Got lucky or good play?

Okay, it's play money, so purist might want to go to the next thread now, but it's my only contribution to the hand history so far. :

Check n Raise Poker Game #1590376: Hold 'em No Limit (2/5)
Sun Mar 20 11:16:22 EST 2005

Table 'Menotti' Seat #2 is the button

Seat 2: Hero (435)
Seat 3: SB (369.50)
Seat 4: BB (645)
Seat 9: CO (426)

SB: posts small blind 2
BB: posts big blind 5

*** HOLE-CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [2:diamond: 2:club:]

CO: calls 5
Hero: raises 20 to 20
SB: calls 18
BB: calls 15
CO: calls 15

*** FLOP *** [8:heart: T:heart: 8:diamond:]

SB: bets 5
BB: calls 5
CO: calls 5
Hero: calls 5

*** TURN *** [8:heart: T:heart: 8:diamond:] [2:spade:]

SB: checks
BB: checks
CO: checks
Hero: bets 15
SB: calls 15
BB: calls 15
CO: calls 15

*** RIVER *** [8:heart: T:heart: 8:diamond:] [2:spade:] [Q:diamond:]

SB: checks
BB: checks
CO: bets 30
Hero: raises 190 to 190
SB: folds
BB: folds
CO: calls 160

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Hero: shows [2:diamond: 2:club: ] (a full house, twos full of eights)
CO: mucks [9:diamond: J:diamond: ] (a straight, eight to queen)

Hero wins (540) with a full house, twos full of eights


---
Commentary:
* Yes, I may have made too much of a bet with the 2s trying to win the spot with a super-low pair, but it was only 4 players.
* Yes, perhaps only in play money would I have gotten calls all round to my bet on the turn.
* Should I have bet from the button at the turn, seeing that no one was representing the strength of trip eights, to help block a cheap card for flush draws?

So good move, bad move?
Case example why play money doesn't teach us anything?

what do you think?

-dunk

22 is a pair, but a very crappy pair. With four players in the pot and five cards to come, someone is going to something to beat your pair. Chances are you were beat by a higher two pair on the flop (even though it's play money and impossible to put anyone on any type of hand) and the turn bailed you out. There were only five other cards in the deck that would have helped any of them on the flop. That is a plus, but with so many people in still, you pretty much had to hit that two on the turn to have a shot at winning it. Even if the flop did not hit someone on the flop, you would have found yourself behind on the turn or river. Don't get fooled into thinking 22 is stronger than it is. They are two of the same card, but remember any other pair in the pocket or not beats you unless you improve.

You are using position as an advantage, and that's good, but it's still a good idea to play hands that are going to give you more than two outs two improve if the probability is high you are going to find yourself behind on the flop.

"Yes, I may have made too much of a bet with the 2s trying to win the spot with a super-low pair, but it was only 4 players. "

assuming this is talking about the preflop bet. yes, i wouldn't raise with it. even with 4 people, you have at best bottom pair, limp. any 3 cards that don't include a 2 scare you, i'd just limp and hope for the set.

"Yes, perhaps only in play money would I have gotten calls all round to my bet on the turn."

Not necessarily. your turn bet was small, if each of them had basically any hand they'd be calling even in real money. I would have bet the turn more, maybe 45. the pot is huge at this point, 100, 40 is a nice easy callable bet that will build the pot and give the others a chance to catch up. the people chasing straights/flushes still have odds to call, and you can only hope they hit.

"Should I have bet from the button at the turn, seeing that no one was representing the strength of trip eights, to help block a cheap card for flush draws?"

No. you should have bet bigger on the turn to build the pot. flush draws and straight draws will still call a much bigger bet than 15 when the pot is 100 already. And, you don't want to block a cheap card for flush draws necessarily. You want to make it just as expensive for them as you can so that they'll still call. really no card on the river would make me happier than say a queen of hearts...