Bodog 2/4 NLHE (9-handed)

UTG $414
Cobalt $427

Cobalt is MP w/ A T . UTG is a little loose pre-flop, but he's not a maniac and plays fairly predictably solid post-flop.

Pre-flop:
UTG calls, 2 folds, Cobalt calls, 2 folds, Button calls, SB raises to $8, BB calls, UTG calls, Cobalt calls, Button calls

Flop ($40): T A 5 (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG bets $25, Cobalt raises to $90, 3 folds, UTG re-raises to $225, Cobalt ?

Hmmmmmmmmmm

UTG is not a maniac post flop so we have to respect his lead OOP and reraise. 2 clubs on the board hes not slowplaying his 55. Action looks like he has 55 to me. With your read on the player I would have to fold.

Cobalt, what was your image at this table? Does UTG think you're capable of raising him with a draw, or with a weak suited a?

The only reason it matters is because I want to be able to start leaning toward what UTG has. He doesn't have 10-10 or AA. I need to decide between A-5 or 55 here.

I don't see how you can avoid getting your stack in here if you can't decide what he has.

You call, turn bricks, you check, he pushes, you call.
You call, turn flushes, you check, he checks, river bricks, you push, he calls?
You call, turn flushes, you check, he checks, river bricks, you check, he pushes, you call.
You push, he calls.

Or you fold and lose sleep about it unless he shows you a set.

Real question is whether UTG plays 10x , KQ JQ KJ or A5 the same way in this hand.


If he is capable of a big semi bluff then I think its a call.

I think we've established that he isn't. I do wonder about the A-5 though. Krup?

Yes A5 is very possible but would he reraise w/ it that is my real question. Maybe he has AT also.

A5 I think he smooth calls Cobalts raise to ensure no pairing of the board.

How does predictable and solid mean hes not willing to put his money in the middle with 12 outs?

You dont have to be tricky to semi bluff with a flush draw + gutshot.

The only (REASONABLE) hand you are behind right now is 55. Not only is it incredibly situationally rare that you have top two and they have a set, but you also have a decent amount of outs.

I think this is a semi-bluff and a coin flip (KQ clubs or what not). I'd call.

EDIT: put in reasonable

and you would be broke.

this is a set.

I made this post based on the reads, UTG is loose preflop but solid postflop.

I think I will fold.

While UTG's initial betting amount looks like it, but I don't think UTG is raising with TcXc or KcQc etc because as cobalt describes UTG plays pretty solid postflop. If he has those hands he's either likely to push than raising because he will have better pot equity (two draws on the flop instead of one draw on the turn if it doesn't get there) and fold equity by pushing, or to just call if not fold. No matter what, raising with those hands with that amount in that position doesn't seem right for a good post flop player.

Say he plays reasonably well postflop, if he has AQ/AK will he bet $25 into a $40 pot under the gun in a 5-way pot? Say you have AQ/AK utg will you bet that amount with 5 player seeing the flop? Many good players will bet around the pot to get information or as a statement bet.

Is he likely to underbet it with 55 (he's loose preflop) knowing someone will come over the top when there are 4 players to act and someone is likely to have AX or simply bluffing? Likely.

Since I refused to believe that UTG has AQ/AK or a semi-bluff drawing hand, when he comes over the top after Cobalt's solid raising it's a reluctant !#$%&* but a fold to me.

What about A5? With that uncertainty I would prefer fold. Over the long term I expect to run into a set more than top-bottom pairs should the same situation occurs.

limp 55 utg.

this be tough to get off of as that's about the only hand I'd be putting him on thath as me beat.

but 55 would make perfect sense here.

- Jordan

You think that UTG is going to be their set when there is a pre-flop aggressor waiting to act behind him?

I know the board is scary, but you can pretty much guarantee yourself the opportunity to c/r your set here given the pre-flop action.

Why in the world would I check-raise when I can bet-raise-reraise???????????

Because "knowing" that you could bet-raise-reraise requires ESP and would make this game a hell of a lot easier.

All I'm saying is that is the one element that makes me think this is not a set. It certainly could be, but it also plays eerily similar to KcQc/KcJc/QcJc

online, bottom set in a raised pot, broadway/flush draw board - a good player isnt slow playing 555 here.

errr wrong!!!


read doyle.

He'd be putting himself in an awkward spot by underbetting the pot if he's drawing. I think he'd want to push in that case.

I think I'd want to push with the set, too. But I'd especially not want to be hanging with a draw.

Bah nm...

I'll say that I'm probably wrong here. This is exactly how a set plays it with only 2 more to call.

Do you mean the reraise puts a drawing hand in a awkward spot or the initial underbet does? Just wondering, because I do not see how the initial bet does, and if thats what you mean, please explain.

I hate two pair for the reason of this hand. Its so vulnerable. I agree that this smells like a set

EDIT: NEvermind, I think you mean the reraise and I see what you are saying.

I would be very, very surprised if he doesn't turn over 5-5 or a flush draw with a gutshot.

Looks like 5-5 though.

Villain might think I'm capable of raising this with some sort of draw or ace.

I didn't think he was on the draw, but AT/TT/A5/55 all seemed decently plausible. I knew all the money was likely to go in if I just called, so I went ahead and pushed on the remote chance that this was a draw...or possibly A5.

My strongest feeling was 55. Unfortunately, I didn't trust my read enough. I should've also recognized that I'd only put ~$100 into the pot at that point. Needless to say, y'all are better players than me. Should've been able to get away from what seems to obviously be a set of 5s (and was).

lot easier for us to say easy fold when we werent the ones playing the hand:)

I didn't make that very clear, but you have figured out my meaning. I'm talking about the raise to 225.

I don't think a solid player is reraising a strong draw here, his mindset being that he does not want to put in a lot of money drawing 50/50.
A5s is 3 combinations (clubs already out)
55 is 3 combinations.

Even loose players may fold A5s UTG, so 55 seems more likely, enough so that folding seems to be the better play.

Well, I've learned to fold 2 pair on the flop now when my raise gets reraised. A rereraise is usually a monster hand because a good player knows that a raise usually means a strong made hand that doesn't want to get drawn out cheaply on, so to rereraise, the hand must even be stronger. This of course goes out the window if your opponent is really stupid but I'm assuming that's not the case here.

Folding here is ridiculous. Reraise all in he's not leading out with that strong a bet holding a hidden set

Some of you are seriously weak-tight. I'm all in with AT everytime in this spot, sometimes you are supposed to go busto, this is one of those times.

Cobalt-Are you going through a cold deck, it seems as if you have had a lot of coolers lately(e.g. the 9s full of Jacks hand)

I'm pretty confident that I get away from T5/A5 in this same spot, but laying down top two's pretty tough without a super read.

As for the cold deck, nah...not particularly. I think I'm running about average in that department lately. That one and this one just happened to be two big hands I've had recently that ran into bigger hands. Always just left wondering afterwards if it's possible to get away.

What can villian have to rereraise? AA, TT, 55, AT as well or A5. you can only beat A5. There is no way villian is rereraising with a draw, he must have a made hand. Folding here is not being weak tight, it's assessing what your opponent likely has and laying down your strong but prob beat hand.

In total agreement.



Cobalt is aggressive so i think the raise is the perfect move when you hit a set. The results confirm this.



Ridiculous. If you think people won't bet out to an aggressive player with a hidden set with a straight draw/flush draw on board, you are definitely an optimist. Give your head a shake. I do it all the time as I'm not a slow player often if I can get screwed by free cards. And I'm not the only one so be careful when you say it is ridiculous to fold.

Hands like this happen all the time and as I take people's money I usually hear, 'How could I put you on that hand.' My reply is ,' quite easily'.

Overly aggressive players always call solid tight players weak/tight until all their money has been lost to the solid player.

Anyway, for Cobalt, it's hard to not put your money in on this but I think your read made your decision the wrong one.

I read a lot of your posts and you know what you're doing. I always say go with your read(loose pre-flop/solid post) and you had the right read.

Respect the raise of a raise of a solid player.

Um not its not. Obviously you are oblivious to reads. When a tight, solid player leads out UTG with a strong bet on a draw heavy board and then reraises when raised its time to fold here. I knew it was 55 before we were told. You have to be able to fold this hand.



You can prevent going "busto" by folding. We are not supposed to go "busto". If your all in every time here you'll be stuck playing whatever limit your at.

Completely result oriented thinking. If you fold top two every time someone plays back at you, then are you losing tons of profit in the long run. Why even play Ace Ten if you aren't comfortable with top two.

Its completely different if you have KQ and the flop is KQJ suited, then yeah you need to exhibit some caution. On that flop you don't have to go broke when someone plays back, but you've got to be fing kidding me if you fold AT on an AT5 flop.



Or maybe AK,AQ or AJ. This is the problem with this board, we assume everyone plays like us and has similiar calling and raising standards. No two players are entirely the same. Just because you can only play back with the aforementioned hands does not mean that villian is only capable of that. Sometimes I think they should rename this board to "Why should I fold my big hand this time." It must be scary to see how many good opportunities with marginal situations you guys throw away.

No its not result oriented look at the first response to the thread.

Your paying not attention to reads and position and betting. The three things that are screaming 55. Sometimes 2 pair good and this was the case.

Different reads and action will produce different techniques.

I'll agree with Krup here, the whole point of playing the small pairs is when you hit the trips with an ace on board, you can usually get paid a lot by the guys holding AK or if they have two pair. With the flush draw on board and the possiblity of the you holding the A5 or AT, both possibles given the preflop action I would want to be protecting my 55 too, on a less scary board I would try and give the better some more rope.

Would you raise a raise with ak, aq or aj? I doubt it. Only a donkey would do that. Unless you are quite certain your opponent is a donkey, they won't have those hands.