Online Poker Forum - 2NL - Trip Aces on River

crtsports · Two Pair Joined: 22 Jun 2009 Posts: 71

FWIW, villain is 16/9 over 49 hands. One of the few times, I don't re-pop the raise, I get into a situation like this. Comments after each card.

Full Tilt, $0.01/$0.02 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 7 Players

BB: $3.13
UTG: $2.20
UTG+1: $0.80
Hero (MP): $3.56
CO: $0.40
BTN: $2.41
SB: $2.13

Pre-Flop: Q

A

dealt to Hero (MP)
UTG raises to $0.07, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls $0.07, 4 folds

Flop: ($0.17) 4

J

9

(2 Players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $0.12, UTG calls $0.12

With two overs, threw out a standard c-bet seeing where I was.

Turn: ($0.41) A

(2 Players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $0.30, UTG calls $0.30

Ace hits, good for me but bad if he was on flush draw. He calls again and now I am thinking he also might have AJ or a set of 9's because the A didnt scare him. Thought maybe a check raise was in order with his possible two pair or set, but nope.

River: ($1.01) A

(2 Players)
UTG bets $1.71 and is All-In, Hero ???

Trip Aces and I like it until he pushed AI. Villain has check called twice and then immediate aggression. Now I am wishing I re-popped pre to see where I was. But overall I just have a feeling I am beat.

drmdavis · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:21 am Post subject:

I like checking behind on the turn for pot control. If the river ace doesn't come then you play a smaller pot, and UTG probably wont be shoving. I think you have to call on the river here because he'll be doing that with a weaker ace. If he flopped a set or made 2 pair on the turn then it's just cold deck that you make runner trips, and he gets you to pay him off.

Another thing, I don't think that when you flat his raise on the flop that you are required to make a c-bet. I'm not saying you shouldn't, but you aren't the pf aggressor when you flat his raise. I think that betting there gives him a chance to bluff you off of it. If you've got position, don't become vulnerable to being out-played. If you check behind on the flop you keep the pot small and have a chance for him to bet with weaker hands on the turn and the river, leaving you room to raise to find out where you are.

The texture of the board on the turn should push you towards playing a smaller pot. You don't want to be playing your whole stack in a spot like that because UTG could be slowing a flush, which is why he would check call until his trap exploded on the river. Imo, play smaller pots with hands like this, and for hands that you know for sure you're ahead in, make the pots bigger.

HuJwang · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:32 am Post subject:

i think i might be going on tilt from the number of times i have seen the phrase "see where you're at" in this thread

templar rage · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:29 am Post subject:

Technically, you aren't making a cbet here, since you weren't the preflop aggressor. I'm probably not going to get away from this in-game, but in my 20/20 hindsight, it's a fold IMO. I'm just checking behind the flop, since all you really fold out is AK/AQ, plus his check is kind of suspicious since I would expect him to cbet most of the time here. Really looks like a set to me, and he's hoping you actually did hit that ace.

crtsports · Two Pair Joined: 22 Jun 2009 Posts: 71

I went ahead and folded this hand after he pushed AI. He immediately left after this hand, so made it seem like he bluffed me off the pot and wanted to run away! This was one of the times where my ill-timed aggression just got the best of me.

Oh and HuJwang, I will make sure I run by all future posts by you first! Don't want to upset you any further! Very Happy

cjcarroll · High Card Joined: 30 Oct 2009 Posts: 12

I'm not sure that I would have so scared that he drew the flush. Which two clubs would have compelled him to raise UTG? Only KQ, but there were a lot of other holdings that could explain that raise that did not hit the flush. The only other hands to worry about would be pocket Js, which he indeed may have slowplayed.

That said, I admit that this was a tough spot. I would rule out a total bluff on his part. It's a move novice players don't think about, and he saw your strength with your raise on the turn. He knew you were beat.

Laying down a monster really sucks, but losing all your chips to a bigger monster sucks way worse.

Online Poker Forum at Full Tilt Poker