Message Board : A3s from LP

another hand from the weekend.  2/5 live. 

I had a statistically improbable run of cards.  In the first 6 hours I had AQ, which I laid down PF to my neighbor's AK.  I had 4 pocket pairs in that entire time.  Mayebe 4 or 5 large SCs, and the rest was total junk.  I kept in pots in LP, stole a few.  All in all, was terrible.  So I flipped between loose for a while, and then folding 30 hands in a row.  I exaggerate, but you get the point.

I was in seat 1, which I hate because you can't see the table.  Seats 2 and 3 leave, so I slip to seat 3.  A few rounds go by, nothing exciting.  Then, this hand:

MP raises to $10.  I call ( $350 ) from HJ ( $250 ), the drunk button ( $400 ) calls. 

Flop ( pot = $35 ) is 933r.  HJ checks.

How do you play the hand?

I don't generally like slowplaying, but this may be a good spot for it. You're so far ahead of anyone else's range, I don't think you mind giving a free card here. If you were on the button, I might suggest betting because that would looks more “steal-ish,” but being the first to act after the pre-flop aggressor makes a bet feel strong.

This is somewhat read dependent. How drunk is drunk. And how aggressive. You said if he's in a pot, he's in. Does that mean as a bettor and raiser or as a caller. Most players slow up if they bet into a paried board and get called, let alone raised. Your raise took over the lead in betting, so bet.

       If he has the K or Q might raise you, (but at least call) if not, an overcard is probably going to kill his action. From your read on the button you are going to get called again. If he drunkenly hoping to hit his hand and hasn't by the river, he is going to fold. Now is the  time to collect value. Plus , even though you have a strong hand, I don't like giving free cards here. So I also bet, not big, to cutdown on his odds some. I am not playing for the pot here, I'm playing for my stack as I don't see myself getting away from  this hand. Especially if a drunk pushes. So I bet.

      The read is important on this turn though. If he is the type, that after raising and then checking he thinks the K scared you off pocket T's or so, then check. If he shuts down after getting check-raised, then bet. I think your strong move and money was the check-raise. I think now you have to bet and just hope you get one more call. Not over 1/2 pot bet here.

I much prefer betting out on the flop to check-raising.   I probably bet out, hope to get raised, smooth-call, and then possibly check/raise the turn or check/call the turn.    No one should put you on a 3/99 just because you're betting, especially since you're not in one of the blinds, but to most people check/raising essentially declares that you have a strong hand (at least TT).

The exception would be if you check/raise bluff a lot and your opponents know it — but your opponent here may be inattentive.   That said, I find that a lot of visibly drunk players still play surprisingly rationally, so be very careful about making assumptions.