$50NL: Line check with sets

[chaz64]

I've read that sets are a big money maker in NL. I know my sample size is too small to be significant, but I'm losing money with sets and just want to check and see if there is anything I should be doing differently. Here is the latest:

Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)

SB: $48.00
BB: $114.60
UTG: $96.90
Hero (MP): $57.20
CO: $45.05
BTN: $35.00

Preflop: Hero is dealt 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (6 Players)
UTG folds, Hero calls $0.50, CO calls $0.50, BTN calls $0.50, SB folds, BB checks

Flop: ($2.25) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 Players)
BB checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $1.00</font>, CO calls $1.00, 2 folds

I didn't bet big here since I don't expect to get action unless someone has a queen.

Turn: ($4.25) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $4.00</font>, <font color="red">CO raises to $11.00</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises all-in to $55.70</font>, CO calls all-in for $32.55
Uncalled bet of $12.15 returned to Hero

Do you just call here? What if you don't fill on the river - do you give villain credit for a straight and fold? Or do you see two pair often enough here?

River: ($91.35) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players - 2 All-In)

Pot Size: $91.35 ($3 Rake)


Not a lot of hands against villain, seemed unremarkable.

Comments on all streets appreciated.

[shoxbb6]

Raise preflop, bet more on the flop, turn is fine.

[danny8]

raise pf! dont open limp. by raising pf you can take it down with a cbet when you both miss, and th epots bigger for when you hit, makin git easier to get you're whole stack in.

the flops v.v. dry but the pots tiny and you want as much money as possible in the pot. just bet $2.

Turn is standard

[calmB4storm]

Raise preflop. It helps build a pot for this exact situation.

Bet more on the flop. You're four-handed right now, and although it is a rather dry board, you're still bound to get a caller or two. Plus you give away too much information by changing your bet sizes based on the strength of your hand.

Finally, I'm definitely happy to get my stack in on this turn. With no raises preflop, villain's range is enormous here.

[chaz64]

[ QUOTE ]
Raise preflop, bet more on the flop, turn is fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you raise 22 UTG as well? I usually do not open limp but the smaller pairs don't seem strong enough to raise in early position.

[shoxbb6]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Raise preflop, bet more on the flop, turn is fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you raise 22 UTG as well? I usually do not open limp but the smaller pairs don't seem strong enough to raise in early position.

[/ QUOTE ]
I never open limp anything

[Kasane]

raise pf -- it more often gets you the hand hu, which is where you want to be whether you hit a set of if you cbet.

hit the flop harder. When in doubt, always bet more rather than less. people are just as likely to pay you off if they had a Q (sometimes more likely). You don't need to "suck 'em in" with a small bet. It just as often tells them exactly what you have too (do you bet more when you have a vulnerable hand?) The little bet makes it almost profitable for the person with a good read on you to call in position with as little as a gutshot.

turn is fine.

[Nick C]

I think mostly you got unlucky in this hand (well, assuming that you lost).

Preflop, raising is an option, but I don't have a big problem with the open-limp, and since that's an unpopular opinion here, I'll explain it: (1) I don't really care that much if someone raises behind me and isolates when I've got a PP, and (2) I'd rather be HU versus an isolation raise than be HU versus a 3-bet (in fact, if the 3-bet was big enough and/or came from a medium stack rather than a short stack or a deep stack, I wouldn't even call it).

Nevertheless, I do tend to open-raise instead of calling with low PPs. In practice, it gives you postflop folding equity instead of handing it to your opponents, and it also builds a pot if you flop your set. But I like calling better than folding.

Er, anyway, on the flop I would bet bigger and hope that queen is out there. You probably aren't getting action unless that queen (or 54) is out there anyway.

The turn bet is fine, of course, but getting raised here really does suck. I mean, what the hell can CO have that we beat? A slowplayed AQ, I guess, and a hand like As3s that just picked up a huge draw is also possible, but straights and bigger sets are a big concern here on a board like this one.

Pushing does protect your hand (maybe AQ will fold its gutshot, although you'd prefer a call), but I think I'd just call and hope CO will bet smallish on the river out of fear a bigger bet won't get paid.

I think one way to look at it is this: Once you push, are you cheering for a call? I think the answer is no, and although that's not really the only consideration, I do think it suggests that calling is best.

[jessyj07]

[ QUOTE ]
Preflop, raising is an option, but I don't have a big problem with the open-limp, and since that's an unpopular opinion here, I'll explain it: (1) I don't really care that much if someone raises behind me and isolates when I've got a PP, and (2) I'd rather be HU versus an isolation raise than be HU versus a 3-bet (in fact, if the 3-bet was big enough and/or came from a medium stack rather than a short stack or a deep stack, I wouldn't even call it).

[/ QUOTE ]This is a problem. You're not going to make alot if you limp/call if somebody's just isolating you. If somebody 3-bets you too much you can just dump your hand. Alot of donks do not raise enough to where you don't have implied odds to call a 3-bet. Alot of them minreraise with their big hands. I use to open limp them at the $25 for a while but I think the cons outweigh the pros for open limping pocket pairs.

[Nick C]

Since I see I'm the only one so far who likes just calling CO's turn raise, I guess I should explain that, while I'm usually hoping to get all-in with a set, on this particular board I'm not ecstatic about facing a turn ambush-raise. A4 just immediately springs to mind, and two-pair hands don't seem very likely. Also, Villain probably has Hero on a Q, so I'm not really expecting him to make a play with a pair plus draw, although of course such a play can't be ruled out.

Anyway, though, pushing versus a pair plus draw is probably a good idea, since Villain may call with it and we most likely won't win that much more versus that hand anyway. If Qx also calls, then, hell, pushing is great.

Meanwhile, if Villain is going to push the river if he has us beat anyway, then much of the point of just calling goes away, but I think he'll often bet smaller than that.