Trips feel like A high in NL

[Absolution]

Here is a hand from memory that I've been thinking about. This was at micro NL (0.02/0.04) because I'm still trying to get used to the mechanics of NL. I realize at these stakes it's basically play money, but I'm more interested in the theory:

So I have Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] in MP 6 handed.

UTG limps
MP limps (aggressive player, but no showdowns yet)
I limp in the CO
Both blinds call.

The flop is TT2 rainbow.

UTG checks
MP bets about pot
I repot it
both blinds fold
UTG folds
MP shoves for a massive overbet.

I feel lost here because my hand seems fairly face up and he doesn't care. At these levels I it's probably an easy call, but let's pretend you're playing at tougher stakes. Is this always a call?

[djshawk]

This is a tricky one but I'd probably call, you've already invested a fair amount by this point and there are still hands you beat. If he has trips you're behind to AT and KT but ahead of JT and 9T which are all equally likely, the latter two maybe more likely because he may raise AT preflop.

If he has 22 then you are obv behind but it's far from curtains and you've got 3 queen outs and then outs for pairing whatever comes on the turn.

If he's aggressive then he may also be limping a bigger pair to make sure he gets some people to the flop, especially at these limits I'd say limping AA/KK is at least not uncommon.

Preflop I think you need to decide whether to raise or fold the hand, once there are 3 limpers in the pot it's so massively likely that one of the remaining players will raise and you can't call a raise with your holding.

[gregorio]

Agree with djshawk about PF. Maybe if you are getting in cheap from SB you can limp this, but from CO I think it is a fold. Also, AA/KK is possible from agro player limping PF and overbet could mean he is pissed off he limped with AA and now someone who got to see flop cheap has him beat.

Stack sizes are important here, and you can't make a decision without that info

5BB to the flop. 5BB psb, you repot to 20BB, so now there are 30BB in pot. He shoves, but how much is it for you to call? YOu have 21BB invested so it's not horrible to fold if you both had full stacks. If you both started with 150BB+ stacks, then I fold for sure.

I think you are often ahead, but it is hard to know without knowing how villain plays. I can't see many peolpe at this limit potting this flop with the nuts--they would try to build the pot. And once you raise, someone trying to get value would CRAI on the turn, or 3-bet a size thye think you could call. 22, T2 (do people limp that at .02/.04) and AT don't want you to fold to a huge overbet, they want value. Huge overbet (assuming 100BB stacks) just smells real bad here. At tougher stakes, I don't imagine people would often make a donkish play like villain did here.

[Absolution]

I think overbets at these levels mean a big hand more often than not. We were full stacked here though so it was a big call. I ended up folding because the Q was just a little too weak for me. I should probably be making these calls though at these lower levels since it's likely close and I would like to see showdowns to get a feel for NL betting patterns.

[sweetjazz]

I'm not really sure why you raised the flop. The two potential reasons that come to mind is that you think you will get paid off by a wide range of worse hands (I don't see that here) or that it's balancing an aggressive stealing image so you're hoping to get played back by air or called down light (again not what's happening here).

Since he bet the pot on the flop, why not just call? Yes, anything other than folding should alert your opponent that you have something, but with a call he might figure you have something weaker like 55 or A2 and keep firing. Especially because he seems very aggressive, I like underplaying your hand.

[BatsShadow]

At these stakes, this is an easy call. Any pocket pair will play this way. - Unless you have a read that this is a good player. I almost always have a read that they are a bad player.

I cannot talk about higher levels, because I've only played 1 level higher [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]