I finally decided to venture back up to 1/2 NL after a long departure. (I'd cashed out a big chunk of bankroll a couple of months ago.) I used to play there pretty regularly, but I've tried to be more careful about bankroll management.


Bodog 1/2 NL

Full TAG table (2-3 to a flop in raised pots) is starting to break up, and we're down to 6. I'd just won the last two pots without showing down. No flop in the first that I raised. Got to the turn in the second pot. This is when I pick up an uncomfortable hand...

Cobalt is UTG+1 w/ QcQs.

Cobalt has $249.
CO has $297.

Pre-flop:
1 fold, Cobalt raises to $8, CO calls, button folds, SB calls, BB folds

Flop (3 players, $26): Tc 6c Ts
SB checks, Cobalt bets $20, CO raises to $40, SB folds, Cobalt raises $25.50 more, CO calls $25.50

Turn (2 players, $157): 5s
Cobalt bets $60, CO calls

River (2 players, $277): 7d
Cobalt bets $40, CO folds


If I had to guess, the CO was annoyed that I was trying to pick up my third consecutive pot, called with Acxc, and raised the flop for a free card and chased. That said, I about pissed my pants when he raised the flop (I haven't been at these stakes in a while, you'll recall). AT, KK, and AA were flashing. Regardless, I really wanted to get control back and at least see where I was at...thus the re-raise.

I guess my question...should I have bet more/less throughout the hand? Should I have re-re-raised more on the flop? Should I have bet more on the turn? Should I have bet more/less on the river?

It looks pretty good to me man. I really think you played this hand well. I especially like the flop reraise to keep control of the betting, and to gain some info.

I would have bet at least the same amount on the river that I had on the turn. Maybe even more. He's not showing any strength on the turn and I don't think the river helped him.

I am baffled by the flop betting. You bet just under the pot, he min raised you, so you basically min-raised him back? Is this not where you put in a significant re-raise? I don't play a lot of no-limit ring games, but I definately wouldn't have played it like that in a tourney... :?

I don't understand at all why you bet the way you did, especially on the river and the flop minimum raise.

When he flop re-raised, he basically said, "I think you have two overs and that flop didn't help you." When I re-re-raised (even though it was only a little more than a min-raise), I was trying to say, "Hey, I really have something good...this is my hand...no free card play." Granted, he definitely had odds to call that with any draw. I guess I was thinking by not significantly re-raising was "If he goes back over the top of me, I haven't tied myself to the hand with this bet and can get away from it." Like I said...it was partially for information.

As for the betting on the turn, I probably bet too little again, but my thinking was along the same lines...maintain control but be able to get away. Finally, the river bet was a maintain control...and possibly value bet. He was likely on a draw, but he might've had jacks. I wanted him to pay me off with jacks. If he went all-in over the top, I again wanted to have an option.

I definitely would've been all-in on the turn in a tourney.

Rocket and Absolute, that's why I posted this...how would you have done it differently?

Unless this was your ENTIRE bankroll riding on this game, why play it differently than you would have a tourney? You can always just rebuy should you happen to have lost had you gone all in by the turn... :wink:

I was late into the session and on the cusp of clawing back to break even after quickly being down $150. I was getting ready to quit and I really didn't want to post a loss. So yeah...I guess I got lucky that he missed his draw and I finished a good bit positive.