious for overplaying/overbetting her hands. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[dsaxton]

Reraise 3rd (although I will sometimes just call in this spot against aggressive regulars). As played on 3rd, lead 4th and 3-bet if raised. On 5th, my immediate inclination was just to call the raise, but I think Andy is right in saying that you should reraise. Your hand is too strong. I would then bet 6th and 7th.

Wahoo, I love Milan. She used to routinely reraise me with small / middle split pairs when I would raise in first position with a big card up. She has so many bizarre tendencies. If she catches a card suited with her doorcard, she will always raise representing a 4-flush no matter what she has. She will also often raise on the river with two small pair. Also, If you ever see her limp with a big card up, she has rolled-up trips 100% of the time. For some reason she thinks that she won't get action if she raises, even though she routinely raises in this spot with a wide range of weak hands (in fact, she raises every weak hand she plays in this spot). When she isn't running good, she busts faster than any other player I've seen in those games.

[Wahoo73]

[ QUOTE ]
When she isn't running good, she busts faster than any other player I've seen in those games.


[/ QUOTE ]

QFT.

I LOVE milaN too. Funny thing though is that when I first started playing against her, I was intimidated by her style. I soon learned how to exploit it by sitting to her left. Now, I even like to run over her when I'm sitting to her right. I did this last night and told her that the ONLY reason I was even playing at that table was because she was there. She didn't disappoint me as she rapidly dropped about $50 to me, busted-out and left. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[cgrohman]

[/ QUOTE ]

I did this last night and told her that the ONLY reason I was even playing at that table was because she was there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't tap on the fish-tank. It's rude and might encourage them to swim elsewhere.

[Wahoo73]

This is true advice that I follow 99.99% of the time. However, in the case of this particular player, it doesn't matter...she has been a legendary fixture at the PS 3/6 and 5/10 stud tables for several years and she is totally resolute...and she is not a fish. In sea creature terms, I guess I would liken her to an octopuss in that at first glance she can appear to be very unpredictable and can strangle the life out of her victims. However, she is truly a creature of habit and IMO there is no chance that she is going to "swim elsewhere." [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[frappeboy]

3rd: I'd just go ahead and 3 bet it. The first raise means nothing since that's pretty much automatic there, the 3 bet tells him you got something good, but unfortunately for him the pot is becoming very large already and he may be obligated just to call you down. Also, it's quite common to check behind on 4th like he did.

4th: Leading makes no sense now that you didn't 3 bet 3rd, I just check/call and try to get in 2 bets on 5th.

5th: I think you played this street fine, don't get carried away after you get raised in this spot, because he is almost sure to have atleast 2 pair or a set. If you had a weaker board I'd be less afraid here, but with such a strong board there is no chance of bluffing from your opponent.

6th: Check/call

7th: I think this is a pretty close call, and is very player dependent. The more aggressive your opponent is, the more likely I'd just lead out on the river, since he's more likely to have raise 5th with 2 pair, and is also more likely to bet trips after you check. If your opponent is more on the passive side, then check since he may be afraid to bet trips with your board, and also he was less likely to do that with two pair on 5th street.

If I knew nothing about my opponent, I lead on the river on the internet and check/call in a B&M Casino, since usually internet players are much more aggressive.