Experiments with pot control

1) Villain 55/8

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero ($538.60)
SB ($198)
BB ($167.90)
UTG ($189.20)
MP ($395.90)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, A. SB posts a blind of $1.
UTG calls $2, 1 fold, Hero raises to $10, 1 fold, BB calls $8, UTG calls $8.

Flop: ($31) 7, K, J (3 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $22, BB calls $22, UTG folds.

Turn: ($75) T (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

River: ($75) K (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: $75

2) Villain is 40/17.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

CO ($234.45)
Button ($374)
SB ($176.15)
BB ($39.22)
UTG ($297.55)
Hero ($389.20)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K, Q. SB posts a blind of $1.
1 fold, Hero raises to $8, 2 folds, SB (poster) calls $7, 1 fold.

Flop: ($18) J, K, 8 (2 players)
SB bets $10, Hero calls $10.

Turn: ($38) 4 (2 players)
SB bets $15, Hero calls ...

3) Villain is 40/20


Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP ($147.20)
CO ($19.60)
Button ($128.15)
SB ($169.20)
BB ($305.55)
Hero ($253.70)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q, J. SB posts a blind of $1.
Hero raises to $8, 2 folds, Button calls $8, 1 fold, BB calls $6.

Flop: ($25) 6, 9, Q (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $17, Button folds, BB calls $17.

Turn: ($59) 6 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks....

What do you think? A little too passive on some of these boards?

Pretty standard lines for me.

i bet the turn in the first one against someone that loose, others are good

I don't like the first one because a guy like this will call us down with K8.

I think the second one is 2 spades/9T alot of the time. I'm torn in situations like this because I'm never sure enough in my read to make the raise that the read demands. I can't figure out if raising is the right thing to do. What do others think?

Hand 3 is standardo.

My very initial thoughts were: Looks like floaters paradise and predictable.

But then I looked a while longer and figured out that by keeping these pots small on early streets, you can potentially show down the river and still win a respectable pot. Plus, only the crafty and very aggressive players would pick up on your weakness and exploit your lines. I assume you may take a different approach with them however with a good read.

This is probably a good reason I did poorly at 200NL. On each of these hands I would have had 1/2 my stack or more in by the river.

Good post.

Hand 1: Definitely bet the turn. As played I bet 1/3 pot on the river and expect a call of Jx/QT.

Hand 2: I like raise flop, check turn more.

Hand 3: Standard, although I don't like raising QJo UTG.

1: Bet turn in hand 1, but defenitly check river behind, this is about the worst card in the deck for you.

2: Call and maybe call a river bet dependant on the size of the bet and on what the river card is.

3: yah, check this turn behind

Originally Posted by r8ed

The crafty and very aggressive players would pick up on your weakness and exploit your lines.

How would they exploit these lines? Just being devils advocate with a touch of curiousity.

Originally Posted by Rondavu

Originally Posted by r8ed

The crafty and very aggressive players would pick up on your weakness and exploit your lines.

How would they exploit these lines? Just being devils advocate with a touch of curiousity.

I doubt Hero takes the same lines with two pair or better (at least not more than 10% of the time). Hero would look for more value or to protect with a better hand. Therefore, the weakness shown is enticing a craftier player to blow Hero out of the pot when he sees cbet/check or call small/call smaller. Then they may also know that if they float they may get two shots to make their draw instead of worrying about calling flop and turn when missing.

Eventually you may (you may) get a monster you can try to entice a bluff with by feigning weakness but you probably pay a premium to get that shot and they may not bite.

What happens in hand #3 when you check behind on the turn, the river comes a red 2, BB leads for $60. Then what?
BB leads for $25? Now do you call?