19 replies to this topic

[CobaltBlue]

When I miss the flop with big slick, I usually bet anyway to portray a big pair. However, I often notice that people will call down with middle pair or a low pocket pair. Is this a bad play on their part? It means that they pay me off when I have a high pocket...but I have a hard time doing what they do. Should I try to call/raise down others who missed their AK?

[chester84]

This isn’t necessarily right but usually if im playing in a cash game and I miss the flop with big slick in early to mid position Ill check it and then lay it down if there is action after me, there’s no point in calling with ace high on the flop, I just save my bets for when I get a big piece of the flop. But if im in late position and its checked to me, ill bet at the flop to help me analyse where im at in the hand.I never call someone down with middle pair who is betting at the flop even if I think they have big slick, its not worth paying the opponent off to find out, I learnt this and it saved me some cash.If anyone has a different approach to playing big slick I would like to hear it coz it could save me some money!

[monoatomic]

It really depends on what you did preflop.If you limped in preflop and the flop comes down 7 10 4. Pretty much any bet by you will smell like you are trying to buy the pot, and someone holding J7 or Q7 will probably call you down on it.If you lead out preflop with a healthy bet, you are either going to get folds around if you jam the pot on the flop, or you will get that one guy who wants to press his luck with his 7's.Personally the way I play AK, is make a 4xBB (big blind) preflop. Once the flop hits if it's all low cards I usally will bet 1/2 the pot. Even if someone did happen to catch bottom or 2nd pair, I am still drawing high cards.I think check folding to a bet is a pretty passive play with AK with a low board. If the board was something like Q 9 7 though I might take a different approach.So basically it comes down to the board cards as to what play I will make.

[Scott3705]

I will always bet the flop even when i miss with big slick. (barring any sort of weird betting occuring before the bet comes to me) If i get called, depending on the player and how tight i feel he is, I will fire again or just check on the turn. Maybe he'll give u a free card and let u hit an A or K on the river. If he is very tight I feel like I can take him off a middle pair with another bet on the turn though. If you check it to him and he bets, then I would probably let it go.As far as calling with middle pair. I disagree that it's a bad idea to call with middle pair. I feel you have to be fairly confident in your read, but I feel that calling with a small pair if you put your opponent on Big Slick that missed is a solid strategy to keep him from trying to run you over every time you are in the hand. Just don't get carried away. Just my feelings on the way I like to be at the table.

[Abbaddabba]

If you're pretty sure that he missed with a/k, why would you just call with a pair?

[Scott3705]

Abbaddabba said:

If you're pretty sure that he missed with a/k, why would you just call with a pair?

I may call ont he flop cause it may be cheap... if i see another blank and he fires again, i will reraise and put pressure on. Or i may raise the flop. I would just call just to change it up and possibly win a bigger pot on the turn.

[CobaltBlue]

Yeah...I forgot to clarify. I almost always raise pre-flop with AK. (Though frustratingly I've run into people limping with it lately.)The reason that completely low flops worry me with AK...that TT is much more likely to call a flop bet when he has overpair.Often I consider the number of players post-flop. If I'm playing into a field of 4 or more, I rarely bet out at it. However, I haven't really considered position as much in this particular case...but that's something I really need to keep in mind.Another tangentially related poker-question...I rarely vary the amount of my bets. Whenever I usually bet, I bet the pot...to give the draws bad odds. Occasionally, I bet less if I'm just trying to gain information. Is this a bad strategy?

[Nashtak]

LolThis gave me hope in improving my game to the point of not sucking massive balls anymore, quite possibly in 5 and 1/2 year from now.ty cobalt

[KingJames]

 CobaltBlue, on Sunday, April 10th, 2005, 5:09 PM, said:

Yeah...I forgot to clarify. I almost always raise pre-flop with AK. (Though frustratingly I've run into people limping with it lately.)The reason that completely low flops worry me with AK...that TT is much more likely to call a flop bet when he has overpair.Often I consider the number of players post-flop. If I'm playing into a field of 4 or more, I rarely bet out at it. However, I haven't really considered position as much in this particular case...but that's something I really need to keep in mind.Another tangentially related poker-question...I rarely vary the amount of my bets. Whenever I usually bet, I bet the pot...to give the draws bad odds. Occasionally, I bet less if I'm just trying to gain information. Is this a bad strategy?

<3

[donk4life]

 KingJames, on Monday, December 6th, 2010, 10:28 AM, said:

<3

Cobalt's 2005 version of root-beering.

[MaxStPolish]

 KingJames, on Monday, December 6th, 2010, 10:28 AM, said:

<3

I'm pretty sure this was optimal strategy in 2005

[Card-ello]

Is this live or online? If this is live, you may be giving off a physical tell that a player(s) could be picking up on.

[Balloon guy]

 Card-ello, on Tuesday, April 24th, 2012, 10:24 AM, said:

Is this live or online? If this is live, you may be giving off a physical tell that a player(s) could be picking up on.

Trust me, his hair protects anyone from noticing anything else about him....

[UnluKKy]

i've gotten into a lot of trouble with AK... especially when i raise with it in early position - get multi callers - and whiff the flop completely. c-bets generally get little respect these days, and doing it out of positon in a multi way pot is just asking for stack raping. if i check... usually someone in late position will stick in a healthy bet... and then i just end up folding like a little b***h.... it just feels so weak. in tournaments i generally just give up...sometime in cash game... i'll c-bet just to see if i can take it down... and if i get called just shut down.or checking the flop...with the intention of check-raising a late position bettor....

[answer20]

What is the range of hands your opponents are seeing from you and how often have they seen you mixing up your play? If you are tight and have raised before seeing a low-end Flop then your c-bet has less value ... so yes, you could get paid if you play your higher pairs the same way. BUT, you also have to realize that if they know this is how you play then they are coming in with middle to low cards, especially if you have 3+ callers, in order to take the pot away from you if the Flop goes low. Position is very key here ... from early position it might be better to bump your c-bet up a bit and then shut down if you don't improve on the Turn when called. From late posiiton you can adjust your c-bet (or check) a little more to mix up your game.As far as not being comfortable calling a c-bet when you think someone has AK ... you shouldn't make plays you're not ready to make as it will show and your opponents will pick up on it. Set mining is part of the game, if the board is set up to pay for another card then don't feel bad putting your money in ... especially when it is still a multi-way pot. When you show a pair of 6s to a dead board a couple of times, you will have to control yourself from doing it too much!!

[tonyholes]

I love to check-raise in early position when raising pre-flop with a hand like AK. They will remember your pre-flop raise and put you on an over pair or even a set on mid-low boards. You will find that it works a good majority of the time unless you have a reckless loose image or if someone hits the flop with more than just top pair.

[bauss]

Just because they are calling you down with a small pair, doesn't mean it's a bad play on their part. Maybe they picked up a tell on you, but I usually cbet with AK or any hand that I raise with preflop to get a read on my opponents.

[BigDMcGee]

When I saw the title of this thread, I was going to come in and troll with a comment of " what is this, 2005?" And then I saw it was actually from 2005.

[Gobler_Poker]

It might seem like they're calling you down a lot, but basically they miss 2/3rds of the time,and when they don't you hit 1/4 of the time.