Dear OPN,
Some advice appreciated, take me to poker school. Recently…
Very soft table but the two best players there had position on me – immediate left and three to my left. Ran KK into an A high flop. Ran QQ into KK on my immediate left and got away from it after this action: I raise to 8, good player on my left re-raises to 20, I re-raise to 50, he pauses for a few seconds and then calls. Flop comes A high we both check (I believe he calls any bet here b/c the only hands he has me reraising his KK 20 with preflop are AA and QQ and he has one of them crushed and the other just flopped the joint so why would I lead with such a monster? Interestingly, if I had only called the 20, I could win the pot here with a bet, as AK, AQ are in that range as well. Anyway, turn bricked out, I checked, he bet 65 which was half his stack and half my stack, so I had no move over the top and if I call was pot committed hoping for a Q and putting in the rest anyway on the river. So I folded, he showed the KK.
Then I took another hit when I had AJ preflop gets raised to 8 from early position, I call from the button, SB calls and the flop came AK10 all clubs (I have the J of clubs). I was in position and SB (same player as previous hand) led out. Other good player 3 to my left raises all in for about 50. I reraise all in for my last 75 thinking I might already be good and that I have a lot of outs regardless on a redraw, unless someone has AQ with Q of clubs or Qx of clubs, which considering there were 3 good players in the hand and it was raised preflop is not likely, nor are any other low club combination for the same reason. Plus, the one guy has led the pot and the other has over raised all in. Even if he has a set, I don’t lose any of the 9 outs on the flush because of the board being all clubs.
So the initial better reluctantly folds (an ace of some kind) and other guy turns over A10 for 2 pair. Turn is the case A, awful for me as my flush (except straight flush) is now off the board, so I can only win with one of the 3 jacks or the Q of clubs and I don’t hit.
What do you think on that hand? That was the one that sent me from down 125 to basically down 200 and forced me to really play tight, at which point I didn’t get any cards for about 3 hours and couldn’t get in hands with the weaker players, then got frustrated and made some bad calls (tried to make a hero call with AK, called with top pair when all I could beat was a bluff…etc.) Maybe I should wait for a better spot?
Also, what is your thought on 4 betting queens preflop? Against that player, out of position, I probably need to just call, but I’m probably mad at myself if I just flat call and see the A on the flop, figuring I just beat myself by not raising out AK.
Anyway, I’m rusty.
-Brownstoner
Brownstoner,
You will have losing nights, sounds like the cards beat you so don’t be hard on yourself.
The first hand, my only suggestion is to do exactly what he did on the turn instead of checking. You do the exact same move, you control the leverage and he has to fold. The fact you checked the flop means he can’t eliminate top set from your range. Don’t know how many times you check AK when you flop an Ace but if you’ve done it even more credibility to you, considering he can’t rule out you were planning to check raise him. He still has to give you a little bit of credit for AK with the preflop action even if he doesn’t admit it. Truth of the matter is if you bet you imply you can’t fold, but should he come over the top, you know you lay down and give him credit for an Ace. If he holds a hand like he had he simply folds angrily–if he’s a good player.
On the second hand you may not lose any “outs” to a set but you now can be counterfeited even if you hit your hand.
I had KK the other day in live play. Flop came 636 two clubs. We get it all in. Guy doesn’t want to flip his cards over. 6 on the turn. 7 on the river. He had an open ended straight draw 45 clubs. He proceeded to tell me how he had me crushed on the flop. I tell him I’m pretty sure I was still a small favorite. Guy next to me says “yes, 52-48.” Looked it up, and that was right, and if board wasn’t paired he’s 57-43 favorite. That’s a pretty big swing.
Go back to your hand, if he has a set, then that’s probably an even bigger swing to your flush and straight draws. It is. You are a favorite vs. two pair (even bigger one if the other guy really folded an ace). With a set he’s a big favorite. It’s almost 60-40 exactly and vice versa. Big swing
…Note conversation continues next post.
Advertisement
