Bodog 2/3 NLHE (6-handed)

Cobalt $499
CO $360

Cobalt is UTG w/ A 9 . I've got a pretty LAG image after winning a big pot with 97s when I called a pre-flop raise. I've also been raising pretty frequently pre-flop. I've only seen CO show down one hand (KK) so far.

Pre-flop:
Cobalt raises to $10, 1 fold, CO calls, 3 folds

Flop ($25): T 9 2 (2 players)
Cobalt bets $15, CO raises to $35, Cobalt calls

Turn ($95): A (2 players)
Cobalt checks, CO bets $45, Cobalt raises to $155, CO goes all-in, Cobalt calls $160


Anybody go differently?

I don't see anything wrong with this play. I probably would have folded to the raise on the flop though. You turned Aces up on a 6 handed table. Only two things you have to worry about is a set or A10. Any drawing hands aren't made yet gonig into the river.

Your actions pretty much committed you to make that last call and hope he doesnt have A10. I would most likely fold the flop if my read is that the Villain is a tight player. Once you make it $155 on the turn I think you have to be prepared to call if villain pushes.

i agree with getting it all in on the turn.

the flop is a little iffy for me. OOP and with just MPTK, when you called what was your plan on the turn if you didn't hit your kicker

btw, with your cultivated table image, i often expect to see an overpair that smooth called in position pf looking to trap you.

I think I fold to his raise on the flop. As played, I am ok with the c/r on the turn, and you have to call his push. Really sucks if he has AT/22.

or AA

I agree. The flop call is begging for trouble I think, unless you think he's raising a flush draw, but since you said you've only seen him show KK, I'm assuming you're making him for tight/rockish, though don't know how many hands you'd play with him.

Once you're in, I think the way you played the turn is fine, and you have to call after the c/r.

Let me clarify that I didn't have a whole lot of hands on this guy. I'd been pushing the action on the table and hadn't seen many people show down at all. So while I think he's somewhat solidish, I think the general tenor of the table is that they're ready to play back at me. So that said, I do think he could do this with a draw or medium pair.

You guys are really folding here to almost equivalent of a min-raise? I realize that we're OOP and all...and that the play's going to be tricky on the turn if we don't improve. I think I'd certainly fold if I'd whiffed and/or table images were different, but I hit in a fairly decent manner for a HU pot. Guess I just wasn't convinced that I was beat at that point.

The calls not horrible, but that's read dependent. Based on the info you just provided, it seems a bit different than assuming you read him as a rock.

If you do call the flop, what you're line on the turn UI? Check/fold to a flush/straight card?

Middle suited boards typically scare me the most when I have a relatively weak holding, since the board is so strong for a number of hands he's calling a flop raise, with. QJ, JT, T9, TT, 99, 87s.

I think the rationale for the fold to the flop raise is the number of cards that improve us, relative to the number of cards that can improve the likely drawing hands that are out there, if we're not already well behind.


Admittedly, though, the raise certainly doesn't seem as though he's trying to protect gainst too many draws.

I love the flop call.
I love the turn play.
I love the hand.

When you have represented yourself as a LAG, opponents will get tricky with you.
So when you have a decent hand (2nd pair), it can generate a lot more profit than normal.

If Villain were tight, and he saw you as tight, then folding would be the wisest course.
But this is a time where we need to use our loose image to our advantage.

Once you hit 2 pair, your hand is good the vast majority of the time.
And we should be very pleased with getting all of our money in.


Well played.


--CM

I read his raise as more of a "feeler" than strength. I find that people put out a lot of these bets/raises when playing short-handed. "Did you hit the flop or are you c-betting?" My action on the turn is going to depend a lot on what pops off and how he reacts. I consider most 8s through 2s to be blanks. I obviously like As and 9s. A T might actually make me feel better. And, depending on what he has, he'll probably slow down to a lot of turns.

Pulled this out of Stove...

equity (%) win (%) tie (%)
Hand 1: 43.3815 % 43.38% 00.00% { As9h }
Hand 2: 56.6186 % 56.62% 00.00% { 55+, 22, KTs, QTs+, JTs, T9s, 87s, QJo, JTo, T9o }

We're getting 3.75 to 1 on this flop call. I realize that the "easiest" play is to fold and wait for a better situation, but we're short-handed - the most profitable approach to the game isn't always going to leave us with easy decisions.

Interresting. Not nearly as far behind as I would have suspected on the flop based on the range we can assign.

I can get behind that logic.

I'm pretty much thinking the same thing as C-Blue is on the flop 'cause I do the raise he described all the time. I'll make a raise head up to find out where I stand if I have any pair, draw or sometimes I'm gonna raise just to keep a LAG player in check.

On the turn I think I'd prefer to bet out versus the check-raise for a few reasons.

1. It's a really weird play and usually means weakness when somebody calls on the flop and then bets out. You see the rookie move all the time with guys on flush draw. Whether villian thinks you're pulling a move or not you'll get a call. If he raises you can decide whether you want to go over the top or not. I always prefer being the one to push than call.

2. Speaking of flush draw...I don't want to check and give a free card to someone who IS drawing.

You always play a pretty solid game C-Blue so I don't think too much either way with this hand. You had a better read and I think my opinion is just a preferance more than anything.

fleung, I understand the logic in the donkbet and don't disagree that it's a decent way to get the money in. It also offers us the flexibility to get away from the hand if we feel that's correct. In argument for the check-raise, my general experience is that when pots gets this big in relation to the stacks, villain almost never takes the free card for the draw. In argument against the check-raise, we're often going to be in trouble if villain pushes, but we'll be getting such good odds that we'll be obligated to call.

As for the actual hand, villain had T9s here and bitched me out to no end for calling the flop. I did give him a decent option to get away on the turn. Once I check-raise in that spot, there's almost no chance his two pair is good.

Flop call is pretty bad IMO.

In spots like this if you improve and get action youre going to be way behind far to often.

Also lets say you dont improve on the turn since you wont 85% of the time, if youre check folding a blank i also dont like it.

I mean is your read hes playing games? has a big draw, etc etc.

I'm guessing you lost to either AA, A10, 1010,99 or 22.

Though I guess you could have won vs an Axh or QJh type of hand.

24, I think you should read the rest of the thread. I clarified a bit. I did think that he could be playing games or have a draw. I did not plan to just check/fold a blank turn if I didn't improve. I did not lose the hand. =)

Interesting part of this hand takes place on the flop.

What was your plan of action on a blank turn?

On a heart or scare card turn?

Likely checking most turns and seeing how he reacts. Probably check/calling "reasonable" through "smallish" bets on blank turns. On draw turns, I'm check/folding to actions that I read as strong and check/raising (or betting the river against checks) against those bets I read as weak. I realize that's somewhat vague, but there's room for a lot of options with these stacks given different turn cards and bet sizes.

he shoulda shoveled the flop..

Q J right?

turn play plays itself really once you get the bet. i'd 'fear' maybe 22 here but whatever.

- Jordan