Are you a hero?

[zenbitz]

These hands are not real similar, except for the end...

No read on this guy.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
8 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $58.75
UTG+1: $50.40
MP1: $66.40
MP2: $54.75
CO: $44.60
Button: $37.85
Hero: $94.60
BB: $50

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is SB with A 2
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls $0.5 (pot was $0.75), 4 folds, Hero calls $0.25 (pot was $1.25), BB checks.

Flop: 3 2 8 ($1.5, 3 players)
Hero bets $1, BB folds, UTG+1 calls $1 (pot was $2.5).

Turn: 4 ($3.5, 2 players)
Hero bets $2, UTG+1 calls $2 (pot was $5.5).

River: 8 ($7.5, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $7, Hero ...

No read below...
Results:
Final pot: $21.5
Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
9 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $49.80
UTG+1: $37.80
Hero: $92.80
MP2: $50.75
MP3: $49.50
CO: $57.70
Button: $38
SB: $60.60
BB: $49.65

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP1 with K Q
UTG calls $0.5 (pot was $0.75), UTG+1 folds, Hero raises to $2, 3 folds, Button calls $2 (pot was $3.25), 2 folds, UTG calls $1.5 (pot was $5.25).

Flop: Q 5 7 ($6.75, 3 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks, Button bets $4, UTG folds, Hero calls $4 (pot was $10.75).

Turn: 7 ($14.75, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $10, Hero calls $10 (pot was $24.75).

River: 5 ($34.75, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $20, Hero ...

Villians name here is "blufology101" - did that change your decision?

[DaHorror]

Hand 1 ) As played, no - if I want to show this down (or force avoiding a showdown), I would lead the river for $5 as I would with an 8...it looks like you've had an 8 the whole time - he probably does not have an 8.

Hand 2) I'm not sure what's going on in this hand. You've underepped the whole time so a call is probably fine but I'd rather be doing the betting here...

[IowaSkinsFan]

both are folds, i need reads.

[bantam222]

Hand 1: as played fold this... if you want to show it down you need to lead or block bet the river

Hand 2: You raised pre flop, hit your king, why did you give up the lead by checking the flop? You don't really know where you stand in the hand

[zenbitz]

Both times they had air. Well, hand 1 was A6d with a gutshot on the turn, and "blufology" in hand 2 had KJclubs. In niether case did I think I played well, but my hunch was to call - I was wondering if anyone else picked up on some reason to call.

Hand 1, I was very close to folding the river, I checked intending to probably fold. But his bet size seemed really odd to me. Callls two 1/2 pot bets then PSB? What hand is that? Only an 8... and I just thought he would raise TP+ somewhere along the line. I actually put him on a medium pocket pair when I checked the river, so I thought he would surely call any non-over bet, and I wasn't willing to over bet in a fairly small pot.
So, when I checked, I was really assuming he would check behind. When he bet - he had to have a good hand or a bluff, and I just didn't think he would play an 8 like that.

2) Flop was just sort of a change up - board is fairly dry (other than the 68 OESD), so I wasn't really worried about the free card. Usually I bet flop/check turn with TPGK to keep the pot small... so this time I figured I would reverse it, and check (looking to call typically). He bets ~2/3 I call not wanting to bloat the pot OOP. I am only behind AQ and sets, and I don't want to fold out middle pairs or weaker Qs.

Turn kinda sucked for me, because if he was betting 2nd pair, he's now ahead of me. Since I raised PF, it wouldn't make sense to try to rep the 7... and I really don't want to get raised off my TPGK, plus maybe he has nothing and might check or bluff, so I check again. He throws out another 2/3rd pot. So, I think calling here is not great - I failed to notice that he has <PSB behind, so by calling I am just hoping he gives up on the river.

The reason I don't mind calling OOP instead of betting with TPGK ( I mean, I usually bet it too) is that I fold alot of worse hands. It's true I never know where I am here, and he's all/in on the river. That part I don't like.

When he bets the river I realize I screwed up and hit turn bet came close to comitting him. Tilt call? Maybe. I think what swung me over to calling was the fact that I severely underrepped TPGK AND players' name was blufology101. Really.

[jackvance]

Oh you already posted results. Anyway, I call pretty much always in hand 1, although they sometimes have it but a higher % of the time not.

I check the turn here though instead of betting it.

In hand 2, I usually call this too, but it's the same thing imo, they do have it a decent % of the time. Nice read on his name lol. I would have lead out on the flop, but on occassion I check to mix it up, I assume that's what you're doing here too?

[Seabass]

I dont agree with how either hand was played, but if I did, I would fold hand 1 and call hand 2.

[zenbitz]

Oh you already posted results.

Sorry, not enough action

Anyway, I call pretty much always in hand 1, although they sometimes have it but a higher % of the time not.

I check the turn here though instead of betting it.

I didn't do this because my hand doesn't really have showdown value, I am hoping he folds the turn.

but on occassion I check to mix it up, I assume that's what you're doing here too?

Exactamundo.

What I think is interesting about these hands is that they were crying calls, so maybe people are bluffing more at 50NL FR than I think...

[swiggidy]

I check the turn here though instead of betting it.

I didn't do this because my hand doesn't really have showdown value, I am hoping he folds the turn.

Shouldn't you bet more then? If you're repping a strong hand hoping for a pot building call would you bet 1/2 pot? You have a decent number of outs so even if he calls you may catch up by the river and then you're playing for a bigger pot.

The only reason I see for betting 1/2 pot is because you expect a standard 3x raise if he raises (common at 50NL). Then you can call $4 into a $11.50 pot (needing $4.5 more for implied odds), if you bet $3 you have to call $6 into $15.50 (needing $8.50 more).

[zenbitz]

Shouldn't you bet more then? If you're repping a strong hand hoping for a pot building call would you bet 1/2 pot? You have a decent number of outs so even if he calls you may catch up by the river and then you're playing for a bigger pot.

Oh, probably. But I do sometimes bet 1/2 pot with an overpair here.

[/quote]
The only reason I see for betting 1/2 pot is because you expect a standard 3x raise if he raises (common at 50NL). Then you can call $4 into a $11.50 pot (needing $4.5 more for implied odds), if you bet $3 you have to call $6 into $15.50 (needing $8.50 more).[/quote]

I think I remember now, I was betting 1/2 pot to make sure he calls me with a worse flush draw. Which sounds kinda silly, because it's a backdoor draw.

It does also make a raise eaiser to play.
This is just post-hoc justification, but I guess if I bet 1/2 pot I'm happy if he calls or folds. If I bet more, I like a call somewhat less.