Problems playing moderate hands

I'm having problems playing moderate hands - I'm having trouble knowing when to stay in and as a result I'm playing weak and losing out on some wins !

I'm usually thinking " I have a feeling I'm ahead here, but do I want to risk my chips for so little against all these opponents ? " but then I'm folding some winning hands !

I'd like to hear what some of the better players would do here.

Here are some examples :

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

BB ($24.60)
UTG ($9.75)
UTG+1 ($41.45)
MP1 ($16.70)
MP2 ($39.60)
MP3 ($39.80)
CO ($15.50)
Button ($15.20)
Hero ($23.55)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, 3.
UTG calls $0.25, 1 fold, MP1 calls $0.25, MP2 calls $0.25, 2 folds, Button calls $0.25, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($1.50) 6, Q, 4 (6 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Button checks.

Turn: ($1.50) 9 (6 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Button bets $1, Hero folds, BB folds, UTG calls $1, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $1.

River: ($4.50) 8 (3 players)
UTG checks, MP2 checks, Button checks.

Final Pot: $4.50

Another :

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

CO ($19.50)
Button ($30.50)
SB ($26.65)
BB ($39.45)
UTG ($22.60)
UTG+1 ($32.25)
Hero ($30.10)
MP2 ($23.45)
MP3 ($10.60)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 8, 8.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.25, Hero calls $0.25, MP2 calls $0.25, MP3 calls $0.25, 3 folds, BB checks.

Flop: ($1.35) 9, 2, 6 (5 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, MP2 checks, MP3 bets $1, BB folds, UTG+1 calls $1, Hero folds, MP2 folds.

Turn: ($3.35) 2 (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, MP3 bets $2, UTG+1 calls $2.

River: ($7.35) 9 (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks.

Final Pot: $7.35

Thanks,

Martin

Hand 1 fold preflop. Q3o is about as garbage as you can get, and often you will leak money when you find yourself in this kind of a situation with TPNK oop in a multiway pot.

Hand 2 I would bet the flop, and take it from there. As played, a weak fold is fine here.

Hand 1, loose preflop but your biggest mistake was not betting the turn. If someone had a Q with a better kicker they would have betted the flop charge a flush draw. The turn card did not complete any draws so you have to figure you have the best hand and should lead for about 2/3rds the size of the pot.

Hand 2, what bdawg said.

1: Your hand is usually good here. Besides, where are we "risking all of our chips" here? As others noted, that's an auto-muck for me in the SB, but I don't usually comment on preflop play. It's an easy call on the turn.

2: This hand is entirely different from hand 1. That being said, I fold here. If I had called the flop, I'd certainly muck the turn. You shouldn't be ahead in this hand to anything betting unless he bets a flush draw that strongly (but with a free card opportunity on the turn when the board just paired? doubtful). This hand plays better (especially on this flop) with a preflop raise. Generally when I limp middle pairs I play no set no bet. This one doesn't make my list of exceptions.

Thanks for all your input.

I just wanted to add that in hand 1 - I agree it's a weak hand - that I typically wouldnt play either. I figured since 4 players are in and it's only .15 to call I'm getting better than 6 to 1 to call and maybe get a nice flop.

Is that a bad way to think about it ? Maybe it's a small leak ?

Martin

I think odds justify the call in this situation. I will seldom limp in from the SB if there has been no raising with 3+ callers. Unless you flop the nuts, the problem is position. A good player will probably assume that your weak, and push you off the hand. That's my opinion anyway.

I think odds justify the call in this situation. I will seldom limp in from the SB if there has been no raising with 3+ callers. Unless you flop the nuts, the problem is position. A good player will probably assume that your weak, and push you off the hand. That's my opinion anyway.

Originally Posted by DickieBets

Thanks for all your input.

I just wanted to add that in hand 1 - I agree it's a weak hand - that I typically wouldnt play either. I figured since 4 players are in and it's only .15 to call I'm getting better than 6 to 1 to call and maybe get a nice flop.

Is that a bad way to think about it ? Maybe it's a small leak ?

Martin

I think the best hope we have for a moneymaking flop is a Q3x flop, and that gives us usually top and bottom pair. I don't like playing for stacks with that hand. The middle card pairs, they hit a kicker, you get the idea.

On a 33x flop we're not making any money, and on a QQx flop if we play a big pot, we lose.

So yeah, it's a bad way to think about it. If you play it poorly after you limp it, it becomes a substantial leak rather than a small one.