Too cowardly?

[dalecooper]

Folded on the flop - I was convinced with that many draws on the board and players in the pot that it wouldn't hold up... and I was gunshy after a morning full of bad & extremely weird beats. Too cowardly? I think 9 times out of 10 I would have raised it there. Next hand I had A10 suited and took down a pretty good pot with top pair (10s)... maybe I learned my lesson. Do you guys usually raise on top pair when it's so low?

***** Hand History for Game 1367040545 *****
$25 PL Hold'em - Thursday, December 30, 10:51:30 EDT 2004
Table Buttered popcorn (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 5: joeym13 ( $8.6 )
Seat 2: stressball10 ( $54.23 )
Seat 1: pollackdb ( $44.55 )
Seat 4: BlueDevil05 ( $18.55 )
Seat 9: CMSaxman ( $7.15 )
Seat 6: bones35 ( $30.27 )
Seat 3: Mythgoryd ( $50.61 )
Seat 10: GOLPHR ( $22.7 )
Seat 8: DPS29 ( $19.5 )
bones35 posts small blind [$0.25].
DPS29 posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to stressball10 [ As 7s ]
CMSaxman folds.
GOLPHR folds.
pollackdb calls [$0.5].
stressball10 calls [$0.5].
Mythgoryd calls [$0.5].
BlueDevil05 folds.
joeym13 calls [$0.5].
bones35 folds.
DPS29 checks.
** Dealing Flop ** [ 3c, 5c, 7d ]
DPS29 bets [$2].
pollackdb calls [$2].
stressball10 folds.
Mythgoryd calls [$2].
joeym13 calls [$2].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Kh ]
DPS29 bets [$2].
pollackdb calls [$2].
Mythgoryd calls [$2].
joeym13 calls [$2].
** Dealing River ** [ 2s ]
DPS29 checks.
pollackdb checks.
Mythgoryd bets [$3].
joeym13 folds.
DPS29 calls [$3].
pollackdb folds.
Mythgoryd shows [ 8c, 6c ] high card king.
DPS29 shows [ 7h, 6s ] a pair of sevens.
DPS29 wins $23.55 from the main pot with a pair of sevens.

[Corey]

Wouldnt call it cowardly but playing tight.

IF no read was availble on the other players then I wouldnt say cowardly but a fold if you were afraid of other draws. Next hand you got it back though.

[LeFou]

Yes I think too cowardly. Sorry but I do.

TPTK I'm not folding unless I have good reason to suspect an overpair. No reason here. If someone flopped a straight that's very nice for him or her, but if they're drawing to it (or the flush) that king hurts.

[dalecooper]

Yes I think too cowardly. Sorry but I do.

TPTK I'm not folding unless I have good reason to suspect an overpair. No reason here. If someone flopped a straight that's very nice for him or her, but if they're drawing to it (or the flush) that king hurts.

I didn't suspect an overpair, but here was my thinking:

- with this many players in, any overcard on the turn or river (except an ace) probably hurts me.
- any undercard could help anyone drawing to a straight unless it paired the board
- any club gives someone else a flush (and I have no flush outs)

Basically I felt like someone else's hand was bound to improve to beat mine, but my outs to improve and stay ahead weren't that good (two sevens and three aces). I wish now I had stayed in, obviously, but I think my thought process there wasn't completely unsound.

Then of course there's hidden thought #4:

- why did that jackass a few hands ago limp in with 26 suited and stay in while I kept betting, only to runner-runner a terrible flush? and then why did that same jackass call a 3X BB pre-flop raise with J2o, flop jacks and twos, and river a full house to beat my nut flush? Have the poker gods turned on me? Surely this pair of 7s is just an invitation to another bad beat...

[LeFou]

Very rational. And the play isn't Bad -- not at all. Based on your description of the other guy's play caution might be appropriate.

But another way to think is:
-There are people in here with overcards only. It's time for them to go. Then the king isn't scary and you can rep it at the people who are drawing. Safe rep b/c you do in fact have something almost as good as what you're repping.

Is the jackass DPS? This is just the thing to sting him with -- he's betting TP crappy kicker into a field of 4, then second best pair into a field of 3.

What's with that turn bet? He has to see the draws out there but he's giving them 6 to 1 anyway. Why? He wants information. He wants someone to tell him "your 7 is no good here" then he can fold in good conscience.

[a500lbgorilla]

A7 won't play well into a big field. Unless you're comfortable with a raise, you've gotta fold. Passively calling down is the wrong move.

-'rilla