I thought this was an interesting hand. I started at $10 in chips, have played only about ten out of 75 up until now, without winning a single one.

Everyone at table is terrible, myself included.

FullTiltPoker Table Campbell - $0.25/$0.50 Ante $0.05 - Limit Seven Card
Seat 1: Rocketwadster ($3.10)
Seat 2: Al ($8.20)
Seat 3: ge ($28)
Seat 4: Jo ($6.90)
Seat 5: ma ($8.65)
Seat 6: Lo ($7.80)
Seat 7: ba ($12.15)
Seat 8: pu ($5.65)

Everyone antees

*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to Rocketwadster [9h Th] [7h] Calls
Dealt to Al [Qs] Calls
Dealt to ge [5h] Folds
Dealt to Jo [Ac] Calls
Dealt to ma [9d] Calls
Dealt to Lo [4d] Brings-in
Dealt to ba [7d] Folds
Dealt to pu [5d] Calls

Just called here with my pretty good if not considered great holding. Every time someone has raised on third, the number of callers seemingly has not diminished, and the chasing only increases. Not long before this I saw it capped 4 ways on third when someone in late position raised. Not sure I want to gamble like that with what little chips I have remaining.
Lets see what 4th brings.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to Rocketwadster [9h Th 7h] [Kh] Calls
Dealt to Al [Qs] [4s] Calls
Dealt to Jo [Ac] [Jc] Checks, Calls
Dealt to ma [9d] [Td] Bets
Dealt to Lo [4d] [2h] Calls
Dealt to pu [5d] [6s] Calls

As suspected, a lot of people hoping their crap hands somehow win here. I caught great, so I continue. I want the other players to continue their chasing, drawing very slim to outdraw me should I get my flush.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to Rocketwadster [9h Th 7h Kh] [3h] Calls
Dealt to Al [Qs 4s] [7c] Folds
Dealt to Jo [Ac Jc] [2s] Folds
Dealt to ma [9d Td] [3c] Calls
Dealt to Lo [4d 2h] [6h] Calls
Dealt to pu [5d 6s] [5s] Bets

Bingo! Due to my position, I just called, hoping for the after-calls. I would have raised had the positions been different.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to Rocketwadster [9h Th 7h Kh 3h] [Tc] Calls
Dealt to ma [9d Td 3c] [Ks] Calls
Dealt to Lo [4d 2h 6h] [As] Calls
Dealt to pu [5d 6s 5s] [7s] Bets

ma and Lo want to continue, most likely drawing dead, so I let them. pu hasn't slowed down, so he may have a flush/flush himself, or most likely two pair. There is a dead 5 and 6 to his hand, so odds of him being full right now are slim at best IMO.
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to Rocketwadster [9h Th 7h Kh 3h Tc] [8c]
pu bets $0.50
Rocketwadster calls $0.50
ma calls $0.50
Lo folds

I just called, hoping (if I have the best hand) to get 2 calls behind me. Had I raised, I probably would have only gotten one (the bettor), OR, been re-raised, telling me I'm most likely beaten. I save a bet when I'm behind, and usually make an extra bet or two when I'm ahead.

Please dissect and analyze.

pu is probably betting thinking the pair is good, since everyone else is just showing various cards. lo could've had a straight and could've stayed in on 5th too, or he could just be drawing (which is evidenced by his fold on 7th). i would be raising 5th and 6th street (betting if checked to me). pu could have trips or two pair, and we should be betting agressively here to find out what he has.

we'll never really be able to figure out whether he has the full house or not on any street if we're just calling him down on every street. also, playing this cautiously with a flush here minimizes the gain that we can expect on this hand and makes it all the more easier for us to get outdrawn later.

i would be pumping on 5th, pu will probably check 6th if it didn't improve him to beat a flush, and will fire back later if he does improve.

Well played. I understand your reasoning on every street, and I don't have a problem with any of it. However, due to there being a lot of donks, I personally might raise on 6th street, as I would assume that they would just as easily call two bets as they would call one, thus you might be able to get a few more bets due to their overcalling. Really though, I'm not sure which would be more profitable in the long run, raising there for value or calling and gathering the almost certain overcalls....so I'd probably just try and mix it up and do both on occasion in this spot. Well played.

so you think a raise on 5th for information's bad?

not sure i see where you or rocket's coming from. enlighten me.

Raising on 5th is certainly not a bad play. However, because a '5' was folded on 3rd street, it makes it pretty unlikely that 'pu' has trips/boat....thus, if we raise on 5th, there is a chance that a lot of the people behind will fold to the two bets, but if we call, there's a pretty good chance that they all overcall, thus winning us a lot of extra bets on that street with them having a slim chance of outdrawing us, as noone's board looks particularly threatening. It is a bit risky b/c you will be outdrawn every now and then, but in the long run it's pretty profitable....as everyone is drawing pretty thin, if not practically dead. On 6th I think you can raise easier, as by that time they will all feel commited and might call two bets just as easy as they call one, but on 5th, I think calling is best to induce everyone else to throw extra bets in the pot with little risk of being outdrawn. If a 5 wasn't dead, I would certainly raise on 5th for information..but with the dead 5, it's usually safe to assume he doesn't have the last 5, AND even if he does have it he doesn't necessarily have the boat.

i get where you're coming from. forgot about the 5 on 3rd, which now makes more sense. even with two pair, he's now drawing to 3 outs (if that) for a boat.

so in that case, i see what you mean that the call down is better. with lo drawing to a straight, that could create some potential action as well if he catches. don't even have to worry about ma at all, and the fact that he's still putting in money is kinda of crazy, unless he thinks the pair is the best hand, and he can beat that.

but then of course, this is a donkalicious table anyway, as rocket said.

thanks for the input koop.

Yes, we all were donkeys at this table.

The night before I gave Stud Hi a try again, I was re-reading SSI, to try to see where I was possbily going wrong. If memory serves, the concept that I was trying to follow in this hand was to keep as many players in the pot drawing slim as possible (as I had a strong hand). SSI advocates trying to narrow the field early in the hand, and keeping as many players putting money in later in the hand (when you have a strong hand). I believe I succeeded in keeping the money going into it, and don't believe that early in the hand i had any hope of narrowing the field until possibly 5th, but by then I have made my hand...

I ended up losing this hand to the full house that pu claimed he ended up getting on 7th. He was drawing so slim (if he didnt have it from his original buried cards), that I think I played it okay. I hate this game...

pump it on 5th, no need to get fancy VS donkeys, if the flush is no good...thats poker

IMO

rough beat. it happens. you played the hand ok. don't worry about the outcome. just keep reading through SS. you look to be getting the concepts.

Wouldn't I be losing my dead-money opponents who keep calling if I was to start pumping after I caught three to a flush on board? I want to maximize the amount of money going into the pot, and pumping it will not do that IMO. My two-pair/full house opponent isn't going anywhere regardless, but I think I want to keep the others involved....

I say yes to this. I think both plays are profitable, but this play is more profitable if you think your opponents would fold to two bets. Gotta know your opponents I suppose...if you think they'd call two bets cold just as easy as one bet..then raise...but if not, I like the way you played it.