PREFLOP.

I think you can make a decent case for going in any one of three different directions....fold, call or raise. If I call I'm planning to CR the flop. This is especially true if I flop a draw. If I flop a mediocre hand I might just call or if I hate the flop for reason I might fold. If I'm going to go forward with the hand I usually like to make some sort of move that will give me a chance to win the hand.


The advantage of ReR preflop is that your opp is raising with light maybe as much as half the time, this will allow you take the hammer from him and make him deal with your aggression -- make him hit the flop --- or make a risky bluff. The big disadvantage is you are getting away from the small hand small pot, big hand big pot, philosophy which I believe is very important.


THE FLOP.

The nature of this flop makes me think I'm pot committed. Some options include:

1. Go all in
2. Overbet half your stack making it clear you are pot committed
3. Check with intent of CR all in
4. Make standard CB
5. Check with the intent of calling nearly any bet
6. Check with the intent of calling based on conservative pot odds

I think I like number 4 above the best. Although I think you could make a case for number 1. With this flop you aren't going anywhere right ? So why not go all in ? Always better to go all in then call all in.


Your opponent would be very hard pressed to call an all in. If are called there are very few hands that would have in less than 30% equity...which means you need very little fold equity to be profitable.



The TURN.

The Ac is not a good card. If he peeled with a hand like A-strong we're screwed. OTOH his flop call could indicate a pair of some sort.

You bet, he raises all in. YUCK! What a disgusting development. This is just a cooler there is no way we can get away from the hand now. By my calculations we are getting the right odds have to call. The hand we are most worried about is an Ace suited in hearts.


This is one of those hands where we think we made reasonable decisions at each stage but the way things turn out we wish things had gone differently. In retrospect we might have gone all in on the flop. But that might be playing results.


Someone else might argue for a fold preflop. These battles around the blinds become pissing contests they often don't allow you to play the small hand small pot style, it's better to let the iffy hands go.