Thoughts on some hands ($5.50)?

[bjsaust]

Hand 1

How good is AK in this situation?


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP3 (t2085)
CO (t1425)
Button (t2635)
Hero (t1550)
BB (t720)
UTG (t290)
UTG+1 (t1615)
MP1 (t950)
MP2 (t2230)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, A.
4 folds, MP3 calls t30, 1 fold, Button calls t30, Hero raises to t150, BB raises to t720, MP3 folds, Button folds, Hero calls t570.


Hand 2

Villian here was a calling station, but any accidental pairing beats me. I think this was bad, even with a read she's a donk. My thinking was to check/call small bets after flop which they were (as a portion of pot) but it still ended up a big pot with a lot of my chips in it.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Button (t1895)
SB (t1420)
BB (t2100)
Hero (t1925)
MP (t2285)
CO (t3875)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 2, 2.
Hero calls t50, 1 fold, CO calls t50, 1 fold, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t200) T, 6, 3 (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets t150, CO calls t150, SB folds, BB folds.

Turn: (t500) 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets t150, Hero calls t150.

River: (t800) 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets t250, Hero calls t250.

Final Pot: t1300



Hand 3:

Sorry to ruin hand 2 with results, but this hand was same villian and she had nothing in hand 2 (Ks5s). I bet flop because I've read a couple of times people suggest betting a draw so thought I'd try it.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Button (t2640)
SB (t1675)
Hero (t3325)
UTG (t3555)
MP (t2305)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J, Q.
1 fold, MP calls t100, Button calls t100, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t400) 9, 4, T (4 players)
SB checks, Hero bets t250, MP calls t250, Button folds, SB folds.

Turn: (t900) A (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets t400, Hero calls t400.

River: (t1700) J (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets t400, Hero calls t400.

Final Pot: t2500

[dsmrolla06]

Hand 1: I think calling here is ok. It would help with reads on how he lost all of his chips this early, but your flipping or domination the large majority of the time here.

PS: no need to show the results of the hand if it was all in pf.


Hand 2: Im just folding 22 utg at 25/50 blinds. Its too likely your going to get raised and then your investing lots of chips in bad position and only playing for set value. As played, why even bet this flop? Theres 3 other players and you have worse than bottom pair. This flop also connects with alot of hands people will be limping, TJ, 9T, flush draws, 66,33 etc. Your not taking this pot down enough on the flop to make this bet +ev. After i see this flop im going into c/f mode the rest of the hand and not investing any more.

Your play contradicts your read as well. If they are a calling station, they usually arent betting, so when they do bet they usually have a piece of the board. It looks to me like they have some sort of flush draw or maybe a weak tp, either way what ever they have is beating you.

[bjsaust]

Yeah, I just pressed the select output button and pasted the whole thing, I'll edit it down.

Hand 2 I was thinking there was a fair chance flop didnt hit any pairs, so maybe mine was the only one out there. Fair statement that I'm wrong with that.

I didnt have a solid read that she'd bet if I checked and she hadnt hit, but thought it was possible. The rest of the tourney bore out that feeling, however I cant honestly claim I was any more sure than suspecting at this time. She called a lot of flops when she didnt hit and bet out if the flop bettor checked the turn, but if noone bet the flop she'd check it down. As I say, that was more apparant later though.

I edited post to put a hand 3 in as well, I thought I was beating any responses.

[taipan168]

I agree with dsmrolla on Hands 1 and 2. I call Hand 1 every time at a $5.50, you have enough dead chips in the pot to make flipping worthwhile, and this is AQ/AJ/AT/worse often enough to compensate for the times you run into KK/AA IMO.

The only time I would limp with Hand 2 is if the table was super passive. Postflop, SET OR FORGET with a small pocket pair.

Hand 3 - I'd bet the flop with a draw against one player but not against three, particularly when one is a calling station. Give up after opp bets the turn, you don't have enough outs or implied odds to make calling here worthwhile.

[dsmrolla06]

Agree with Taipan on Hand 3 as well. The reason for betting draws is because the odds of hitting your draw along with fold equity make it +ev. This hand im probly just checking and hoping to see a free turn card and am only calling with really good explicit odds, at least 4:1 or better. Even if you do hit, a K is going to slow down the action on anyone thats calling or doing the betting since its not likely to hit it and are now sitting with a middle pair. Theres so many spots to get your chips in when you have the best hand in these small buyin sngs that you dont really need to play draws that much. Your better off just conserving your chips and waiting for a better spot.

[bjsaust]

Ahh, the full sentence is bet flop with draw against one player I'll have to remember that one.


Heres an interesting pattern, most of the hands posted on threads like these, come after (or during) a night of playing when I'm really tired. Problem is at 6pm I really want to play, cant until 9pm and by then I'm tired, but decide to play anyway as I've been wanting to for 3 hrs. I try to get creative (read I get bored and act on it) when I'm tired.

Gotta either decide not to play those times, or work on my discipline more.

[dsmrolla06]

Ahh, the full sentence is bet flop with draw against one player I'll have to remember that one.

Not necessarily, see my above post. You want fold equity when your betting a draw, which can happen in multi way pots, you just have to recognize the spots which will come with experience.

[bjsaust]

Oops, missed your post. So really its mainly a FE bet with a chance you'll actually hit a good hand.

[dsmrolla06]

That and it can also disguise your hand aswell.

[rubixstreub]

Hand 1: Against a shorty, I’d call this every time.

Hand 2: not a fan of limping low PP’s UTG, and especially not when the table is 6-handed with level 3(?) blinds. Fold this preflop. I’m really not sure what you’re doing post-flop with that many people involved.

Hand 3: flop is good, betting your draw and overs. Not sure if leading the turn is better defense, but I think check/calling here is fine as long as you give up on the river if you don’t hit your straight- which you forgot to do. I don’t like the river call at all.
*Edit: so maybe betting this flop OOP isn't a good idea...

[taipan168]

Sorry, I should have been clearer on Hand 3. dsmrolla set it out well - you want to bet when you have FE and to disguise your hand if you hit. You obviously have more FE against one player than three, I wasn't trying to set out a rule. Rubix also makes a good point that you are OOP on the flop as well.

[bjsaust]

Yep, all good points. Thats why I need to learn the reasons behind advice, not just the advice. Really appreciate all the feedback from everyone!

[taipan168]

Sorry, I should have been clearer on Hand 3. dsmrolla set it out well - you want to bet when you have FE and to disguise your hand if you hit. You obviously have more FE against one player than three, I wasn't trying to set out a rule. Rubix also makes a good point that you are OOP on the flop as well.

[mcatdog]

Agree with what everyone else said, just wanted to add that when a fish makes a really small bet on a board with a flush draw, then they have a flush draw A LOT A LOT A LOT. I'd definitely call that fish down with 88 in your spot, 22 is just too weak though.

Also in Hand 3, I don't really hate your flop bet because a jack or a queen might be an out too so your draw is actually pretty strong. If you bet 78 into three players on that flop I think that would be terrible though.