Taking the Initiative - 3/6 full ring

[Bluffoon]

PS 3/6 10 handed.

This is my third hand at the table and I have never played with either opponent before. I am on the button with Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

Preflop. UTG calls, folded to to me, I raise, BB calls.

Raising an UTG limp from LP with just about anything playable is pretty standard for me.


Flop. (6 SB) 4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)

UTG Bets, I raise, BB folds.

My first instinct was to fold here but I thought I just might have enough folding equity if I kept my foot on the gas and a free card might come in handy if I improve my draws on the turn.


Turn. (5 BB) A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)

UTG Checks, I bet.....

By the turn I have him on a medium/small PP so I bluff the scare card not intending to put any more money into the hand.

Likey? No likey?

I thought the flop was the most questionable part of the hand but this donkey welcomes comments on all streets.

[KurtSF]

I like it.

Don't put any more money into that pot.

[HoneyBadger]

Looks good. Preflop raise is ok. Flop raise is a must if you don't fold. You don't have outs to draw to, so a free card is pretty useless. Desperation bluff, last option. 5:1, decent chance of succeeding. I wouldn't do this all the time though, just occasionally.

[Bluffoon]

If a ten, eight, king or any club falls on the turn I would be glad to see the river for free.

[HoneyBadger]

I meant with what hit on the turn, that ace. In case it had given you some draw I'd check behind as well. (unless it's a low club, or a straightflush draw... I'd probably bet, even getting check raised is not really bad then)

[JojoDiego]

I may be off base, but I don't like it.

Preflop, with no reads on the one limper (who happens to be UTG), I'm limping this all the time. Post flop, you are surely behind and your draws stink, so this is a mostly-bluff. That Ace on the turn is a scare card for you, not for them--it doesn't make much sense that you'd have an Ace here.

I think you can find better spots to bluff/make plays. If they thought you were a rock, it'd be better, but you're an unknown to them, too.

[HoneyBadger]

[ QUOTE ]
--it doesn't make much sense that you'd have an Ace here.

[/ QUOTE ]
That really makes me wonder how you'd play AK in this hand then?

[poker1O1]

[ QUOTE ]
Looks good. Preflop raise is ok. Flop raise is a must if you don't fold. You don't have outs to draw to

[/ QUOTE ]
What? Never fold this flop, because you do have correct odds to draw. I would opt for calling over raising, as you are much more likely to rep an A or K on the turn.

[Bluffoon]

[ QUOTE ]
I may be off base, but I don't like it.

Preflop, with no reads on the one limper (who happens to be UTG), I'm limping this all the time. Post flop, you are surely behind and your draws stink, so this is a mostly-bluff. That Ace on the turn is a scare card for you, not for them--it doesn't make much sense that you'd have an Ace here.

I think you can find better spots to bluff/make plays. If they thought you were a rock, it'd be better, but you're an unknown to them, too.

[/ QUOTE ]

UTG almost surely doesn't have an Ace. When the Ace falls, if he has a pocket pair like I think he does, he just lost his last reason to call me down.

[JojoDiego]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
--it doesn't make much sense that you'd have an Ace here.

[/ QUOTE ]
That really makes me wonder how you'd play AK in this hand then?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I'd probably play some A-Broadways this way, some of the time. But I meant our average unknown opponents at 3/6 probably won't recognize this. Aren't 3/6 unknowns more likely to think our flop raise meant we had a made hand already, which the turned Ace didn't help? If so, our fold equity has decreased, and the odds we'll get check-raised have increased. We're unknown to them, too; they don't know we're aggressive yet.