6 handed cash game

.50/1.00

i have 41 infront of me, button has around 15.50

SB posts .50, HERO posts 1.00, UTG-1 folds, CO calls, Button Calls, SB completes, HERO checks.


Flop A 3 9

SB checks, HERO checks, CO checks, Button bets 3.00, SB folds, HERO raises 11.50 (14.50 total), CO folds, Button ....



Anyone think this is a good or bad move... i have a good read on this player and hes capable of making a bet with nothing there to take the blinds. I'll post results after i get some comments.

First off sit with more $. 41$ isnt enough for .50/1 6 max.

The hand looks decent. Due to his short stack not much else you can do.

good luck getting him to fold an rag ace with that small stack
i dont know if i make that move on someone so close to reloading

I dont think we are ever folding a better hand. Just the OPs read is key here.

i have a good read on this player and hes capable of making a bet with nothing there to take the blinds.

I agree w/ pp 24 that you are unlikely to get a better hand to fold with that stack.

Why not just bet out?

Yes, I'll often check TP crap kicker out of position, but it's not necessarily to set up a play at the pot.

That stack would be completely donk to call your pot sized bet without an ace...
If he raises hard or pushes, then you found out what you needed to know and move on.

it was a home game, and everyone buys in for 20 dollars when we play .50/1.00 just thought i'd let you guys know that.

So you all sit with 20bb's? Maybe thats where the problem is......

I think the point here (please correct me if i'm worng) is that Hero may be looking to get a little extra value out of his hand here. Checking to induce a stab and then takign the pot with the C/R which will make most hands that would take a stab fold.

I honestly don't mind it live. Definately avoid this situation online though.

If you have a decent read on your opponent, im just as likely to stab at it as you are. Unfortunantly, everyone is right here, with your short stack, its going to be hard pushing away another Ace, Especially if the button has alot of gamble in him. Lets here some results.

I think you can make the argument for raising with any ace, six handed. Rest of the play looks fine though.

Honestly, the hand you chose to play here is completely irrelevant. You are putting your opponent on a bluff and want to pick him off on it. Remember that, because there is no way you want a call here, unless your opponent is stupid, or overvalues second pair.

Thinking about it this way, I might let him take another stab at the pot (if you think he'll fire again on the turn). If he were more deep-stacked, I would say to do around 2.5-3 x his bet, but since he is short stacked, just put him all-in.

Of course, if you are really confident in your read, you might try to lead him in to being fully pot committed with a smaller raise or smooth-calling.

But all of this hinges on your read. If you are not sure that he doesn't have an ace, more caution is required. In that case, I would call and see what develops on the turn.

If you want to try to bluff your opponent off a real hand, a delayed bluff (call now, lead at the turn) would be the best play for that.

So, there are some options. How confident are you in your read, and how much risk will you want to take?

Really? I'm not really looking for value w/ A2 and no re-draw. I'm looking for value with 2 pair, or with AT or better when someone will bet a weaker ace that I can put them on in an unraised pot.
Here, I'm looking for the pot.
My impression is that the OP checked to get a read with TP crap kicker. If a tight player bets out, or if there's strong action on the flop, it's pretty easy to let it go.
That's one way to get info.
So is betting out. I tend toward that here because I'd like to avoid playing for stacks with A2.

That said, I suspect that the OP took down the pot here, one way or another.


I wonder how differently you play it if the stacks were closer (e.g. $40 each). In that case you've got more fold equity, but you're potentially risking a lot more to make that play. Do you still like c/r? Say to $9?
Remember, his stack means that he can easily pick you off too.

oops, sorry. posted 2x.

Ok... hand results...
he ended up folding his Ace... see if figured he had limped with a weak ace, or was trying to semi steal with a 9. He ended up folding A5, i knew his kicker wasnt that good.. just cause of the way it was played by him.

And if stacks are deeper, i am reraising prolly close to 12 or so.. i know that if we were both deep stacked, he would think i have him crushed to raise that much right there.

So yes, i got lucky he folded, but because of who it was i feel i made the right move at the right time.

i just meant it's a pot that's likely to get taken down on the flop, so the op may let one person stab at it before he takes it down. CO and button really should not be holding aces here often.

Seeing that the OP took it down and the villain would not raise this pot preflop short handed, ummm.. I don't like it... Some one who limps short handed from the button with A5, i would think he'd call you down here with the ace more times than he folds.

Well thats the thing... its the same people i play with all the time... and they know ill check raise a set or two pair in that situation... kind of like using my own betting patterns to my advantage, if you know what i mean.

Since the pot had $7 when you raised, I would have thought an $8 bet would have had the same effect as an $11.50 while risking $3.50 less.

Just an idea. One of the errors I've heard the pros say amateurs are prone to make is betting too much.

I'm just saying that if he's donkish enough to limp with A5 on the button here, you're likely to get too fancy against him a lot of times if you're running this line on him a lot. Some one who limps with A5 against me, I'm looking to stab at the pot and hope he hasn't hit it at all. And i'm going to try to show down good hands.