Tight Poker

[mirage]

Since most of the strat threads I post seem to be overpair hands bordering on bad beats, I decided to look through today's sessions and find a more interesting hand to discuss that I clearly made some mistakes on.

Reads: Guy just sat down, no stats.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Button ($12.90)
SB ($25.70)
BB ($32.15)
UTG ($70.65)
Hero ($55.50)

Preflop: Hero is MP with A, T.
1 fold, Hero raises to $2, 2 folds, BB calls $1.50.

Flop: ($4.25) 6, T, 4 (2 players)
BB bets $2, Hero calls $2.

(I mix it up between raising and calling there, this donk bet is most often a flush draw so I decide to call and bet 1/2 to 2/3 pot on turn if he checks.)



Turn: ($8.25) 4 (2 players)
BB bets $4, Hero calls $4.

Now I begin to rethink my initial read, most villains aren't firing the turn here with only a FD. Still, rather than raising and bloating the pot I decide to try to get to a cheap showdown.



River: ($16.25) 8 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero...

is lacking key information by passing up the chance to raise the flop. But as played, shall we put in a value bet here? How much? It feels weak to me to check behind. I don't want to bet tiny and have to call a raise or get blown off my hand... I think there is some value to be had here extracting from weaker tens but I'm having a hard time determining how much (the price I pay for misplaying the flop, I suppose ) Help!

[neverthink]

I prefer a check behind. If you value bet, you have to be content to fold if he raises you all in, so that's upto you. His line looks a lot like a FD and so I'd say a great deal of the time he won't be calling anyway. I don't want a weak player to act stupid and just raise me all in because I bet, since that's something I can't call.

If I were to VB him, I'd make it about 55-66 percent of the pot, and be folding to all but a minraise.

I don't really think the flop is misplayed, it's an alternate line that leaves you in a bit of a guessing game though, which is one good reason for checking the river.

[crunny]

Given that you have zero reads on opponent I think either checking or value betting is fine.

If I were to value bet it would bet 1/3-1/2 pot. I think a Ten will struggle to call a larger bet.

[mirage]

Result:

I bet 10 (a little large, I know) so that if he did choose to raise I would know I was beat. He only called and flipped Jacks, which makes sense looking back, it was the one overpair that he probably doesn't reraise. In the future I think I will raise the flop donk bet vs. an unknown and fold to a reraise. I think calling the donk bet to induce bluffing on future streets is good vs. a known donk betting maniac or LAG, but in the dark, raising to "see where you're at" is the correct play.

It was a good lesson for me

[sfustsh]

Personally I think it's more than possible that he has something like Tx where x is greater than T.

However his line is consistent with a flush draw, so I check behind the river and be happy with a moderate pot, there aren't a lot of hands that can call that you beat, especially after you've been calling down.

You might get him to bite with a weak hand thinking that you're on a busted FD, but not often enough to make it worth it.

I really think that on this flop, it is not a good position to throw in a 'mix it up' play. You really have to raise. It could be a blocking bet or, even more likely, a moderate pair that doesn't want to get too tied down to TPGK or second pair.

Limping with ATo would be a better way to play this hand "differently" that doesn't cost you as much.