No fear! (Joker gets aggressive)

[private joker]

I came out of my wimpy weak-tight shell in this hand and might be accused of overplaying it.

Great Commerce 20/40 game. I'm in MP2 with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Hijack and CO are both horrible, horrible players. CO is the worst, but HJ has shown some erratic, bad tendencies, mostly peeling anything and everything on the flop, then never ever folding rivers even when he's obviously beat.

Both of these guys have just gotten back from a smoke break and posted their blind+dead blinds, so there's 3SBs in dead money already in the pot, plus the SB and BB. The SB is the only other good player at the table, 2+2er onegymrat.

There's an EP limp, and MP1 to my right raises. He's shown some good aggression so far but is losing. He has no problem 3-betting AQ preflop and also has no problem getting super passive on big streets.

So doing some quick math, I decide to cold-call since we'll be 6-ways to the flop. Hijack and CO both call, onegymrat folds, but the BB folds too. The limper calls and we're actually 5 to the flop for 12.5 SBs.

The flop comes out Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. Checked to MP1 who bets, I call, HJ raises, CO folds, limper folds, MP1 calls. I 3-bet. HJ and MP1 both call.

Turn is the 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Check, I bet, and now HJ tanks. At least 10 seconds and seems genuinely troubled -- not an act. He's a confused, sloppy middle-aged Asian gambooler and not the type to try and psych people out with reverse tells. He's also lost several pots to me. After tanking he raises. MP1 turbomucks, and I 3-bet. Now HJ tanks again and starts cursing himself in Chinese and finally puts 8 more chips in the pot.

The river is the Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I bet!!!

[thirddan]

you only beat worse flushes, so i think it comes down to what his tank on the turn was about, was it because he was how thinking his five is no good? or his flush is no good?...but you need to fold to a raise...i also think that you will never fold a 5 so you are only bettin for value against worse flushes...

[that_pope]

I am not quite sure what you put him on, but from the way the hand played out, he either has a 5 or a lower flush. A lower flush will probably muck, so betting has no value, and a 5 will just be confused to no end.

He will think he was beat by the flush on the turn, but what the heck are you doing betting the river on a double paired board. A confused 5 here can't fold, and won't fold. Don't know what your reasoning behind this river bet was, but I would love to hear it.

[thirddan]

that pope,

i think you are wrong that a lower flush will muck here...i think that from his description he will bust out a commerce shuffle/shuffle/show his neighbor/shuffle/shuffle/muck/yell at the dealer in korean move...

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
I am not quite sure what you put him on, but from the way the hand played out, he either has a 5 or a lower flush. A lower flush will probably muck, so betting has no value, and a 5 will just be confused to no end.

He will think he was beat by the flush on the turn, but what the heck are you doing betting the river on a double paired board. A confused 5 here can't fold, and won't fold. Don't know what your reasoning behind this river bet was, but I would love to hear it.

[/ QUOTE ]

You pretty much said it -- he either has a 5 or a lower flush. A 5 won't raise me because a Q beats him (and this guy doesn't read hands, for all he knows I could have Q9 or something), and a lower flush will call me. I don't know if you read my long-winded read, but this guy never ever folds rivers once he gets there.

But if I check, he'll never bet a lower flush, but he'll probably bet a 5.

[that_pope]

Yeah, I overlooked the never folding river part. My apologies...

[PokerBob]

PJ,

I really don't like your flop pump. With the board being paired, your equity just isn't big enough to do this.

[Ryno]

It really looks like he has a 5, like he was *planning* to raise the turn except the hand he put you on just got there, but he doesn't have the stopping power to adjust his line. If you've been beating him, there is a decent chance he checks behind the river with a 5. If he has a lesser flush and raised the flop with a flush draw, it seems like he'd be too gambooler-happy to put you on a hand until you 3bet the turn.

[jfk]

I would not bet the river as the pot is too big to fold and you can't be certain he won't raise you. He doesn't have a smaller flush very often here. I do like how you played the other streets, especially the flop.

[Nate.]

Joker --

Very nice hand.

--Nate