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Opened For $12 & Got 6 Callers


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$1/2 NL cash game. I opened in 2nd position for $12 with KQo and got 5 callers including the SB & BB. So now there is $72 in the pot.

Flop T,J,K rainbow.

 

You are first to act, What would you do if:

 

A) Your remaining stack is $175

B) Your remaining stack is $250

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It entirely depends on the table dynamics.

I'd continuation bet $28 as this is very important for information on turn and river play.

 

For the following reasons:

 

a.) I can get value from weaker Kx, Qx and Jx

 

b.) I can get value from drawing hands (ex. open enders, gut shot, stubborn under pairs TT, 99, 88 etc.)

 

If one or two of the villains called my continuation bet on the flop, I'd re-evaluate the turn (ex. 4 to a straight, possible back door flush draws, paired board etc..) and bet the turn for value a little less than half pot if a back door flush draw comes in to play or any X card, everything else I'd check back for pot control if the turn brought this 4 to a straight or a paired board.

 

Hope this helps. :)

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Bet $65

 

$60 imo but I agree in most spots we should be betting this flop pretty large.

 

 

Also, we got 5 callers including the sb and bb, so we're not first to act on the flop. Assuming the blinds both check, we should bet.

 

CannonLee, $28 is too small, imo. We are rarely being called by the middle pocket pairs or similar that a small bet may be targeting. I like the ideas you had about what hands call us, pair + draws (oesd or gutters), stubborn 99 etc, so I think we should bet $60 or so. Also, TT is not a stubborn under pair ;)

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There's a lot of information that would be relevant to answering this.

 

How big are the other stacks?

Is this 10 player live?

What are the other players' tendencies?

 

If it's live full-ring with a rake, fold preflop.

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Certainly need more informaiton on the other stacks (and yourself), but in most cases you need to come out with at least 65% of pot on up to even 120%. You have top-pair, good (best drawing) kicker. AQ could be out there in my normal game but you still need to make all pay for any further draws. This pot is big enough to take down right now and call it a nice win. You should find out in a hurry if 2-pair is out there (AQ will lay low with a flat call) ... unlikely set, but possible. Someone with a Q may put you on AK with you trying to take it down and over pay for their draw as well.

 

If you are the type of player who likes to gamble with this board, put out a pot sized bet knowing that you are getting it in with your $175 ... $250 might be a bit much as you would probably have to re-raise and you are only getting called or shoved on by hands you are behind to ... which might be the case anyway. In the 'right' game and 5 callers here you very well are sharing cards with the others but you have the advantage of being the initial raiser. Is it in your image to over bet AQ here? If so, then a large bet would be fine but it would look much more like AK/AJ/KQ/2 pair protecting against the straight.

 

The thought is that if you are ahead (very possible) then you don't want lots of people with a small number of outs staying in the hand because that is too many outs to dodge without one of them hitting ... You want to thin the herd a bit here and either take the pot down, make someone overpay for their outs or out draw someone you are behind to at this point. If you scare everyone off, then fine ... nice win and no need to see a Turn you aren't getting 'paid' on anyway unless you fall behind to a better hand.

 

If you are not willing to move your stack around you could check and hope for a check-raise opportunity or hope to improve on the Turn. What is your table image if you check ... do you play enough hands for the others to think you raised with 66/77/88 and 'missed' this Flop so you can then hammer their bet? What are they going to think if you check-call?

 

Table dynamic is huge here if you are faced with a raise. If you come out with too small of a bet and get one or two callers you can still have to face someone trying to steal the pot and then it comes down to how much of a gambler you are with your 'draw'. If you bet $42 and get even 2 callers you are stuck in this pot for your stack and better hope you hit the Turn or suck out on River because you are very well behind ... at least in my normal 1-2 game.

 

A larger bet that induces a raise/shove could save you some money against the right opponents here, but without that knowledge we 'have to' tell you to come out firing and claim what is yours since you hit an above average Flop for your holdings. You only have $12 invested to this point (5% of your starting stack) ... there is no way for us to know how the table views you when taking your next action.

 

I personally use all the options here and but would probably check-raise more often with the $175 stack if I was in a gambling mood that day ... I love this hand and all the opportunities it gives you to play this game any way you want to and really never be wrong if you know your table dynamic ... more to come.

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I think slow-playing AQ here is Fancy Play Syndrome. Not to say other people won't slow-play it.

 

In all likelihood you're up against some stupid broadway hands that your opponents are irrationally endeared to, which they will continue to be irrationally endeared to.

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