Three hands from my $1/2 home game...

[Daniel Magix]

Alrighty, this is from my home game - $1/2 LHE, so hands are from recollection only. We are 7-handed for most of the night. I have been playing with all these guys for almost 3 years now.


Hand #1
Villian is a pretty solid player, who is intelligent. He will take shots, raising with minimal hands, if he thinks you are bluffing or weak. In other words, he tries to play beyond his own cards, especially if you are HU with him.

Preflop: Hero is BUTTON with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
4 folds folds, Hero raises, SB folds, BB calls

Flop: (4.5 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Hero bets, BB raises, Hero 3bets, BB calls

Turn: (5.25 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Hero bets, BB raises, Hero ?

Thoughts: My question is whether to just call the raise here on the turn, with the nuts and a relatively non-drawy board - or jack it up. I know aggression is almost always preached when I ask for advice here, so the answer is probably to 3bet, right? There is a reason I am asking this question, but it's results oriented, and I know that ain't a good way to review hands.


Hand #2:
Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
1 fold, 5 calls, Hero checks

Flop: (6 SB) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
SB bets, Hero raises, UTG2 calls, MP calls, BUTTON calls, SB calls

Turn: (6.5 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Hero bets, UTG1 calls, MP raises, BUTTON 3bets, SB folds, UTG1 folds, Hero calls

River: (16.5 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Hero checks, MP checks, BUTTON bets, Hero ?

Thoughts: Yeah fine, I made my two pair, but am I ahead of anything here? Is this an easy fold? My pot odds were good, but does that even matter here? The 3betting Villian is an average player, sometimes overplaying hands, based on obvious board danger. Oh, and the answer to the first question people will probably have for me on this one, is: "I have no idea why I didn't raise PF - maybe cause I am a nit and I suck in general"


Hand #3:
Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Hero raises, 2 folds, BUTTON calls, SB calls, BB calls

Flop: (8 SB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Hero bets, 2 folds, BB raises, Hero calls

Turn: (5 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Hero checks, BB bets, Hero calls

River: (7 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Hero checks, BB bets, Hero ?

Thoughts: Pot is not huge at all, easy fold? Villian is my brother, who is a good player. He will always raise TP on a flop, especially if he thinks I whiffed with something like AQ (oh wait, I don't raise AQ PF, so nevermind that). He also knows I am tight, and he knows I give him credit quite often, for real hands. I got it in my head that he may have flopped two pair with K9, and I believe that if the board pairs or if I nail an Ace, I may have the hand. So, with this thought in mind, I get what I think I wanted, the board pairing on the river. But still, is this an easy fold?


Overall: I KNOW I make a lot of mistakes still, and some are even more obvious to myself now, upon writing out these hands. I know I will catch some insults and berating for some of my silly nittiness or bad plays in general, but I will take them like a man, and try to improve my play.

So all comments are welcome, thanks...

[Bona]

IMO hand 1 is a clear raise on the turn. Since a bet here, which he will at least call, is worth as much as a bet later, that he may not call, there is no other play than to raise the turn.

Hand 2- Yeah raise it preflop. The idea being that the times you hit this hand the pot will be bigger, villains will chase it longer and you will win a big pot. On the river, with your read, I have to call in a pot this size. IMO you will be good more than 1 in 17 and it looks like MP missed his draw and won't be raising.

Hand 3- I maight have 3 bet the flop which would have changed the action I think. As played I call the river.

FWIW- Playing in a home game with the same players week after week I think it is worth the effort to deliberatly build a new table image. We need to make them guess so mix up your play by semi bluff betting and raising decent draws often enough that they will back off from trying to bet you off good hands. Especially reraise often enough so they think about it a little before they auto raise against you. HEPFAP discusses this concept way better than I can so if my comments confuse you read or reread that book.

[CrMenace]

Hand 1: Yes, no brainer, jack it.

May get to the others later.

[Fluffy_Shark]

Hand 1 is an easy 3bet on the turn with the nuts and 2 FDs out there. I wouldnt call that board non-drawy but even if it was its an easy 3bet.

Folding top 2 in hand 2 getting 17:1 is awful! and so is checking AQs after 5 limpers but you know that [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Hand 3: The flop is very drawheavy so I opt for 3betting the flop. as played you have severely underrepresented your hand so you have to call the river at least.

-Fluffy_Shark

[Daniel Magix]

Thanks for the comments so far. I have to post the results in white, to Hand #1, because I want to explain something...

Hand #1 Results:
<font color="white"> OK, so I DO 3bet that Turn, truly thinking that he will at LEAST call. I 3bet, and he folds! Upon review, I guess he had something like KQ, raised the flop because he knows he could be ahead of a lot of my Button-raising hands. Then when I 3bet the flop, he gets a tad cautious, but calls. On the Turn, he raises my leadout to see where he is, realizes that a 3bet on that Turn means his KQ is no good, and he gives up the pot. So, if I thought about that secenario, I wonder if I should have acted a bit scared of the Ace, hoping that it gave him more confidence that his K is good. Or is all of this thinking too results-oriented? </font>

[DBSpecial]

Grunch:

#1 - I 3bet the turn. Seems pretty standard to me.

#2 - I don't think checking is terrible PF. If you miss you can lay it down without losing anything and if you hit the flop you can almost certainly c/r (though SB kindly bet for you) Three people cold-calling on the flop is worrying, especially when the Button comes alive on the turn. I'd guess either a flopped set or a turned straight with KJ. Either way I think we're beat but make a crying call on the end.

#3 - I 3bet the flop (why not?) and only worry if he caps it. Turn changes nothing. T on the end may be good if your read is right, I think we win often enough to make it worth calling though.

[Daniel Magix]

[ QUOTE ]
Folding top 2 in hand 2 getting 17:1 is awful! and so is checking AQs after 5 limpers but you know that [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. I was conflicted on this one, thinking "my pot odds are huge" but also thinking "what am I possibly ahead of here?". Any set has me beat, KJ has me beat, J8 has me beat. The only thing I was ahead of is a draw (maybe MP?) or 2 pair (BUTTON?). I knew my odds were great, but wasn't sure if my hand beat enough other hands enough of the time to make it a correct call.

[sean c]

#1- I call flop c/r and raise the turn. As played 3-bet the turn don't wait.

#2- Is fine I call the river.

#3- 3-bet the flop and keep the lead. As played thats a super easy call on the end.

[Bona]

Nope. Because the nuts often doesn't stay the nuts (2 possible flush draws on the board) Put him to a decision, pay to draw or give up the pot.

EDITED TO ADD: If you think it through thoroughly I think you'll find it is never (or at least close to never) right to slow play a hand HU. And rarely right with multiple villains. You only get 4 chances to put money in the pot. Use them all when you are large and in charge. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[sean c]

Missed your pre flop check in #2. Super easy raise per flop even OOP.