Hand from 2/4 Live...WWYD?

[snickers99]

Just got back from a weekend of poker at Niagara Falls. Trip reports coming, but it could be days before I get to them as work and the rest of life is real busy right now. But there is one hand I'd like to discuss. Hopefully, a lot of people will chime in. I don't know what suits the cards were, but that's not important. I'll try to provide as much detail as I can.

2/4 Limit (Live), full ten handed table, Sunday afternoon. Pretty passive. I've been playing more hands than normal only because I'm pretty sure nobody is going to raise behind me. Yes, people are limping w/AA, KK, etc. Nobody is a total donk, but nobody seems to really know what they're doing. I have a lot to learn, but I feel I'm the best one at the table (not saying a lot for 2/4 live!). I believe my image is either "watch this guy, he's kinda good" or "fuckin' donk keeps getting lucky"...not sure which, but I'm doing well at this point. I'm in seat 9. I should mention that it seemed like quads were almost normal this weekend. I got 2 and saw at least 4 others. And saw my first live Royal Flush (wasn't me). FYI, live poker is rigged.

AJo in EP and I limp. As I suspect, no raises behind me. I forget the total number of limpers, but it's probably around 4 or 5.

Flop is: 6-J-6

Checked to me and I bet. Guy in seat 2 raises. Folded to me. Fearful of a set, I call.

Turn is: 6

OK. Now what? I might be up against quads. I could even be up against a high pocket pair (AA - QQ...even JJ) which, honestly, I didn't think about until after the hand was over. I figured he had a J or a 6. He hasn't played many pots. But he's at the other end of the table and I don't remember any hands he's played. I would say he was semi-solid (for 2/4) and probably would have raised a big pair preflop. I check, planning on check-raising when he bets. He does bet out, I raise, he takes maybe a second or two and re-raises. Now I'm almost sure he's got the 6, but I can't lay down a FH. Even thou I'm thinking the best I can do is a split pot, I call.

River is: A

Oh boy. Now what? If he has a jack, I just got a better FH. If he's got the 6, it doesn't matter and the poker gods are fucking with me. What do you do? Discuss...I'll post the answer later. Let me know if you have any questions about the hand.

[bigdil511]

Well in life we can't be scared of quads so I will just act like there was no possibility that they existed here. JJ would be the only hand I would be worried about but if you think he would raise with a hand like that PF than I wouldn't really be too worried about that either. I lead out on the river and re-raise and cap as fast as possible there are just too many ifs here I am going to assume we have the best hand.

[biggle10]

3-bet the flop. If he caps, I'd probably check-call down. If he just calls. I'm leading the turn.

Check-raising the turn is bad because you get 3-bet by a lot of better hands as well as hands you chop with. So more bets only go in when you're behind.

River did just pull you ahead of a lot of hands (other jacks, other pairs). I think bet-call?

[bigdil511]

3-bet the flop. If he caps, I'd probably check-call down. If he just calls. I'm leading the turn.

Check-raising the turn is bad because you get 3-bet by a lot of better hands as well as hands you chop with. So more bets only go in when you're behind.

River did just pull you ahead of a lot of hands (other jacks, other pairs). I think bet-call?

Maybe thats why I don't play much limit, I think the majority of the time you have the best hand on the river here, wrong line of thinking?

[snickers99]

Well in life we can't be scared of quads so I will just act like there was no possibility that they existed here.

I understand that line of thinking, but I played at this table for 5 hours and saw four sets of quads that I remember...almost one an hour. And you know you see less hands per hour live than online. At this point in the hand, I'm thinking quads are a real possiblility. Not trying to sway anybody's thinking...just saying what I was thinking. Even a couple people at the table was sure one of us had the 6...and it wasn't me.

Maybe thats why I don't play much limit, I think the majority of the time you have the best hand on the river here, wrong line of thinking?

It's tough with 2/4 limit live, which is waaaaay worse than .50/1 limit online. Most of your opponents will play almost anything at anytime from any position no matter if you raise or not. I had pocket kings cracked twice this weekend by 4-7 (once suited, once not) when they cold called my raise and both times, they hit a straight.

[velar]

1. I don't like an EP limp with AJo at a full table. Raise or fold. Only limp with drawing hands like KQs or even JTs or mid pairs - hands that you will call a raise with if there are enough people in and you can get away from easily if you miss the nuts.

2. 3-bet flop. See where you are while it's still cheap.

3. Bet out the turn and I'd call a raise. I don't think you can afford a c/r here for a couple reasons - he may check and you'd be stuck if a K or Q falls on river, and he may have a better hand and reraise and now you are really screwed.

4. The Ace makes me change from a check/call strategy to a bet/call one. I figure it's worth the extra $4. He wouldn't check behind, would he? If I see someone check that river before me, I'd have to assume no 6 and take a shot at it.

5. Kick the guy in the nuts when he shows 64o.

[snickers99]

Thanks for the help. I really thought he had the 6. I check on the river, he bets, I call. He flips over a jack and I take a huge pot.

[alanpsych]

fwiw, quads are going to be much more likely with trips on the board than just a pair, so you can't discount them as you would with just a paired board.

With a A J 6 6 6 board, and 20 cards dealt to the table (2 of which are yours and don't include the case 6), there's a 40% chance that the 6 is 'out there'. With only 3 other limpers, there would still be a 13% chance, since no one with a 6 is folding, so I think that you're justified in not ramming and jamming here against a solid-playing opponent. (Of course, if he sees you as a solid opponent, he might dismiss you having a 6.)