This (un)blessed plot

[peterbirks]

AK when OOP can be a difficult hand. It's one of those hands where, unless you are careful, you tend to win a little or lose a lot.


I’ve only got a round’s worth of hands on opponent, during which he’s limped six times and has been relatively passive post-flop. This is his first raise pre-flop.

Texas Hold'em NL $1.00/$2.00

Seat 1: PaddyAce ($130.65 in chips)
Seat 2: Americanpitbull ($56.40 in chips)
Seat 3: DickeyLimpkins ($198.00 in chips)
Seat 4: skiz11 ($102.00 in chips)
Seat 5: Pablo230 ($40.00 in chips)
Seat 6: OneOfaKindSpades ($40.00 in chips)
Seat 7: Villain ($200.25 in chips) DEALER
Seat 8: Hero ($272.00 in chips) (SB)
Seat 9: Pedro4 ($210.90 in chips) (BB)
Seat 10: john00fleming ($163.95 in chips)

Hero: Post SB $1.00
Pedro4: Post BB $2.00

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to Hero [A♣ K♠]
Dealt to Villain [? ?]
OneOfaKindSpades: Sitout
john00fleming: Fold
PaddyAce: Fold
Americanpitbull: Fold
DickeyLimpkins: Fold
skiz11: Fold
Pablo230: Fold
Villain: Raise to $12.00
Hero: Raise to $33.00

as mentioned in previous posts, I’m not a fan of cold-calling in the small blind. If I don’t take this down pre-flop, I intend continuing on any flop, although the level of the bet will depend on the flop’s texture

Pedro4: Fold
Villain: Call $21.00

$64 in the pot. Villain has $167 behind. I have him covered.

*** FLOP *** [3♡ K♡ 6◊]

Hero: Bet $60.00
Villain: Call $60.00


$184 in pot. Villian has $107 behind.

*** TURN *** [3♣]

Hero: ?

Comments

Is this a trick question?

[(Anonymous)]

Am I missing something? Is there another option other than pushing? Three possibilities, (1) he has vapor, (2) he has something that hit but is either behind you or tied with you, or (3) he has a monster.

First question I think that shades the rest of the thought process is do you have a hand that you could possibly fold for a max bet. I know the cold call can be the sign you are in big trouble, but still I don't see how you could fold--KK, 66, 33 or A3 are really all he could have that have you killed (preflop action barely seems consistent with A3, and really not so much with K3 or less), and if he has them, so be it; if he pushes you'll be facing an 107 call to win 291--there is no fold possible since there are so many other hands behind you or even he could have to justify him pushing (KT-AK), so I think you can disregard (3) from the get go.

So the only value in checking is to induce a bluff if he has (1). You have already said he is passive, so this option looks even weaker than it would against an aggressive player, where it might, might be justified, but I still doubt it be cause it doesn't get past the largest possibility, that you are in (2). Since your opponent is being offered the same 107:291 odds, any reasonable hand (KQ, KJ seem very likely, even 88-QQ) is probably going to have to call you. I suppose this will hold for the river too, but, there is a small chance an ace could hit, in which case he might be able to get away from an underpair.

I mean if you add a 100 behind to each player, this is a different situation, but do you see this differently?

-SoxLover

Re: Is this a trick question?

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

No, you aren't missing anything. That, in a way, was the point of the post. 99% of hands "play themselves". I've tended to publish the hands where I've done something out of the ordinary, because this generates discussion and makes for interesting times. Unfortunately, this has created the false impression that this is how I play all the time. It's a bit like those people who read the tabloids and imagine that what they see of the showbiz world is representative of how they live their life all the time. And, of course, I don't play that way (and celebtrities don't live that way) all the time. Most of what I do is boring ABC stuff.

Let's start from the basics. There's no way I'm folding here. If he's hit his hand, good on him.

So, what's the best way to get him to get all his money in if I am ahead?

1) Check and hope he bets (but risk giving a free card).
2) Bet all that he has and hope that he calls.
3) Bet about half the pot now and half the pot on the river.

This is what I chose

*** TURN *** [3♣]

Hero: Bet $105.00
Villain: Allin $107.25
Hero: Call $2.25


*** RIVER *** [10h]
*** SUMMARY ***


Total pot $399.50 Rake $3.00
Hero: wins $399.50

Villain had a pair of sevens.

So, this is a good lesson in not assuming that you necessarily have a thinking opponent. It's also a good lesson in keeping it simple.


Your point about how it would be different if we both had another hundred behind is interesting. Had that been the case, I would have reraised more preflop (say, to $50 or $55) and I would have bet more on the flop (say, $100). That way we reach a similar(ish) situation on the turn.


PJ