This is from FCP so I converted it myself; hopefully I got all the BB math right.

Opponent is unknown because it was 4 am and I wasn't paying close enough attention.

Full Contact Poker .5/1 Hold'em (10 max, 10 handed) Brought to you by Best Buy

Preflop: Hero is Button with A:diamond:, 7:diamond:.
3 folds, MP calls.

Flop: (5.5 SB) 3:spade:, 8:diamond:, 9:diamond: (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP calls.

Turn: (3.75 BB) J:spade: (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP calls.

River: (5.75 BB) J:diamond: (2 players)
MP bets, MP calls.

Final Pot: 13.75 BB

Looking back I now question approximately five decisions I made in this hand. Ok I'm kidding, I don't think I played the river badly, at least.

The river is fine, if he had a set or two pair he surely would have raised the turn, so the chances of him having a full house are pretty slim. my guess is a smaller flush. the only thing i would have done different, is I might have checked behind on the turn, but who knows, it would probably depend on my mood. nh.

Raise preflop.

I think he did

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, 7.
3 folds, MP calls, 3 folds, Hero bets, 2 folds, MP calls.

Yeah, I messed that up in my 'conversion.' I raised it.

then, NH.

odd for a boated hand to not have piped up yet.

so, you should win plenty of times to cap here.

Everyone likes the the continuation bet on the TURN, right?

These are the instances that when i don't take the pot down, I being to wonder if I'm spewing.

On the turn, you have have about 15 outs to improve by the river:

9 diamonds
3 10's for a straight (one 10 being counted as a diamond)
3 Aces

15/46 = 32% to improve

You're putting in 1 BB to win 3.75 BB or 26% of the pot equity to win it right there if he folds. If he calls you've invested 1 BB to win 4.75 BB (21% equity), so I feel it's a good move. Probably a little close as some of the outs need to be discounted as it could improve his hand as well, but being aggressive here gives you fold equity as well.

What he said, and that's assuming you don't have the best hand, which you still might.

Just to pipe in, I agree that it doesn't like our nemesis has a boat from the way it was played. My guess is a smaller flush, or alternately, Jx where X is NOT another board card.

Back to the preflop raise, why do you like it? You are looking for a flush primarily so why run the others off? Wouldn't you want more callers? If you miss the flop it's easy to get away from, so why throw in the extra bet preflop?

that is wrong.
start there.

I'll take a shot and say "He's trying to chase of the blinds and isolate the limper. Even if he doesn't hit a draw, his A7 stands to be a favorite over a random hand. Additionally, he may be able to fold an A8 or A9 in the blinds."

That sound about right?

:clap:

epecially the "his A7 stands to be a favorite over a random hand" part

Ok, I'm going to beg to differ here. Had he not raised preflop and gotten more callers especially on the flop then he could have made alot more money on the pot. Some hands are better to isolate with others are looking for better odds to draw, Axs is better with callers than without IMHO. Even if A8 or A9 stays, it's going to be hard to show down an A7 if an A flops anyway. Maybe this is a preference thing but I would like some other opinions. Thanks.

It just so happened that we made a flush on this hand so it would've been more profitable had we just called pf, but the majority of the time we do not make a flush. I usually raise this preflop for the fold equity I gain later in the hand, especially if i can get the pot HU. That and A7s is better than most hands people limp with at .50/1. Oh yeah, and heads up if an Ace falls it's pretty easy to get A7 to showsdown against a limper.

sorry, me again.

If limper was UTG and we were MP1, I limp, encourage others.

We are on button AT MOST its a 4 way pot.
Often raising, we end up 3 way at least anyway.

Calculate the odds of hittng a flush before you put too much weight on limping to encourage 2 more in.

Raisng gives us some fold equity in pos when we miss the flop.

It's not close.

Ok, relooking at the hand it is rather confusing since there is a brazillion MP's, lol.

I was thinking he was MP1, and raised the UTG limper. With 7 people still to act would you raise in this situation or limp?

If UTG limped and all fold to MP3 do you then raise?

Obviously raising from the cut off or button is understandable.

And thanks, I am really curious about this as it's a common occurance and I'm curious what others think.

here's my thinking..

Loose palyers behind me that always cold call with wide range. I raise. I have equity edge and great odds to chase BDFD + overs now, if I can jsut hit hit a little pice of flop, we'll peel..or fire again...

Strong/loose players behind me that 3-bet aggressively and dont cold call, I'll just limp...encourage limpers and put more emphasis on the flush. Also see if raise come later, giving some indication to my Ace outs. (then I leave table)

Solid Tight players behind me and looose UTG: Raise to isolate, buy button, and win UI.

thats about it.

i think the hand was played perfect. turn i may check behind, but he could well be playing overcards on that flop and will fold when he misses. you preflop raise will give you the fold equity to make that bet IMO.

and the river cap is fine. he can't put you on a flush since you bet all the way through, so you don't have to assume he has a flush or better to be betting like that.

for everything else, listen to actuary

nh
daniel

Thanks everyone, especially for the explanations about the turn bet. Very helpful.

For the curious, opponent had K 10 .

If he folds, you're risking 1 to win 3.75. If he's not folding, you're risking 1 to win 1 more since you can check (risk 0) to win the 3.75 already there, plus checking the turn may induce a bet on the river if you hit.

You need to win 50% or more if the turn bet is to break even. You only have outs to win about 30% of the time, so you need about 20% fold equity for a bet to even break even. The only hands you're already ahead of are KQ, and KT. I dont think there's much chance of winning here without hitting one of your outs.

I check the turn.

I'm torn on the preflop raise. I dont mind it, but I think I likely just call.