Ultimate Bet 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

BB is a tight aggressive player who won't defend with total garbage, but who is probably aware that I don't necessarily have a big hand here.

Preflop: Hero is CO with [5c], [Ac].
5 folds, BB calls.

Flop: (4.50 SB) [8h], [9h], [7h] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (2.25 BB) [Ah] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

River: (2.25 BB) [As] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 2.25 BB

I decided this was a good spot not to make a flop continuation bet, and I saw no reason to bet the turn or river either.

My question is, what should I do if he shows aggression on the turn or river? (Easy fold if he bets the flop.)

On the turn, I'm either gonna fold to a bet (since the pot's tiny), or raise and fold to a reraise or a river bet (since I do have an A, and maybe he folds a small heart). At the table I would have raised, but now I'm thinking folding would have been better.

River I probably call a bet, but maybe I should fold, since he has little reason to value bet a marginal hand.

Your thoughts appreciated.

-Bill

Can you utilize Clarkmeister here and bet/fold the flop since it's heads-up?

Odds are good that he doesn't have a heart in his hand, and will fold it right there since it's a small enough pot that he can get away from. If raised, you fold.

If he just calls your flop bet, he may then check the turn to you, in which case you can bet yr Aces...

If instead he bets into you (AKA I don't care about that Ace cauz either A. I have a top kicker, or B. I've already made my flush)... I'd fold the turn.

I dunno, that's just one possible way to play it.

I'd fold to a bet on the turn. There's absolutely not reason to spend 2 BB (including river call) with a 4 flush on the board with 2 BB to win here.

I'd call a river bet. I can see him clarking/pure bluffing due to the general scariness of the board and the small pot.

I wouldn't clark up the river...you're in position, it's not the same thing. I like checking behind here.

You are misunderstanding Clarkmeister.

I'd play it just like you did in a pot this sized.

Ice

I remember when some of you were arguing Clarkmeister. I won't name names.


By the way, the Clarkmeister theorem only holds true if you are out of position. (That's first to act for you noobs.)

One person advocated a clarkmeister, two didn't...I'm not really understanding this.

Maybe I should have clarified my post by saying "you can't clarkmeister here," rather than "you shouldn't."

Meh... my argument was for a Clark (woops, my apologies... a variation of the Clark play) was for it to be done on the Flop, and only the flop. Here's my logic... and granted I totally could be waaay off base. I also totally agree with the way it was played, and was just offering up another possibility.

The way I figure it you only need to be successful 1/5 times for this to be a +EV play in forcing villain to fold the flop. If you are raised here you fold.

The math would be 1(4.5sb) - 4(1sb) = +0.5sb

Now, how often does villain not have a single heart? I would guess from my lousy math skills, that it would be about 60% of the time ... although please double check that cauz like I said when it comes to math I'm hit and miss.

Now, even if only 1/2 the time he doesn't have a single heart he folds to your flop bet, that's 30% of the time, and it's a good bet. That seems pretty reasonable to me.

That why it seems like a perfectly plausible play, IMHO.

aaargh.... after looking at it again, I suppose he will likely stay in with any 10 or 6 with the OESD.... so maybe this is lousy. Still though you only need a 1/5 shot of him having nuttin. Since he checks to you that seems plausible, and you'd fold to a check-raise.

I would bet/fold the flop then bet/fold the turn.

he's going to miss the flop a lot. This flop will look just as scary to him as it does to you. Unless you have a read that he's stupid loose you can pick up this pot with a bet 2/3 of the time. Not to mention when you show down the best hand.

I would check it down on the river, too.

This might be the best line .... Did you see that villain was a TAG who paid some attention to his opponents? I checked behind on the flop because I figured he would be anticipating a continuation bet, and would likely c/r with any pair and a variety of draws (or as a bluff). But, I think you're right, I can still pick up the pot often enough to make a flop bet worthwile, and very few turn cards will help me anyway, so I'd usually just have to fold to a turn bet anyhow.

I think you're right about the turn too; I checked because I figured he would fold worse hands and call with better ones, and I thought maybe it would be better to call a river bet and give him a chance to bluff. But I guess he's unlikely to bluff raise, so I might as well not let him draw to a straight or two pair/trips for free.

Hmmmm.... didn't someone else argue this approach. Oh... wait. Yeah, it was me. As my dear departed friend Rodney Dangerfield said
"I get no respect I tell ya, no respect."

You get my respect.









Ok, I lied. It's the avatar.

Anna gets all the respect. And Enrique gets all of Anna. Where does that leave me???? Playin poker on a Thursday night.