Who will I play this hand against?

[RoundTower]

How did I play this hand? $1-$2 on a small European site, can't get the hand history. 5 handed.

I have A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. 1 fold and I make it 7 one off the button, everyone calls. I have been doing this with at least 20% of hands and they probably think I am a bit nuts, but I am doing well in the game.

Flop 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

The first two players check to me. One is kind of donky, one is aggressive/tricky. The first has $350, second has $400. I have a huge stack and cover everybody. They probably expect me to bet a lot of the time here. I check. Button bets $26. He has $20 behind. No real reads on him. The big stacks fold. I checkraise all in.

[abscr]

I expect you to be behind here 95% of the time here.

Are you hoping he will fold and/or trying to show you are a maniac to keep your image up for somewhat cheap; with the added advantage that if you spike a set or hit a 3 for a better two pair, people with larger stacks will be calling your raises with very marginal holdings?

[Chimichonga]

I'm sure this guy is autocalling with just 20 behind.

As far as the hand goes, I think it is OK. You are ahead of most draws, many of which such a short stack would go crazy with on the flop. Anything short of a set and you have loads of equity. Given that he is so short and you will have no idea of what makes his hand, setting him in isn't a big deal.

I think this move may also have metagame advantages. The play may enhance your gambling image, making the deeper stacks more likely to play back at you with weak values when in reality you would be unlikely to make such a move against a deeper opponent.

Its not something that I would want to be doing all the time, but certainly useful in the right situations.

In the end, its like 25bb right? Whatever...

[cmyr]

I only like this as a metagame play... if that's the motive I think it's fine. If you're just gambling because you're running well then i'm not so convinced.

[greatwhite]

I don't like the play. What's the pot at now $52? If so you're getting 72:46 or a little better than 3:2. If they have a draw its probablly a coinflip and if they have a hand you are probablly drawing to 2 outs.

[RoundTower]

I wasn't thinking about metagame factors. I rarely do.

I checked the flop because there are a lot of draws and I will be played with a lot here. OK, I will probably get action from plenty of hands I am beating, but I really didn't feel like playing a huge pot with AA here.

Once the two other players got out of the way I wished I had bet, of course. But just like before I expect to be ahead a lot of the time here, no idea what the button's range is but it must be huge. I didn't think I was taking a huge gamble here.

No one else would think like this?

Results: he had some kind of crappy combo draw: a non nut gutshot, a 6 high flush draw, and I think no pair, so it was probably a coinflip, worse if he had a pair.

[Chimichonga]

[ QUOTE ]
I expect to be ahead a lot of the time here, no idea what the button's range is but it must be huge. I didn't think I was taking a huge gamble here.

No one else would think like this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't this the same thing that I said in paragraph 2 of my response?

[RoundTower]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I expect to be ahead a lot of the time here, no idea what the button's range is but it must be huge. I didn't think I was taking a huge gamble here.

No one else would think like this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't this the same thing that I said in paragraph 2 of my response?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I must have meant no one else but you and I.

[RickyG]

This seems extraordinarily standard. There is no way I am folding to the guy with $50 in this situation ever.

Edit: If any of the other stacks had called then I would probably fold, but since that's not the case and you are up only against the small stack.

[liquid]

Agreed, the keys here for me are (a) the departure of the big stacks, (b) the bettor's vertically challenged stack, and above all (c) the draw-heavy texture of the flop.