Playing the blockers

DonCologne · #1 04-02-2007, 01:14 PM

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
Hero: $84.20
UTG+1: $79.45
CO: $58.75
Button: $53.55
SB: $53.45
BB: $11.05

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is UTG with 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Hero calls, UTG+1 folds, CO calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB checks.

Flop: T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($2, 4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $1.5, CO raises to $6.5, 2 folds, Hero calls.

Turn: 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($15, 2 players)
Hero bets $10, CO calls.

River: 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($35, 2 players)
Hero bets $10, CO calls.

Results:
Final pot: $55

Here my thoughts to the hand. After checking to me I decide to bet out my draw + TP on the flop. The 99 in my hand makes it more unlikely that some guy can make a straight with a 7 or 8, and if a 7 or 8 comes it gives me a great chance to represent the straight. That is why I call the reraise from CO, normaly a passive player and here I am be sure he holds a set or top 2 pair. So I have the 8 outs for the nut flush draw and every 7, 8, 9, Queen or King gives me a good chance to get the pot by beting out. So I have here 21 cards I can win the pot. As I said he is not the guy beting out here with a good draw.

Ok at the turn a good card comes for me. I have now two possiblities: bet out and represent the straight or check and raise him.

I decide to make a bet he can calls, even if he thinks I have the made straight here. And if I missread his holding it spents me some money, because with a straight it is sure he raises here the pot.

The check raise would be also a fine play (against a agrresive player I would do so I think) but in the case I missread him, it would cost me some more money and if he checks behind, maybe he calls the river potsize bet, even if the board does not pairs.

At the river bingo! I am now very certain I have the srongest hand. How much would you bet here?

Ribbo · #2 04-05-2007, 11:04 AM

He wont call a pot bet on the river unless he has a jack high straight. You got as much out of it as I would expect.

DonCologne · #3 04-05-2007, 12:37 PM

What do you think ribbo: Is it a failure to bet low here with a made hand and to bet higher if I do not improve to the straight at the river. Maybe I will get in this spot 10$ less, if I bet here say we 20-25$, but otherwise maybe a river bluff is more successfull next times.

Should I better bet everytime the same amount against unknow at the river (say we 1/2 - 2/3 potsize), regardless I play a bluff or a made hand?

Or have the people at this level normally not the skill to make adjustments to the beting sizes I choose at the river?

Ribbo · #4 04-05-2007, 01:14 PM

You represented the 89 on the turn, so on the river you can't really bet big since you now actually do have it.
Make a bet that will get him to call, even though he probably knows you have it, he feels you will bluff here enough to justify the call.
The problem with betting big is that he folds every hand you beat, probably still calls with a jack high straight since he figures you for that, and he raises with the nut straight, which really puts you in trouble.
Of course if he is really smart here with your river bet, if he also holds a jack high straight he may raise the pot, knowing that your bet looks like you had it on the turn and haven't improved. If you had improved you would surely bet the pot again.
Be happy with $10