600 NL Stars tough hand

[spino1i]

Opp is tricky and capable of making moves.. comments on all streets needed

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $6 BB (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

MP2 ($600)
CO ($591)
Hero ($564)
SB ($2191.20)
BB ($2659.55)
UTG ($600)
UTG+1 ($576)
MP1 ($846.50)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, J.
UTG calls $6, 1 fold, MP1 calls $6, 2 folds, Hero raises to $30, 2 folds, UTG calls $24, MP1 calls $24.

Flop: ($99) 8, J, 4 (3 players)
UTG checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets $72, UTG folds, MP1 raises to $174, Hero calls $102.

Turn: ($447) A (2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets $360 (All-In), MP1 calls $360.

River: ($1167) 9 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $1167

[Lukie]

Any stats on villain?

Lets see.. villain limp/calls a 5x raise preflop, then check-raises a very callable amount in a 3-way pot. Against many opponents, I think you can just fold here. If you are going to call, a part of that should be to your positional advantage.

On the turn, you are either way ahead here or way behind most of the time. This is a tough situation here. My first impression was to check behind on this relatively safe board (save for the 2 clubs) to induce a bet out of a second best hand, or getting some value if he checks to you 2 streets in a row. Betting less than allin is pointless though, but truthfully, after the flop call and the turn A, I don't think there's anyway of getting away from this if you are beat.

Hrrm how I'd play it:

preflop you can make a case for limping since you are gauranteed perfect position, but I still usually raise here. I don't think either is bad by any stretch of the imagination.

Flop I fold to the c/r against non-maniacs.

Turn is tough. check behind or push. Neither are poor IMO. If you think he can c/r + check with a flush draw or a hand weaker then yours, just put the rest in. If he has to have a 2pr/set/overpair type hand to pull the c/r, I think I check behind the turn.

[STIdrivr]

hmm this is a tough one. I get confused when people check raise the flop and check the turn. I guess it could be a flush draw. I think the way you played it isnt too bad. I may fold on the flop to the check raise. Im thinking he has pocket 4's or 8's.

[PO$$E$$ED]

Flop call is read-dependant; is villain capable of check-raising with draws? What did you read villain for when you called the flop?
Overpair to the jack is unlikely, I would expect to see either a flush draw with paired aces or a set here most of the time. Turn push is fine given your flop play.

[zenbitz]

QQ/KK c/r flop, panic on the turned A? If so, why did he call the a/i?

[johnny_fish]

He doesn't get odds for the flush draw alone at the turn, so Po$$e$$ed's suggestion of the paired Ace seems to make sense. Raising OOP with a draw is a bit strange though, he can't get a free card this way..

[IowaSkinsFan]

If he was being really tricky he played a set perfectly. It just seems like on the flop he thought you could've made a continuation bet, he tried to raise you out of it, and hit an ace on the turn.

[Bmxicle]

if you are willing to call the flop in that spot against opp, then turn should be an easy push. I'm just not so sure that your flop call was great.

[dsaxton]

If he has a set, this line makes some sense. When you call his check-raise, your likeliest hands are top pair or an overpair. The A would be a scare card for a wide range of the hands you're likely to hold at this point, so rather than bet you off your hand when he probably has you drawing to at most two outs, he decides to check again and appear as though the ace cheapened his hand as well.

If he was semi-bluffing with the nut flush draw, I think it would be natural for him to bet the turn as well in an effort to take the pot down with his somewhat marginal hand, so I don't think this hand is very likely.

Also, your preflop raise makes it look like you have a high pair. Is he capable of trying to bluff strength on the flop? If I were this opponent, I would probably only be check-raising with a big hand.

[Bmxicle]

$30 raise is pretty standard in that spot with that many limpers.

[Renton]

If he was being really tricky he played a set perfectly. It just seems like on the flop he thought you could've made a continuation bet, he tried to raise you out of it, and hit an ace on the turn.

yeppers looks like eights. You would be behind at every portion of the hand.

I am a novice, so this isn't a rhetorical question, as I would really like to know: What made you think that the Ace helped you? It seems like you were either ahead from the get go with your TPTK or you were behind a set the whole way (meaning two pair wouldn't make any difference).