55 from EP - $1/2

Daniel Magix · #1 09-10-2007, 12:03 PM

Another hand recalled from a recent $1/2 LHE, 7-handed home game...

Villian is a pretty decent and somewhat aggressive player, particularly when he senses weakness. I know he will continuation bet a whiffed flop, and I know he has the ability to lay down a hand that he feels is beaten.

Preflop: Hero is EP with 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
1 fold, Hero calls, 2 folds, BUTTON raises, SB folds, BB folds, Hero calls

Flop: (5.5 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Hero checks, Villian bets, Hero ??

I had originally posted the results, but deleted them. I will try to get a response from this, so far, and post the results later.

RemyXO · #2 09-10-2007, 12:10 PM

Check/raise

Sushiglutton · #3 09-10-2007, 01:28 PM

Pf: raise or fold
Flop: I CR, because:

We beat his range.
If we are ahead he has as least 6 outs.

KitCloudkicker · #4 09-10-2007, 01:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]

If we are ahead he has as least 6 outs.

[/ QUOTE ]

why does that matter in a pot of this small size?

if hes aggro i think i'd rather keep him bluffing with Ace high.

Riku · #5 09-10-2007, 01:36 PM

I'd let him keep betting.

Sushiglutton · #6 09-10-2007, 01:41 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

If we are ahead he has as least 6 outs.

[/ QUOTE ]

why does that matter in a pot of this small size?

if hes aggro i think i'd rather keep him bluffing with Ace high.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pot is 6.5sb when he bets if he knews what we had he should continue. What if he doesn't bet the turn? The flop is very ragged, so what can Hero call with? He can have KJ, JT, etc that may give up. If he does have A-high CR wins 1.5bb more if he decides to call down.

If u defend 55 from BB, do u always call down with mid-pair? Pot is even smaller in that scenario...

Aaron W. · #7 09-10-2007, 01:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
if hes aggro i think i'd rather keep him bluffing with Ace high.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd rather check-raise and lead the turn and make him fold his 6-outer when he has odds to call. I also wouldn't mind if he folded a hand like 88.

Daniel Magix · #8 09-10-2007, 02:02 PM

OK, I think my play was ok, based on the responses so far. Here is the Turn action...

Preflop: Hero is EP with 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
1 fold, Hero calls, 2 folds, BUTTON raises, SB folds, BB folds, Hero calls

Flop: (5.5 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
Hero checks, Villian bets, Hero raises, Villian calls

Turn: (4.75 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Hero bets, Villian folds

Thoughts: OK it worked in this case, but I wasn't really sure if it was a good play to try in general. I was also not entirely sure if I would be better off raising up a small pair from EP, in a 7-handed game. I guess I check-raised the flop because I felt quite confident that my villian would bet at me if I checked, and I also felt like there was a very good chance that the flop had missed him and my fives were good. So this play was based very much on this villian and my reads on him from playing with him for years - it just felt right at the time. But upon thinking about the hand later, I thought there was maybe a chance that it was very bad and I just got lucky that it worked. But it seems a few people would have taken a similiar line, so I guess it wasn't that awful.

Buzz-cp · #9 09-10-2007, 02:23 PM

if this is a home game, does everyone usually limp? If they do then limp is good, but if it plays aggro like a short game, then I will usually fold here.

Also I c/r the flop, and pay attention to my opponent to see how he responds.

Buzz

RemyXO · #10 09-10-2007, 02:30 PM

NH, Daniel. Keep in your bag of tricks when you face bozlax [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I'll let preflop slide, but the rest is standard in my book against an aggro opponent in this situation. I don't want overcards to stick around and I surely want hands like 66-JJ to fold, if possible.

The question would be what do you do if 3-bet on the flop? Fold is good, but I'd argue for calling, at least for metagame reasons. If a scare card folds, check-fold would look very logical - "aw crap, I had you on the flop, but now u r probly ahead, punk". Plus you can hit your set once in a blue moon or pick up a draw.

If the turn is blank (like here), and if the villain is tricky bastard or you are feeling super sexy, you can go for another check-raise on the turn, but that's usually lighting money on fire [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]