KJ a little weak?

[naturaltan]

After winning with a pocket pair of threes just a few hands ago ... I was thinking that this night would be the best in my young poker life ... it was not to be. I need to hear from the rest of you if you would have even played this hand.

PokerStars Game #2066043323: Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2005/07/09 - 14:46:11 (ET)
Table 'Hencke' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: HOWLR ($30.40 in chips)
Seat 2: rikkke ($24.65 in chips)
Seat 3: captain biff ($13.20 in chips)
Seat 4: naturaltan ($42.75 in chips)
Seat 5: newflarz ($17.60 in chips)
Seat 6: strivingmind ($55.95 in chips)
Seat 7: Mkobutu ($25 in chips)
Seat 8: mpwolverine ($21.05 in chips)
Seat 9: Mysticdream7 ($26.30 in chips)
strivingmind: posts small blind $0.10
Mkobutu: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to naturaltan [Ks Js]
mpwolverine: folds
Mysticdream7: folds
HOWLR: folds
rikkke: folds
captain biff: folds
naturaltan: calls $0.25
newflarz: calls $0.25
strivingmind: calls $0.15
Mkobutu: checks
*** FLOP *** [7d Ts 3d]
strivingmind: checks
Mkobutu: checks
naturaltan: bets $0.50
newflarz: folds
strivingmind: calls $0.50
Mkobutu: calls $0.50
*** TURN *** [7d Ts 3d] [Kd]
strivingmind: checks
Mkobutu: checks
naturaltan: bets $2.50
strivingmind: folds
Mkobutu: calls $2.50
*** RIVER *** [7d Ts 3d Kd] [Kc]
Mkobutu: bets $4
naturaltan: raises $8 to $12
Mkobutu: calls $8
*** SHOW DOWN ***
naturaltan: shows [Ks Js] (three of a kind, Kings)
Mkobutu: shows [Kh Qh] (three of a kind, Kings - Queen kicker)
Mkobutu collected $29.95 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $31.50 | Rake $1.55
Board [7d Ts 3d Kd Kc]
Seat 1: HOWLR folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: rikkke folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: captain biff folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: naturaltan showed [Ks Js] and lost with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 5: newflarz (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: strivingmind (small blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 7: Mkobutu (big blind) showed [Kh Qh] and won ($29.95) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 8: mpwolverine folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Mysticdream7 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[DimitriT]

I need to hear from the rest of you if you would have even played this hand.

This is not a strong hand and I don't like your play. It's a hand I may raise with the intention of stealing the pot and had you played it that way, you would have done fine. In this case you limped and had no information on your opp. Had you raised pre-flop:

1. you could have put him on a strong K and saved bets later
2. your flop bet would have gotten more respect and you may have been able to take the pot on the flop with a slightly larger bet

The hand has some value but you need a good read and considerable skill to play it in any profitable way.

[naturaltan]

This is not a strong hand and I don't like your play. It's a hand I may raise with the intention of stealing the pot and had you played it that way, you would have done fine. In this case you limped and had no information on your opp. Had you raised pre-flop:

1. you could have put him on a strong K and saved bets later
2. your flop bet would have gotten more respect and you may have been able to take the pot on the flop with a slightly larger bet

The hand has some value but you need a good read and considerable skill to play it in any profitable way.

Thanks Dimitry! A preflop raise of 4X the blind?

[Element187]

dimitri plays it like i do .. preflop raise to get people off their hands, narrow the field .. a decent continuation bet on the flop might have gotten KQ to fold.

[naturaltan]

thanks Element!

[a500lbgorilla]

Consider just stealing the blind preflop. If you steal the blinds once every round you never have to worry about defending your big or small. And you waste a lot of money just folding the big and small.

-'rilla

[naturaltan]

good point, that 'rilla

[m3laNcholy]

KJs in the CO with all folds, raise it up. KQ calls and probably lets it go on the flop.

[underminedsk]

Yes I agree. Normally I'm folding this hand without a second glance. But in this situation, on the cutoff with all folds to you, I would probably do a blind steal/continuation bet.

In answer to your second question, IMO a 4xbb raise is weak if your intention is to isolate, then continuation bet on the flop to push everyone else out. Try raising to at least $2 at NL25. Yes thats high at 8xbb, but you need to bet that much to make multiple people arent calling you with absolute garbage, as they tend to do at such stakes.

Anyway, your flop bet of $0.5o is also very weak. That is likely to be called by god knows what. With a pot of ~$0.50, as in this situation, my bet would be at least $1-$1.50 to try to take down the hand. (but again this is dangerous, because you dont have position, and you let people limp in preflop)

[Drewbie]

It's all about position....
The most important part of hold em IMHO.
and fire more at the pot after the flop

Drew