6 replies to this topic

[TJ_Eckleburg]

Two "Damage Control" type hands when AK from the blinds ran into a set of 6's. This hand is pretty standard, so don't feel like you need to make fun of me for being a moron and posting a rather banal hand. And of course it happened to me twice within 10 hands... which is why I'm curious enough to make sure I don't have a leak with the way I played it.What I'm curious about to a deeper extent is how can I optimize my betting so that when I'm ahead I'll get the most and when I'm behind I'll lose the least. That's the name of the game, if you ask me.Hand 1Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (10 handed) converterPreflop: TJ Eckleburg is SB with [Kc], [Ah]. 5 folds, MP3 calls, CO calls.AKo in SB... raise... everyone calls, blah.Flop: (7 SB) [2h], [As], [6d] (3 players)TJ Eckleburg bets, TJ Eckleburg calls.TPTK in an innocuous-enough-looking board. Bet out, get raised. Judging by the texture of the flop a three-bet is clearly in order. He caps. I'm most worried about A6s, A2s, 22, and 66. Especially a set, because I need runner runner to beat that.Turn: (7.50 BB) [Qs] (2 players)TJ Eckleburg bets, TJ Eckleburg calls.Is bet/call preferable to check/call here? I think the reason I bet/called was that TPTK is just sexy, any way you slice it, and you can beat a lot of marginal hands. But, no matter how pretty my hand is, it's still one pair and there's a lot of action in a pot everyone limped into that I later raised from the blind (a.k.a. an unraised pot).River: (11.50 BB) [4s] (2 players)TJ Eckleburg checks, CO bets, TJ Eckleburg calls.Dammit. I gotta be beat here. Damage control.Final Pot: 13.50 BBSet of 6's. Sets happen... but I hate when they happen to me when I have TPTK. Sigh.Cap the flop, yes yes? Bet/call or check/call the turn? Bet/call or check/call the river?-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Hand 2Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converterPreflop: TJ Eckleburg is BB with [Kd], [Ad]. 2 folds, MP1 calls.Literally one round later. And this time it's sooooted. I three-bet MP1 and we get heads up.Flop: (6.50 SB) [6s], [Jh], [3s] (2 players)TJ Eckleburg bets, TJ Eckleburg calls.Nut-no pair... and I got the last bet in preflop. Standard autobet/call. [right?]Turn: (5.25 BB) [Ks] (2 players)TJ Eckleburg bets, TJ Eckleburg calls.Well hello beautiful. TPTK, but a potentially problematic one at that. I feel good that I didn't get capped preflop, but AsXs (namely AQ) is definitely a concern.In retrospect, now I'm really curious as to whether or not I should have three three-bet this turn. TPTK is usually golden against players of these limits. He COULD have raised for a free card on the turn... but he did raise preflop. If he has a suited ace worth raising in MP1, it has to be AQs or ATs, and based on my hand, that seems unlikely. I go with my read that he doesn't have a flush (which is correct), and value-three-bet my TPTK (which was incorrect). And got capped.River: (13.25 BB) [2d] (2 players)TJ Eckleburg bets, TJ Eckleburg calls."I have confidence in my reads! I'm a good poker player! You don't have a flush!" (Chipspewing).Final Pot: 17.25 BB...And I was right. Set of 6's... again... against my TPTK w/AK. Awesome. Nice raise in MP1, first one to open, with a small pocket pair. I really gotta go get that pattern mapper.For this hand, the only juicy question I have is "Should I have three-bet the turn?" Re-read my thought process before you condemn me.As always, input appreciated.

[CavemanDoctor]

Others will probably disagree but...Hand 1:I check/call the turn.Hand 2:No 3-bet. Just call his raise. Regardless, if you do 3-bet, the river bet was horrible imo. Just check/call that river.

[TJ_Eckleburg]

Yeah... the river bet in hand 2 was pretty stupid. Don't really know what I was thinking there... especially after getting capped on the turn.Preciate the input.

[wrto4556]

I like hand 1. That's standard.Hand 2: I check/raise. 3-betting works, too.Check/call the river.

[TJ_Eckleburg]

I didn't even think to check-raise the turn.I don't check-raise enough. My thinking is right out of Sklansky: if the goal is getting more money into the pot, you'll get either 0 or 2 bets, but by leading you'll get 1 or 3. Usually I check-raise when I have a strong enough hand and want to make chasers pay for two cold. What are good situations to checkraise?

[wrto4556]

well, like you mentioned, to trap multiple players for multiple bets...but also to thin the field. If you are BB and the button raised preflop, you can check to him and raise to make the field pay two cold to continue.Or if you hit your hand against a semi-aggressive player. If you bet he isn't aggressive enough to raise, but if you check he is aggressive enough to bet. Check/raise.

[Wily]

Hand 1: Since CO called your flop, you have to figure he's good as of then. There's no possibility for a free card play - no draws, innocuous board as you said, and he clearly thinks he has a big acebeat. I'd check call the turn and river if you want damage control.Hand 2:Ugh. The raise could just have been a free card play, and you weren't beating a flush on the turn. He also could have you beat with K J. When he raises, just call. The bet was correct because if he just calls you know it's safe to put in a bet on the river, but 3-betting it seems to be the opposite of damage control IMO. Check the river, of course.