February 6, 2012

Daily Hand Quiz

DailyHandQuiz

Game type: 5/10 NL Cash shorthanded, Full Tilt Poker
Your image: n/a
Opponent’s image: n/a
Your hand: Q♥T♥

The setup: You’ve just sat down at this cash game, which has just gotten underway. You have no history with your opponent although you recognize him as at least a semi-regular.

You get QTh in the BB. The button raises to 31. The SB folds and you call. You flop top pair:

J♠2♣Q♠

You check, and the button bets $45 into $67. You call and the turn completes the spade flush with the 7♠.

It’s your action. What’s your play?

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10 COMMENTS  (Jump to comment form)

DHQ Staff


Betting won’t make any better hands fold, but it might help you control the pot and charge hands that can outdraw you. On the other hand, if you check, hopeless hands are likely to bet, and that’s the only way you’re going to get any more value out of that part of opp’s range.

In the end, I think opp has more hands that have a piece of this board that are likely to call a bet but check behind if you check than hands that have totally missed that will bet your check, so I’m opting for a bet here, about 2/3rd pot. If no spade hits river, I’m check-calling; if a spade hits the river I’m likely turning my hand into a bluff and leading again.

What actually happened: You checked and opp bet $124. You called and the river bricked. You check-called a bet of $455 and took down the pot when opp showed j6c.

[Reply]

Richard P


Not knowing opponent’s tendencies I would have led out at this pot on the flop in an aggressive 3 handed format. Now I think we have to assume our hand is most likely good so comes down to how to get the most value. If we follow on with our weak flop line then for me that leaves us with a check to raise – downside of that line is that the button could check behind due to the flush (and therefore we could get outdrawn on river) but I don’t think a 5/10 regular would be that weak. I prefer the check raise as leading when the flush completes is less believable and would be easy for the button to raise us off our top pair hand.

[Reply]

Richard P


In the ‘what actually happened’, can anyone explain what kind of (over)bet the button made with second pair after a check? To value bet big or bluff big surely you either have to have the goods or air?! Some hero call.

[Reply]

_CityBorn_


Im check-calling here, and check-calling any river that isnt a spade. a king or ace will make me puke, and ill have to go with my gut on that. the problem is by check calling the flop in a 3 handed game, youre selling the idea that youre weak….so any player worth his weight in salt…especially an aggressive one, is capable of applying pressure on you to get you to fold. if you think your hand is good on the flop, nothing changed on the turn or river…..cant fold just because he’s betting, youre pretty much asking him to! as a broad generalization, i find that in situations like this where a player raises and bets hard against a weak line every street, theyve got a weak hand pretty often.

i disagree with staff that leading will help control the pot. i think a lead looks like a blocking bet, and both a bluff and better hand could raise us, which is exactly what we dont want. we want to gain value while maintaining control and not facing tough decisions for all our chips. check-call the whole way.

[Reply]

Richard P


@ Cityborn

Totally agree that leading would look like a blocker and would more often than not be met with a raise 3 handed at this level. I don’t like the check call again however as any spade, ace, king, further jack or even a 10 (to complete an unlikely broadway) can beat us if ahead – that’s 40% of the deck; if behind we have to risk half our stack to find out but for sure get the most value if opponent is crazy enough to fire a third bullet with a showdown hand.

[Reply]

lalala


hate checking here. you are out of postiion and pot is still play-ably small. lead here and re-evaluate. you are raising for info and a reaction here

[Reply]

Loki


Why did the hero check the flop? Why did he/she not raise the flop bet? I hate making plays that put more money in the pot but do not define my opponent’s hand. Also, on a connecting, flushing flop top pair is only going to get worse.

Thus, I bet here and hope the 7 scared my opponent.

[Reply]

McCowish


Lead,

we have value and it hurts us too much to let him check behind with a spade then get there without us charging him. There are a lot of other possibilities besides the flush for his hand.
50-70% pot please.

[Reply]

McCowish


Wow, lol staff, that is one heck of a river call good job keeping your head.

[Reply]

From Finland


Bet in order to represent low flush/gain information. If raised, easy fold: You’re up against something that you can’t outdraw with one card and can’t bluff your opp out with these stacks and this skill level.

Check can lead to a check/check and spade on the river.

If that’s what happened, opp was either steaming and bluffing a lot or a total donk. Or perhaps he saw two black cards and thought he had a jack-high straight :)

[Reply]

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