Learning the Hard way.

[ixanadu]

In my never ending saga by learning the hard way, I'm posting a hand for some help.

1st hand of the 600+ tourny. I generally jump away from these hands, but ventured out because I was on the button.

Notice how I keep pushing, and the villain keeps calling. I get cold feet at the end and he of course takes the pot.

#Game No : 13735618
***** Pacific Hand History for Game 13735618 *****
$10/$20 Blinds No Limit Hold'em - *** 01 11 20:08:06 2006
Tournament #7669979 $15 + $1.5 - Table #3 (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 10: cmor05 ( $1200 )
Seat 1: dmatts ( $1200 )
Seat 2: RED7722 ( $1200 )
Seat 3: claws14 ( $1200 )
Seat 4: MeMe ( $1200 )
Seat 5: spike66 ( $1200 )
Seat 6: Kazza75 ( $1200 )
Seat 7: HLDMPLAR ( $1200 )
Seat 8: alyeska ( $1200 )
Seat 9: lynn47 ( $1200 )
spike66 posts small blind [$10].
Kazza75 posts big blind [$20].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to MeMe [ Jc Ah ]
HLDMPLAR calls [$20].
alyeska folds.
lynn47 calls [$20].
cmor05 folds.
dmatts folds.
RED7722 folds.
claws14 folds.
MeMe raises [$60].
spike66 folds.
Kazza75 calls [$40].
HLDMPLAR calls [$40].
lynn47 calls [$40].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 6h, 3c, 9d ]
Kazza75 checks.
HLDMPLAR checks.
lynn47 checks.
MeMe bets [$120].
Kazza75 folds.
HLDMPLAR folds.
lynn47 calls [$120].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 10c ]
lynn47 checks.
MeMe bets [$200].
lynn47 calls [$200].
** Dealing River ** [ 4s ]
lynn47 checks.
MeMe checks.
** Summary **
lynn47 shows [ Ks 6c ].
MeMe mucks.
lynn47 collected [$890].




Besides wanted comments about playing such a weak hand (really interested in your input) I'm also very interested in comments in how this play went down. Should I have started checking behind?

[bobcorn]

Limp preflop or raise to at least 120. If you are going to bet the flop bet at least 180. After your flop bet is called on a rainbow board, you have to assume he has at least top pair so I would check behind on the turn.

[geps00]

I think that if you want to play a hand like that at this point... you needed to raise more pre-flop... at this point 40 chips are nothing to most of the people on the table.. so they will probably call with any garbage hand like A9 (the bad players of course).

So I would have raised 150-200 pre-flop.

[biggle10]

I think that if you want to play a hand like that at this point... you needed to raise more pre-flop... at this point 40 chips are nothing to most of the people on the table.. so they will probably call with any garbage hand like A9 (the bad players of course).

So I would have raised 150-200 pre-flop.

Why such a large preflop bet? You're going to be committing a lot of chips with what is likely to be the worst hand so you can win 30 chips? I like a preflop limp.

[geps00]

I think that if you want to play a hand like that at this point... you needed to raise more pre-flop... at this point 40 chips are nothing to most of the people on the table.. so they will probably call with any garbage hand like A9 (the bad players of course).

So I would have raised 150-200 pre-flop.

Why such a large preflop bet? You're going to be committing a lot of chips with what is likely to be the worst hand so you can win 30 chips? I like a preflop limp.

If you limp you will let the guys who just called with probably mediocre hands have good chances of winning you by a lucky two of a kind or some miracle flop, and at this point of the tournament.. you wont have reads on no one.

In this case the guy is holding AJ... if someone who limped has A9 suited.... and the flop comes A95 rainbow, you (holding AJ) will probably belive you have the best hand.. and you will have to face a hard decision in the first hand of the torunament with a bet or a raise upon you... what is not a good thing to do

In this case I would raise the hand above 100 or fold

Many consider this is a trouble hand at this point.. so if you are not ready to raise.. fold

Im just a begginer but thats how a fell about it.. please let me hear your reply

Thanks

[biggle10]

If you limp you will let the guys who just called with probably mediocre hands have good chances of winning you by a lucky two of a kind or some miracle flop, and at this point of the tournament.. you wont have reads on no one.

Possible, but you're just as likely to run into big pair or better ace in which case you have to fold to the reraise that they put in. I call it a wash either way. Keep the pots small when your hand isn't well defined and you're out of position.

In this case the guy is holding AJ... if someone who limped has A9 suited.... and the flop comes A95 rainbow, you (holding AJ) will probably belive you have the best hand.. and you will have to face a hard decision in the first hand of the torunament with a bet or a raise upon you... what is not a good thing to do

The flop is just as likely to come AJ5 and you take all villain's money. Hard decisions are not a bad thing. In fact hard decisions are what make winning players. Most people can play the nuts or fold when they have nothing. Marginal situations happen way more often.

In this case I would raise the hand above 100 or fold

Many consider this is a trouble hand at this point.. so if you are not ready to raise.. fold

If you are unable to get away from hands I agree with a fold.

Im just a begginer but thats how a fell about it.. please let me hear your reply

Thanks

Thinning the field is good, but I believe you can accomplish that with a much smaller raise. When thinning the field (or stealing), bet the minimum amount that you think will accomplish that. A 200 raise will limit your opponents to hands better than yours.

[mervhage]

AJ is going to be a tough one to fold if you flop an ace with two rags. AT is slightly easier to get away from in the same situation.

As stated, the small raise preflop only invites action and AJ needs to limit the field as much as possible. Since this is the first hand, I'd throw a bet out on the flop and give it up if I'm called. There's no reason to get out of line so early. Just make a note on the guy (or anyone else who plays like this) and try to take advantage later.

[lsutiger]

First hand, I fold - no point in getting in a bad situation with a marginal hand in the first hand. If it comes Axx, you don't know if you are ahead or behind. Best way to go here is to fold and wait until you have a better read on people.

[kbar13]

I like raising this hand only because you are in late position, otherwise I would fold. As a general rule, I try not to make a continuation bet early in a tourney, especially with 3 other people in the pot and a weak hand like AJ. If you flop top pair or better, bet out, otherwise just check/fold.