Hand of the week 30th April

[NoflopsHomer]

A special post-bB4 this week, thanks to Tighty for this one.

£50 rebuy, 92 runners, £13.8k prize pool. Blinds are 100/200
 
Just after rebuy period. Folded round to the small blind.
 
You're playing the part of the small blind with . Your image is that of an aggressive young player with 8,000 chips.
 
The big blind has 9,000 and is slightly older than you, not quite as aggressive, but capable of making a move now and then.
 
You complete the small blind and the big blind checks.
 
Flop:
 


You're first to act.


1. Is it worth passing or raising preflop? If so, why?

2. Now that you've limped, how much do you like this flop?

3. What is your intention on the flop? Bear in mind how this will affect yours and your opponents decisions later on in the hand.

[matt674]

Your image is that of an aggressive young player with 8,000 chips.

So this wasn't based on a hand Tikay played?

The big blind has 9,000 and is slightly older than you

LOL, definately not!!

 

[tikay]

Hmm, interesting one......

Those that saw the hand, please don't spoil the thread by giving the ending away!

[snoopy1239]

1. Is it worth passing or raising preflop? If so, why?

Not for 100 of an 8,000 stack.

2. Now that you've limped, how much do you like this flop?

Top pair with a backdoor flush draw, could be worse.

3. What is your intention on the flop? Bear in mind how this will affect yours and your opponents decisions later on in the hand.

Out of position, I might check call this one to disguise my top pair and then bet out on the Turn. If I'm met with resistance, then I'll probably tread with caution from there on in.

[MANTIS01]

Question 1: Is it worth passing or raising preflop? If so, why?

My inclination would be to fold pre-flop. You see a King and think that it may be worth a raise but the deuce that goes with it is decisive for me. Often when you see this sort of hand you will only be playing one card after the flop. So the four factors to consider here are A) A one card hand...B) Out of position after the flop...C) Pot size negligible...and D) Opponent's stack size.

You have only contributed 100 chips to the pot, there is no value in the pot, and your stack size is more than comfortable at present. Although it would be nice to play and win every hand the reality is this is not a favourable situation for you. I would use the 100 chips I have already spent to fold and show the BB the King. This would negate my "aggressive" image somewhat and then I would use this investment to raise into him later when the pots are more juicy.

Question 2: Now that you've limped, how much do you like this flop?

As expected I am using just one card to make my decisions now. OK I have top pair but the dangerous drawing flop coupled with the still insignificant pot and my aggressive image would make me cautious here. I just don't see the need to get into a barny with the BB over this and so resist playing the hand strongly. I don't necessarily want to give up top pair but I do want to keep the pot under control so I check and watch with interest what my opponent does.

Question 3. What is your intention on the flop? Bear in mind how this will affect yours and your opponents decisions later on in the hand.

I am prepared to call a small bet. I feel that if I do bet myself my opponent who knows I am an aggressive sort may come over the top with any piece of it or a 10 for example. Then I have put myself in an much tougher position at this early stage in the tournament than the small pot justifies. If I do bet and he calls I am still not altogether sure where I stand. So at this point I check and see what the BB wants to do. His actions will give me the information to help me decide how to proceed.

As a side note...later in the tournament I would play this hand far stronger than I would now.

[tikay]

1. Is it worth passing or raising preflop? If so, why?

Not for 100 of an 8,000 stack.

2. Now that you've limped, how much do you like this flop?

Top pair with a backdoor flush draw, could be worse.

3. What is your intention on the flop? Bear in mind how this will affect yours and your opponents decisions later on in the hand.

Out of position, I might check call this one to disguise my top pair and then bet out on the Turn. If I'm met with resistance, then I'll probably tread with caution from there on in.

There was no Flush Draw snoops, that was a transcription error.  In all other respects, the description is accurate.

[boldie]

Question 1: Is it worth passing or raising preflop? If so, why?

My inclination would be to fold pre-flop. You see a King and think that it may be worth a raise but the deuce that goes with it is decisive for me. Often when you see this sort of hand you will only be playing one card after the flop. So the four factors to consider here are A) A one card hand...B) Out of position after the flop...C) Pot size negligible...and D) Opponent's stack size.

You have only contributed 100 chips to the pot, there is no value in the pot, and your stack size is more than comfortable at present. Although it would be nice to play and win every hand the reality is this is not a favourable situation for you. I would use the 100 chips I have already spent to fold and show the BB the King. This would negate my "aggressive" image somewhat and then I would use this investment to raise into him later when the pots are more juicy.

Question 2: Now that you've limped, how much do you like this flop?

As expected I am using just one card to make my decisions now. OK I have top pair but the dangerous drawing flop coupled with the still insignificant pot and my aggressive image would make me cautious here. I just don't see the need to get into a barny with the BB over this and so resist playing the hand strongly. I don't necessarily want to give up top pair but I do want to keep the pot under control so I check and watch with interest what my opponent does.

Question 3. What is your intention on the flop? Bear in mind how this will affect yours and your opponents decisions later on in the hand.

I am prepared to call a small bet. I feel that if I do bet myself my opponent who knows I am an aggressive sort may come over the top with any piece of it or a 10 for example. Then I have put myself in an much tougher position at this early stage in the tournament than the small pot justifies. If I do bet and he calls I am still not altogether sure where I stand. So at this point I check and see what the BB wants to do. His actions will give me the information to help me decide how to proceed.

As a side note...later in the tournament I would play this hand far stronger than I would now.

Mantis, I love your posts...saves me plenty of typing

[totalise]

raise preflop, people give up on pots too easily when the blind---> stack ratio is quite deep, so you take the initiative and then frequently take the pots. How your hand figures against a random hand isn't really that important, because you are normally going to win/lose this pot through agression rather then what happens at showdown.

Now that ive limped, im playing against a random hand, so on the one hand i like my hand a lot, its ahead here almost always, and I'll steal pots here frequently with air, so it makes sense to bet when my hand is almost certainly best (and likely under-represented) What to do on later streets depends on what happens on the flop and what has happened in previous hands.

On the other hand if stacks get into the middle here, im behind a good % of the time, given the fact that live players dont "go broke in unraised pots" without big hands, so at some stage if the pot is growing, I'd be looking to control it.. but theres plenty of time to worry about that if and when it happens. I guess my plan is to maximize my EV and win the most when ahead and (try to) not go broke when behind, but thats standard for most hands.

[MANTIS01]

Good post totalise, I hear what you're saying.

However,

raise preflop, people give up on pots too easily when the blind ---> stack ratio is quite deep

I wouldn't give up the pot because of the ratios. What colours my judgement and leads me to fold rather than raise is the "aggressive" tag I have been given. I always find that when a LAG raises out of the SB in a blind-on-blind situation the BB is loathe to surrender (especially when they can afford to call)....because the rest of the table is looking on with interest. Then we find the size of the pot gathering steam and unnecessarily so.

I can see a lot of chips going into this pot already

N.B. cheers boldie

[TightEnd]

check call on flop and lead on a blank turn for me

I think I am ahead but don't want to build it until I see a blank on the turn

[Bongo]

Good post totalise, I hear what you're saying.

However,

raise preflop, people give up on pots too easily when the blind ---> stack ratio is quite deep

I wouldn't give up the pot because of the ratios. What colours my judgement and leads me to fold rather than raise is the "aggressive" tag I have been given. I always find that when a LAG raises out of the SB in a blind-on-blind situation the BB is loathe to surrender (especially when they can afford to call)....because the rest of the table is looking on with interest. Then we find the size of the pot gathering steam and unnecessarily so.

I can see a lot of chips going into this pot already

N.B. cheers boldie

You're still getting 3:1 on the call preflop though, giving up seems a bit weak to me.

Why not call and fire out on most flops - people seem a lot less suspicious then - especially when their rags have missed.

Although in this case I wouldn't lead at the flop, having a hand that isn't a monster but with considerable showdown value I'd check to the BB with a view to calling a bet and leading the turn if he checks behind. I'd like to give the BB the chance to make a move if he fancies it, and checking would be the best way to do that without the pot getting big and forcing us to make a tough decision.

Tighty - what would be a blank in this situation, or rather what would be a scare card for you?

[TightEnd]

a blank is any rag 7 or lower

any card making a straight..J, 10, etc I am proceeding more cautiously

[tikay]

A special post-bB4 this week, thanks to Tighty for this one.

£50 rebuy, 92 runners, £13.8k prize pool. Blinds are 100/200
 
Just after rebuy period. Folded round to the small blind.
 
You're playing the part of the small blind with . Your image is that of an aggressive young player with 8,000 chips.
 
The big blind has 9,000 and is slightly older than you, not quite as aggressive, but capable of making a move now and then.
 
You complete the small blind and the big blind checks.
Flop:
 


You're first to act.


1. Is it worth passing or raising preflop? If so, why?

2. Now that you've limped, how much do you like this flop?

3. What is your intention on the flop? Bear in mind how this will affect yours and your opponents decisions later on in the hand.

I apologise, but there is a major error in the way Floppy described the hand played pre-flop, which changes the arguments. (Yes, I confess, I was the BB, & I must have explained it wrong to him).

I RAISED pre-flop, & the SB called the Raise.

Sorry for the confusion. It's a memory thing.

OK, with that knowledge - my Raise pre-Flop, & the SB's call, take it from there please.

[Bongo]

8 doesn't make a straight, does it?

That's still a huge % of the deck to be scared of 

[boldie]

A special post-bB4 this week, thanks to Tighty for this one.

£50 rebuy, 92 runners, £13.8k prize pool. Blinds are 100/200
 
Just after rebuy period. Folded round to the small blind.
 
You're playing the part of the small blind with . Your image is that of an aggressive young player with 8,000 chips.
 
The big blind has 9,000 and is slightly older than you, not quite as aggressive, but capable of making a move now and then.
 
You complete the small blind and the big blind checks.
Flop:
 


You're first to act.


1. Is it worth passing or raising preflop? If so, why?

2. Now that you've limped, how much do you like this flop?

3. What is your intention on the flop? Bear in mind how this will affect yours and your opponents decisions later on in the hand.

I apologise, but there is a major error in the way Floppy described the hand played pre-flop, which changes the arguments. (Yes, I confess, I was the BB, & I must have explained it wrong to him).

I RAISED pre-flop, & the SB called the Raise.

Sorry for the confusion. It's a memory thing.

OK, with that knowledge - my Raise pre-Flop, & the SB's call, take it from there please.

I would say with the raise from the BB pre-flop it's a clear fold for me pre-flop. Howvere..since it's Tikay..he probably has Ace 4 thinking he has pocket Aces.

Fold pre-flop