Playing the Courtiebee End of a Straight

[DaNutsInYoEye]

I don't know if I played this hand optimally. I'll post my thoughts after some people comment.


MP is a pretty bad player. He is passive. Underbets his good hands and calls too much. SB is pretty aggressive. I've only seen him show down a couple hands in smallish pots and from what I saw he is fairly loose. Most of the hands he has won though haven't gone that far. Button I haven't been paying attention to. I was operating under the assumption that since he's playing on a short stack he is a mediocre player at best.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) converter

Hero ($98.35)
UTG ($120.60)
MP ($48.50)
CO ($32.80)
Button ($32)
SB ($79)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 3, 2.
1 fold, MP calls $1, 1 fold, Button raises to $2, SB calls $1.50, Hero calls $1, MP calls $1.

Flop: ($8) 6, 5, Q (4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP bets $3, Button calls $3, SB calls $3, Hero calls $3.

Turn: ($20) 4 (4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP bets $5, Button folds, SB raises to $20, Hero calls $20, MP calls $15.

River: ($80) 9 (3 players)
SB bets $30, Hero calls $30, MP calls $23.50 (All-In).

Final Pot: $163.50

[mb2447]

the thread title amused me so much that i absorbed nothing of the post itself.

nh!

[Fnord]

Fold pre-flop. At some point I really want to get in more money...

[Pingviini]

I laughed when I saw the title.

gotta agree with folding PF..

[DaNutsInYoEye]

I laughed when I saw the title.

gotta agree with folding PF..

Both of you guys wouldn't see a flop with this for $1? Ping I know you play mainly $400 6-max, but I'm sure at one point you played $100. You should know the players are pretty terrible. I think 32s has enough potential to call $1 into a $7 pot even out of position when you have people that underbet their own hands yet are willing to pay off yours.

[Pingviini]

Err agree, I didnt look at the HH close enought to realize that. PF fine, flop fine, it gets tough on turn because SB is telling that he has a higher straight that you do. Your play is weak but I guess I would play it the same way..

On the other hand I wouldnt be surprised if SB had just 2 pair here. heck, I am raising to $50 on turn and getting everything to the pot on river.

[Fnord]

Both of you guys wouldn't see a flop with this for $1?

Nope. Implied odds aren't strong enough.

My minimum is something like 45s or 46s.

[jailhousejoe]

I think Fnord you'd call in a shot if Shania was asking?

[Fnord]

I think Fnord you'd call in a shot if Shania was asking?

Leave Shania out of this! We're out of position playing with short money.

[DaNutsInYoEye]

Ignoring the PF call, which you won't be able to convince me was incorrect, how do you play the rest of the hand? Quite honestly the check-raise on the turn by the SB initially froze me. I first assumed there were monsters under the bed and I was up against a higher straight. The most logical hands he has are 2 pair, a set of a higher straight. Against 2 pair or a set I'm a big favorite. Against a higher straight I have a redraw to the flush. In my mind I couldn't justify folding. The question for you guys is wether you raise to help protect your hand against MP or smooth call to try and drag him along with us. MP is a calling station and would likely call the initial raise, especially since he put in the first bet, but he seems to have enough sense that he would be able tolay down to a third raise. Pushing might also get the SB to lay down two small pair. Calling would obviously limit your loses against a higher straight. The same question applies to the river as well. Do you smooth call again and hope for an overcall if you're ahead and limit your loss if you're behind, or do you push?

I don't have much of a problem with how I played the turn because I thought it was highly likely that MP had a marginal holding and felt strongly that letting him see another card would pose little threat. I think I played the hand too weakly on the river though. I'm ahead of more probable hands than I'm behind, the SB is now committed to calling any raise, and SB's raise puts MP AI anyways so if he is willing to call the initial bet then my re-raise isn't of too much cosequence since the pot is so large anyways and he wouldn't be committing any more money than he woul've before it. I wanted to hear your opinions though.

[STIdrivr]

If you raise on river then you can win some money in a side pot if MP has the higher straight and SB has a set or something.

[dsaxton]

I'd probably bet out on the turn to build the pot and prevent it from getting checked around. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to check-raise in this situation, as you lose value from players who are well behind, and potentially bury yourself against 7-8.

I think since you are holding two diamonds in your hand, it's less likely that the button and small blind are on flush draws, and so you should be more prone to put them on straight draws, 7-8 being the most likely.