Questions Thread #8

Hi, Ed. What do you think of my turn play in this hand? This was my first hand at the table, so no reads unfortunately.

Full Tilt Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $2/$4
5 players

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is BB with As Qh
UTG calls, CO folds, Button calls, SB calls, Hero raises, UTG calls, Button calls, SB calls.

Flop: 5s Ks 8h (4SB, 4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, Button checks.

Turn: 5h (2BB, 4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, Button bets, SB folds, Hero raises, UTG folds, Button calls.

River: 2d (6BB, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

Results:
Final pot: 6BB

Was it a genius move by me or am I a total nutjob? I felt kinda stupid afterwards as villain turned over Kh 2h and scoped the pot. I was inspired to make this play after I saw this hand by Clarkmeister at 2+2. This play doesn’t seem to be very popular nowadays, though, as I never see any hands like that posted at the 2+2 forums. What do you think of his hand?

Looking forward to hear your thoughts and thanks for a great blog!

Henrik, Sweden

No Limit: Reraising amount AA or KK

Ed, I know preflop are the most basic of questions but this came up more than usual the other night when the game got a little crazy .

I always try and vary my play when EP or first in , etc. But 4x I had aces or kings and there was a raise and a caller before me.

Quick rundown of couple of those hands. Aces in mp, 5xbb raise, caller, I raised the size of the pot (15bb). Folded to them and both folded. Kings in CO, same betting scenaio except I raised half the pot. The caller called. Q high flop, I bet the pot and he folded.

Am I betting too large amounts ? I know there are a zillion variables but what goes through YOUR mind before you decide an amount? ( Besides how many behind you? ) If the range of possible hands for one of them is wide, the other pretty standard, what kind of odds to you make sure they don’t have so calling you is a mistake.

Again, I know there is not an exact answer even though this is a simplistic question, but I am still adapting from limit and would like to know how your mind works in this situation.

I’m an idiot. Didn’t mention stack sizes in my no limit reraising question. I had 200 bb’s, smallest in both scenarios was approx. 140 bb’s.

I don’t have a specific hand to analyze, I have a more general question. I have been lurking in the forums at pokerlistings.com for a while and I just don’t understand a lot of the things people post there. For example, this thread:

http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-forum/the-logic-of-utter-donks-vt4445.html

One poster claims that it is impossible to play against “schooling fish” (my term, not his). He gives an example where pocket kings will lose to 6 callers 74% of the time, therefore it’s impossible to beat the “fish”.

Then a poster named “kosh”, who incidentally claims in another post to have never played a hand of poker in his life, points out that even though you only win 1 in 4 hands, you get a 6 to 1 payoff with 6 callers.

So it seems to me that kosh is right, and the “real” players are wrong. Not only that, one of the posters (luvdoinit) seems to think that the only answer to the “problem” is to educate the fish into better players, so they won’t school any more!

Well I’m just a beginner myself, but I personally hope that people like luvdoinit don’t succeed!

What do you think, am I right about the “schooling” problem, i.e. it’s not really a problem at all, it’s a blessing?

Here is a hand that was posted on 2+2 where I don’t think the analysis was correct. Perhaps I was the one who was wrong but I’m convinced it was the other 50+ responses. ;)

Hold’em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Tc 8c

UTG calls, 2 folds, MP1 raises, MP2 calls, 2 folds, Button calls, SB calls, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (12 SB) 2c, Th, Ac (6 players)
SB bets, Hero ?

The mob on 2+2 recommended a call. I think it should be raised. It’s a raised pot, I have a monster draw and ~50% equity against a hand as strong as AQ. I want hands like KT out of this pot in case my flush doesn’t get there but I catch a 3rd T (I realize they should peel one here even with my raise but some won’t). If I’m 3 bet behind or by the original bettor it’s certainly not the end of the world.

Most people advocated calling to build the pot. The pot was already big, and I want to take it down.

Here is a hand I played earlier today. I won the hand, but it was a bad beat. Did I get too “cute”?

Full Tilt 2/4 Limit Hold’em Ring (7 handed)

Starting Stacks
Seat 1: LP (Hero) ($132)
Seat 2: CO (poster) ($40)
Seat 3: Button ($152)
Seat 4: Small blind ($172)
Seat 5: Big blind ($110)
Seat 8: UTG ($36)
Seat 9: MP ($274.50)

Preflop: Hero is LP with 7h 7s.
2 folds, Hero raises, CO (poster) calls, Button raises, 2 folds, Hero calls, CO (poster) calls

Flop: (10.50 SB) 3d 9c 4h (3 players)
Hero checks, CO (poster) checks, Button bets, Hero raises, 1 fold, Button raises, Hero calls

Turn: (8.75 BB) 6c (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero raises, Button calls

River: (12.75 BB) 5s (2 players)
Hero bets, Button calls

Final Pot: $55 ($2 rake)

Results below:
LP has 7h 7s (a straight, Seven high)
Button has Kd Kh (a pair of Kings)
Outcome: Hero wins $55

Some important information:
The CO is new to the game and has just posted a late-position blind. The button is a good player who I’ve been playing with a lot lately. I’ve been involved in a lot of pots with her and won most of them through aggressive play. She has recently started to play back at me, although she will still fold if I show a lot of strength.

Here is how I thought about the hand: Since the cutoff had posted a late-position blind, the button may have interpreted my raise as a pure steal. Therefore, she could have been three-betting (preflop) with a lot of hands, many of which missed the flop. Do you think check-raising was the right play? Calling her three-bet on the flop seemed correct, given the large pot. I’m not so sure about my play on the turn. Again, she’s folded against this type of play in the past. I’m really confused about this hand and eager to hear your thoughts.

-Matt