Good, bad or crap????

Hi,

I need some advice to plug a leak in my game before i move on up to $10. Im never too sure what to do when the flop comes down containg a pair. Take a look at the hand below and criticise please. Should I have flat called rather than raised??

Villian was one of the more savvy players at the table. In very few hands, was set farming and playing SC and mostly folded his limp in to a substantial raise.

I hindsight i feel i played this poorly. I put him on a big pair. So when the Ks flopped:

1) villains unlikey to have pocket Ks
2) Aces are unlikey
3) probably Qs or AK

The flop raise was intended to find out if either villian or the other player was holding AK. If i get reraised i fold. If i get called - then see what the turn brings.

Good, bad, crap????????????

Cheers


Table "Castellon" (real money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Seat 1: villian ($5.56 in chips)
Seat 2: Hero ($5.56 in chips)
Seat 4: Hive ($1.40 in chips)
Seat 5: bet ($3.51 in chips)
Seat 6: Ricky ($2.35 in chips)
Seat 7: Jas ($1.85 in chips)
Seat 8: Wi ($4.88 in chips)
Seat 9: catfisher ($2.88 in chips)
Seat 10: unclebob ($2.41 in chips)
betst : Post Small Blind ($0.01)
RickyB1963: Post Big Blind ($0.02)
Dealing...
Dealt to Hero [ Ah ]
Dealt to Hero [ Ad ]
Jas : Fold
Wi : Fold
catfisher: Fold
unclebob: Fold
ma : Raise ($0.10)
Hero: Raise ($0.30)
Hive : Fold
bet : Fold
Ricky: Call ($0.28)
villian : Call ($0.20)
*** FLOP *** : [ 4c Ks Kh ]
Ricky: Check
villian : Bet ($0.14)
Hero: Raise ($0.50)
Ricky: Fold
villian: Fold
Hero: Winner -- doesn't show cards
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $1.14 | Rake: $0.05
Board: [ 4c Ks Kh ]
villian lost $0.44 (folded)
Hero bet $0.80, collected $1.50, net +$0.70 [ Ah Ad ] (two pair, aces and kings)

My feeling (and I play $10NL) is that it's far, far better to win a small pot (and you're wasn't that small 35bb) than lose a big one.

I think you played it fine, Villian doesn't have AK (he'd have reraised you all in, as only 44 is ahead, and peolple don't reraise preflop with 44). If villian were to substantially reraise you (and you give him credit as being "intelligent") you can fold knowing he had you beat (AK/KQ).

Regardless, by "smooth calling" you would be giving odds to your (possibly two) opponents. No reason do to that.

Well played.

The hand you posted here was fine. A savvy player won't continue with this hand unless he has a K. If he had called you should be very wary. Remember that from his point of view, its entirely likely that you have the K yourself.

Also, about paired boards in general I'll be alot more wary of a board with paired K's (especially in a raised pot) then one with paired 3's.

Quote:

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My feeling (and I play $10NL) is that it's far, far better to win a small pot (and you're wasn't that small 35bb) than lose a big one.

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Quote:

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Also, about paired boards in general I'll be alot more wary of a board with paired K's (especially in a raised pot) then one with paired 3's.

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Ok - thanks, I would agree with both of you. Its my EV that Im concerned about - betting too hard my ruin .my +EV.

Take a look at a this hand in which I turn trips and then simply inform villain by betting. Villain could have been on anything (loose caller station) - 2 overcards, A 5, flush draw - so maybe i should have checked hoping a good card would come for vilain and keep the pot going?????

Trouble is i feels its wrong to slowplay in micro limits as the draws can be a killer.

cheers

Table "Malpelo" (real money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Seat 1: Villain ($1.89 in chips)
Seat 2: Tsam ($1.85 in chips)
Seat 3: som ($2.53 in chips)
Seat 4: rich ($0.71 in chips)
Seat 5: Hero ($2.41 in chips)
Seat 6: bonzo ($4.32 in chips)
Seat 7: Predator ($2.20 in chips)
Seat 8: dill ($1.91 in chips)
Seat 9: Trung ($3.23 in chips)
Seat 10: xception ($2.00 in chips)
Hero: Post Small Blind ($0.01)
bonzo: Post Big Blind ($0.02)
Dealt to Hero [ Qs ]
Dealt to Hero [ 9h ]
Predator: Call ($0.02)
dill: Fold
Trung: Call ($0.02)
xception: Call ($0.02)
Villain : Call ($0.02)
Tsam: Fold
soma: Fold
rich : Fold
Hero: Call ($0.01)
bonzo: Check
*** FLOP *** : [ 2s 5s 9c ]
Hero: Bet ($0.10)
bonzo: Fold
Predator: Fold
Trung: Fold
xception: Fold
Villain: Call ($0.10)
*** TURN *** : [ 2s 5s 9c ] [ 9d ]
Hero: Bet ($0.15)
Villain: Fold
Hero: Winner -- doesn't show cards
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $0.32 | Rake: $0
Board: [ 2s 5s 9c 9d ]
Villain lost $0.12 (folded)
Hidbigan bet $0.27, collected $0.47, net +$0.20 [ Qs 9h ] (three of a kind, nines)

I don't think this is a mistake. Let's try and work out what he could have had which would have made him bet when the second nine came down. 22, 55 or the other nine are the only hands I can think of (TT or JJ slowplaying maybe? I guess it's possible at these limits). Otherwise, he's going to be folding anyway. So, basically, if he HAD called or raised you, you were likely to be beat; any other bet and he was likely to fold. Don't sweat it.