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MikeyPipes86 · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:21 am Post subject: Tough hand against good player

I was playing in a 1/2 NL game today and this hand came up. Table is pretty loose, people raising with suited connectors and low PP.

I am UTG with A Club

7

I limp in (probably not the smartest move in early position), the action is folded around to the SB who completes.

The BB, a very aggressive player who has the largest stack at the table, raises 3.5x to $7. I think about it and call, knowing I'll have position. The SB also calls. Pot at $21.

The flop comes 7 Diamond

Q

4

The SB checks, and the BB bets out $14.

I caught second pair, and for some reason don't think Mr. Aggressive has the queen. I raise to $28 and he immediately calls. Pot at $78.

The turn comes A Diamond

This is a mixed blessing as it gives me two pair, but also puts the third diamond on the board.

BB quickly bets out $50.

I am thinking about what this guy might have....flush? AQ? trips? nothing?

I dont think my two pair are good here and I fold.

He turns over JJ, and I'm pissed.

What would you have done in this situation?

honkythunder · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:40 am Post subject:

2.5 to 1 is just too nice of odds to fold. You might be in the lead already AND you have 4 outs to a full house. His betting on the flop did not seem like a flush draw.

I realize that its easy for me to say call but that's what I would have done.

comin4you · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:23 pm Post subject:

If you think your 7's are good, raise more on the flop. Call the turn in this situation and reevaluate on the river. He'll prob slow down there and you can at least check it down.

caribstv · Pair Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 39 Location: New Jersey

aztecgator · Two Pair Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 70

You say this guy has been very aggressive, bullying the table with his stack size, so if it had been me I would have looked him up with the first decent hand I had. In this case, aces up would qualify. I know that is easy to say after knowing what he had, but let me explain further:

1. I think your raise on the flop was a great play and his call should have told you he was worried about you having top pair. If he had top pair or better I am certain he would have reraised you. He could have hands like 88, 99, TT or JJ or even a flush draw. You are probably not best at this point (unless he is on an absolute bluff, in which case I would have thought he would have folded to your raise. He might be aggressive but probably not stupid.)

2. When the A hits on the turn making a flush possible and giving you two pair, he quickly bets out a relatively large bet. So what is he representing here? As I said above, I don't think he has AQ since he would have reraised you on the flop. A flush? If so, why bet out as much as he did? Its not out of the question that he could have made his flush, but in my mind this reeks of a semi-bluff. You didn't say, but I bet one of his jacks was the jack of diamonds.

So, I would not have put him on the flush or AQ. As such, I would have raised him to at least $150 (or all in if $150 represented an appreciable chunk of my stack). Yes, my read could have been wrong and he actually did turn the nut flush. But at least I still would have some outs to win and my raise would most likely take down the pot right then if he was semi-bluffing. Even if my read turned out to be wrong, it would still accomplish two things (1) I stood my ground and (2) I would know that I have the ability to make a big raise based solely on my read of the situation. Yes, I might get busted. But, playing with scared money is a lot worse than getting busted.

MikeyPipes86 · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the advice, fellas. Good stuff. I have been second guessing myself all day for the play.

nalej · High Card Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 20

nice breakdown aztec.

aztecgator · Two Pair Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 70

Thank you, nalej.

guitarguy178 · Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 8:44 pm Post subject:

Aztec makes a very good break down of the hand. One thing I would like to add. When playing such an aggressive player, you need to realize this guy could have anything and bet it strong. This is the best part about playing aggressive, when you do pick up huge hands, you can usually fast play them and get paid off huge. Like an earlier poster said, if you are going to play this hand, then you need to play it. Don't be affraid to get your money in when you think you are ahead. At least make a statement to this guy that you won't be pushed around. He will be hesitant to keep building pots against you knowing you will call him down with less than the nuts.

FatStacks06 · Royal Flush Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 736

I just think he thought he had an excellent read on you. He probably pegged you for a weak queen, limping from late position and then calling his pre-flop raise. On the flop when he puts out a feeler bet, you only minimum raise on a 2-flush board, signaling to him you have a hand. He probably called you bet on the flop so he could make another bet on the turn of a scare card hit. When it did hit it was not only an over card, but an A as well. Since his read told him that you were on a weak queen he made a decent bet thinking that you would fold since you probably couldn't beat a pair of aces, let alone a flush. But you had him right where you wanted him. If you pop in a re-raise right there, he would have to fold with the 2 over cards and the 3 flush on the baord (unless one of his Jacks was a diamond and he thought it might be good on the river if another diamond fell) I don't know what else you could be looking for on a board like that, Aces up is going to be good most of the time, and why play A7 unless you are going to bet it when you hit both? He had a horrible read on you, and you were both semi-bluffing on the flop. If you raise again on the turn, he has to fold. In the future when you want to represent a strong hand, raise those feeler bets (bets that aren't more that 3/4 of the pot) by 3-4 times and you will most likely get a check on the turn, and they will fold to another big bet. You just have to get more aggressive.

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