Ok Casino Hamburg (Germany) Blinds: 2€/4€

Ok we play 9-handed, two limpers in Early postion and I complete in the SB with Q 7 and the BB raises to 20€ everybody foldds back to me and I call.

The Villain BB:
He is a little bit on the fishy side, plays pretty tight and I have seen him raising preflop only two times till now (we played since 2 hours).. so far when it came to showdown I always was right with my feeling of whether he was strong or weak.

Thats why I called. I sensed that I could really outplay him if I sensed weakness.

Heros Image:
I really crushed the table so far. I had a good feeling on every player and sensed weakness pretty good so far. My image was totally on the "solid" side, and I think so far everybody had seen me only showing down good hands, but once where I got caught bluffing an idiot (I played this so bad...)

Stacks:
Hero: € 800-ish
Villain: € 300-ish

Flop (2 players): Q 10 9
Pot: €48

I check to Villain who bets out €30

So far I wasnt that sure, whether he was weak or strong, I put him on AK, AQ, AJ, AA, KK, JJ, TT, 99. So a really wide range of hands, I lose to the most but I decided to gamble a bit and called, hoping for a Q or a 7 to get paid big (and I would get paid big from this Villain if he holds AA for example)

Turn: Q
Pot: €108

Again I check to Villain hoping he would hang himself with AA or sth...

He again bets €75

Now I really got confused. I was totaly sure he would not bet any Overcards on the turn and he wasnt on a draw (He always played draws by checking or calling but not betting out so far) And he also made me feel, he was absolutely strong. Ok I could not laydown Three Queens now, but I really dont see raising here either, so I called again.

River: 8
Pot: €250

I could make a defensive bet but I decided to check...
He now pushes All-In for his last €175
Hero begins to chat and I got him in a conversation, where I told him that I could not laydown three Queens and he replied that I would be very angry If I make the call and then he smiled to me...

Hero?????

AND: I forgot about one important thing, he was a notorious slowplayer, checking the nuts all the times before, so he could easily be bluffing here, because I played it so weak so far, by alsways check-calling...

If you are going to decide to outplay him and call his preflop raises with garbage, you can't fold on a board like this. Personally, I fold this preflop every time, especially out of position.

push the turn. if u plan to outplay him.


I'm pretty sure he has AQ so GG

It's funny that a few of the hands you're putting him on you're drawing nearly dead to on the flop. You can only hope he has AA or KK at this point because it's about the only thing you can beat. This flop is about as bad as it gets for chasing with top pair and a horrible kicker. Both flush and straight draws and your kicker is worthless. Why are you still in this hand?

Im still in, because:
I dont fold on the flop, because he really could have AK or sth, I dont fold top pair in a HU pot on the flop

On the turn I have QQQ and I definetly dont fold this one when he easily could have AA or KK or JJ (drawing)

On the river I? Yeah thats the question????? Now I am losing to everything but AA or KK, but thats really what I put him on, he played so thight all the time only raising preflop 2 times, remember???

After my little chat with him, I was totally (95%) sure he has no queen. So I see him having here:
AJ or JJ or TT or 99 which I am dead against

or

AA or KK or a total bluff with sth like AK (which he could easily have, by my weak check-call play).

So I think its a tough spot???
No more comments?

You see how these things are incompatible, right?

I understand the desire to outplay your opponent, but this isn't the spot to do it. Wait until you're in position and don't have such a trap hand. Also, try to avoid attempting to make people lay down big hands. Additionally, this flop is absolute crap for TPCK. There are crazy reverse implied odds here and your hand is extremely vulnerable even if it happens to be good.

Finally, you've attempted to justify your pre-flop play by saying that you could totally read your opponent...but as this hand played out, you seemed pretty confused on all three streets.

Absolutely, I entered the pot in the first place because he was easy to read, but as the hand played out (this happens sometimes...) your read isnt that clear...
But I have a good read, namely that he has no Queen, I think this is a monster read (I got it through our conversation). But as always in live you cant be 100% sure whether he is strong or weak. I watched him in many hands before, and always was right of whether he was strong or not. BUT this time its not that clear. I think hes strong, but strong could also mean AA or KK because he would feel strong with this hand and my check-calling... Do you know what I mean..

Summary:
I "know" he has no queen (99%)
I think he feels pretty strong (but strong could also mean hands I beat)
Despite this, I think a bluff is possible but not probable (approx 10-20%)
He is not that a good player to care about other players hands, so that AA and KK would give him the feeling of having a monster
AND remember his sentence: "You would be very angry/dissapointed if you call..." and then he smiled...

Regardless of whether I should have entered the pot or not...
Regardless of whether I should be out already...
Regardless of whether I should have raised somewhere to "define" my hand...

Now I have a tough decision to make, namely call or fold...
Giving all the information you have, what would you do???

I think you all read Harrington, and in this book every situation is a new problem like here... Yes maybe I should have folded preflop, maybe I should have shoved the Turn, but so what?? I didnt, I have to call or fold on the river, thats a touigh spot I think, what do you think...?

Then don't play Q7 oop for a raise because you are burning money.

As played, this is live, your oppenant has JJ and made a straight on the river, He bet the turn because top pair repeated and you checked again, so your less likely to have it and more likely to have a 9 or a T (this is how tight live players think to the best of my understanding lol, I'm slightly fishy.) Easy fold even though its weak.

Seriously, you yourself gave him a range, out of that range the only hand you now beat is AA, KK and AK, the rest of the range has you beat. How often is a tight player going to bet AA or KK on the river on that board. If your read is he's tight its never.

This hand was played so poorly and the OP isn't giving any consideration to our replies. I can only assume his hand held up and it's a brag post about how good his read was.

No offense Action, it's just that this is a horrible hand to try and outplay someone with and an even worse flop to continue on. Hope it held up for you.

poor decision to enter the pot, played even worse on the flop & turn as a decent raise bet would let u know exactly where you are and save you a nightmare decision which you face on the river. you are giving a fish pretty good odds to take your money by calling a raise out of poition with trash... as you said he is a solid type of player after all.

My guess is you call & lose to either KJ or TT.

HOH is for tournament play.

You shouldnt compare tournament play with cash game play. even though they are both No Limit Texas Hold em, they play completely different

I dont think I played this hand purely. Really. The only error I made (probably) was to enter the pot in the first place. But every decision after that is a new decision where you dont care about why you got there. I still cant believe it that this is what your comments are all about.

1) Dont enter the pot with Q7
2) You played that hand poorely
3) Why are you still in there
4) Raise flop...

Unbelieveable, if this hand would have been posted from lets say Acid Knight or simo8ball or Zach or DavidNichoson or so, then I dont think, this would have been the answers.
YES I KNOW, THEY WOULDNT HAVE PLAYED THAT SO PURELY....
I think the comments would have been,"Hmm tough spot, I think hes has blablabla..."

Really, just because someone has under 100 comments, this doesnt mean he is braindead...


And something to the hand: I laid it down and he proudly showed me KJ...
AND I THINK I lost the minimum, EVEN BY NOT RAISING THE FLOP ah I forgot I would have lost less if hadnt played that hand in the first playe I know...

I'm pretty sure most of those guys would have folded preflop. Just sayin'.

I understand the frustration. But the fact is this isn't one of those tough river decisions that just appeared out of no where. You got here because of earlier mistakes in the hand. Now, I understand why you made those mistakes, and at least you're thinking about it, but the above posters made their comments in order to help you correct some of that thinking. We're here to help.

Anyways, on the river, you beat three hands that I can see - AA, KK, and AcKc. Based upon the 'read' that you supplied us, that he is a chronic slowplayer, you probably have to call. I know that I would with that read in that spot. However, in reading the results, your read was off, which happens. The hand he had wasn't in your range and the way he played it wasn't how you thought he would play it. Be careful next time making plays that are 90% read dependent. Use this hand as a learning point and it will probably help to tighten up some leaks in your game.

listen buddy, I thought the reason you posted this hand was to get feedback/critique? If I sounded a bit harsh then my apologies but would you rather me be completely passive and say what great play it was on your part and that I agree with your every move even though I don't... lol & as far as how many posts you have, well I didn't even look and to me it is irrelivant anyway!

I have had hands that I have played slammed on this forum but I learn a bit every time, that's the whole point. Honestly, take a chill pill.