3 replies to this topic

[thrasher48]

Today was killer. I had AA, KK and AKs cracked in major hands to end a sit n go and lose over $135 in cash games.AA was late in a sit n go with 5 players left. I was in the BB and the blinds were 75-150. I didn't have a ton of chips left so i wanted action and only raised the min after the SB limped in. Flop came out 4,6,7 rainbow and he bet 150 I raised to 500 and he called. Turn was an 8 and I went all in after he checked he called showing 10,9 offsuit for the nut str8.Later in a cash game I was plying Nl .50-1 at UB and I've been grinding for 55 minutes to get my $50 up to $82. I get dealt KK the hand after I took down $13 with QQ. I raise to $5 and get three callers. Flop comes 774 with 2 spades. I bet the pot when it's checked to me and I get raised all-in by the big stack. I thought briefly that he may have a 7 but figured he had an over pair smaller than mine. He had neither, he had A4 for two pair, he gets an A on the turn and it's lights out. Lastly I'm in the BB with about $56 and I get AKs I raise it another $4.50 and I get two callers. Flop comes A,2,3 with two hearts. I bet the pot right out and get flipped all-in by the button. I call and he shows 2,3 of spades!!! I was loosing my mind asking him how he could call a big raise with 2,3 etc.. He said it was NL and he would never have called in limit. I don't really understand that part but the point is I'm thoroughly frustrated with poker right now and I am also wondering if I misplayed these hands somehow. I am open to any suggestions.

[Chip_and_a_Chair]

thrasher48 said:

He said it was NL and he would never have called in limit. I don't really understand that part but the point is I'm thoroughly frustrated with poker right now and I am also wondering if I misplayed these hands somehow. I am open to any suggestions.

I just want to point out what the player meant by "he never would have called in limit." It's all about implied odds. With your large preflop raise, the player can call and take a chance of sneakily catching a great flop or at least a great draw because he knows that if he hits his ideal hand, he likely will have you trapped for all your chips. In limit, this play wouldn't be profitable, because the most he could suck out of you is the maximum cap, and 23 wouldn't hit the flop often enough to justify playing it for a raise. But in no-limit, your entire stack is on the line with each hand, and most players will fiercely protect their big preflop hands and aggressively follow their preflop raises with sizable bets on the flop. It's all about the element of surprise. If I'm holding AA, the flop is 4 6 8 or 5 7 K and you had smooth-called my preflop raise with 57, you will probably get me to push for all my chips, trying to "protect" my hand, which you, of course, already have beaten. Whereas if we're raising back and forth preflop, I'm more likely to slow down with AA if the flop comes KQJ, because the chances that you had a pocket pair that hit the flop are pretty good.If this player had put you on AA, KK, or AK, then he's really calling $5.50 for the chance to win your $56. If he misses the flop, he cuts his losses and folds. If he hits, as he did (and fortunately for him, you hit your Ace, too), then his play has worked to perfection.Though I probably wouldn't call that big a raise with a 23s, it's an excellent sneaky hand to play in multiway pots in NL, particularly when a player's raise has given away the strength of his hand.

[dsg1480]

A question for Chip_and_a_Chair:Do you really consider 32s a suited connector? I see how the suited-ness of it is alluring. You're looking for the flush, which is gonna end up being pretty crappy (a flush nonetheless). However, people also play them for their straight-drawing ability. However, 32s has very limited options when it comes to drawing to a straight. The only straight to draw to is if the flop came with 4 5. This is opposed to a 78s which could draw to a straight with a 9 10 or a 5 6 on board.As for flopping 2 pair or a set, you can make an arguement that then you should start calling large raises with any suited cards that make at least the top and bottom of a straight since flopping 2 pair or a set is just as likely with those two cards as it is with 32s.As for the implied odds, you're right on the money. Suited connectors are really the only legitimate hand thats easy to get away from that can take down AA or KK.I just wanted some feedback on what people think about 32s and whether or not they think of it as a suited connector or not.P.S.: I'm still a little sore from earlier in the day when my KK got cracked by 32 suited. Not by 2 pair or trips, but by a runner runner flush with all our money in on the flop. He moves all in because he paired his 3 on the flop, he hits his runner runner diamond and I lose $30 (more like $75 including the dead money and his money).[/quote]

[CavemanDoctor]

Also had a bad day today. I play mostly .5/1 NL. Let's just say I went up against quads 3 times today (in about a 2 hour span). Extremely rare. Oh well. One of those times I had the full boat. Ouch.