Daily Hand Quiz

I’m checking behind here trying to control pot size. Firstly I don’t like the flat call pre-flop, QQ simply isn’t a big enough hand to flat. Opponent then check calls a pot sized bet, and an over-card appears on the turn. maybe we’re ahead given V’s image, but maybe we’re not, and I’m not comfortable betting here. Check and try to get to showdown cheap.

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kaimano Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:46 am

Yes, check behind and give a free card to his flush draw…

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the sage Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:44 am

I’m just saying that there are a few hands we are behind to, AA, KK, AK, 88, 66 and 44. Other hands that makes sense, flush draw, yep sure, 99, 1010, JJ. Very unlikely he’s on air or floating with a stack that size. With flush draw only 20% chance to complete I’m happy keeping the pot small.

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kaimano Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:27 am

He has checked twice on a wet board…I don’t think he has a set…and if he has a set he’ll probably check-raise and we can fold without regret. If he has JJ,TT,99, I want to value bet before the board becomes too dangerous. And if he has a flush draw I want him to pay. Looking at the stack sizes (he has 4560 and we have 12000), with 4500 already in the pot, I shove and put maximum pressure on him.

WasteOfPaint Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:58 am

Our opponent’s image is ‘a little loose’ and you are only giving him credit for raising with premium hands from mid position. His range is much wider than that.

It is definitely a little suspicious that he’s check called the flop for a quarter of his stack, but I would much rather test the water here than let another card come off. I’d fire bullet of about 2k, a little less than half pot, which minimises our risk but still requires villain to pot commit if he wants to continue with the hand.

the sage Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:18 am

His pre-flop raising range is much wider I agree, but his pre-flop raising range plus check call pot sized bet with small stack range ?

WasteOfPaint Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:26 am

A loose player could make those plays with 55/77 with a gut shot, top pair, two pair, middle/bottom pair + draw, open-ended straight draw, maybe even AQ/AJ/A10.

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Pirate21 Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:28 am

I think we have to fire here to see where we are. I think it’s a little better than 50-50 that we’re ahead here, but we need another bet to find out and help define our approach on the river. I agree that it needs to be around 1/2 pot – with one card left, that should get him off his draws.

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check it and control the pot size.

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check it. any bet here commits you if he shoves, and hes only shoving with hands that beat you. hes folding anything else anyway so youre not getting value either way.

alternately if hes on a draw, and misses, as he will 80% of the time, maybe he fires a bullet to try to salvage the pot and attack our show of weakness. im checking here, and picking up value from a bluff on the river. if the Ace, 5 or 7 of hearts drops and he fires out, ill fold.

maximizing value and minimizing chip commitment means sometimes you have to risk your opponent hitting draws. part of the game. scared money loses.

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WasteOfPaint Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:26 am

I understand your reasoning. However, you state that he’s only shoving with hands that beat us, but that you’ll call a river bet from him unless a drawing card hits. So surely you’re going to surrender your chips to a better hand anyway, unless he checks the river? Is he really checking the river again with a better hand than ours if we check the turn back?

What if a blank hits and he checks again, do we just check it off?

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_CityBorn_ Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 am

if he checks the river i check behind. our hand has enough showdown value that im happy to see if its best and leave it at that.

as for surrendering my chips to a better hand either way, i figure it like this: if you bet here, he shoves with anything better than queens, that means youre in for an additional 4.5k drawing to at most two outs on the river, if not dead. if you check here and he bets the river, theres a good chance he value bets less than all in saving us money. theres also the extra value added from all the times hes betting that river with a busted draw after we checked. if we’re gonna commit the chips, lets try to commit the least amount possible, while trying to induce a bluff from missed hands.

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Damn – lotta replys. I agree that any bet now pretty much commits us if villain shoves. I’d want to check it down to keep the pot small and minimize my losses if I’m beat, but that seems risky. It wouldn’t tell me where I’m at and then what do I do if he bets the river. I know that any bet he makes on the river would commit him to going all in considering his stack size. So…I guess the smart thing to do would be bet to find out what the hell is going on. I’d bet about 3000. That way he knows if he wants to chase then he’s essentially gonna hafta go all in. It’s a nice big bet that may just scare him away right now – which is fine with me. And if he goes all in then I pretty much know I’m beat but I’m priced in as well considering the stack sizes.

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Bet! 2K sounds about right, I hate giving free cards!

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I’d check. If v held 2 hearts I think he would CRAI on the flop. K is a danger card, so if we lead he is shoving with the winner. While a river heart does not scare me, an A-7-5 does. Only have a pair on a dangerous board, so get to the riv cheaply.

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If V had a K wouldn’t he shove so I don’t get the Flush cheaply!

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samo Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:47 pm

Not putting hero on f-draw since he/she bet the pot on the flop.

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Raise,

I bet 1/2 the pot.

Case for checking
1) You don’t know whether you are ahead or behind–
A) He could have flopped a set and checked to an aggressive player
B) He could have hit the king on the turn.
so if you raise and he shoves, it’s so little to call you’d probably do it–.
C) He could have you from preflop.
2) If he checks the river, I’d have the green light to extract a little value bet.
3) Pot Control relative to Strength of hand: You don’t want to build a monster pot with a small to medium hand-so we check.

Case for raising
1)Increase our equity to 100%: We push out draws/Ax or charge them. The flop makes a drawy board by raising we can charge.
2) Value: A lot of pairs liked the flop and since the pot is equal to player E’s remaining stack, raising could trigger an all-in for a significant section of a short-stacked villain’s range if he feels you’re aggressive and being less-than-honest.
3) Line consistent with image: we are aggressive, remember? raising here makes a better story than checking and trying to full bet the river for value and expecting a call from an inferior hand.

I like the case for raising, namely because the lack of reverse implied odds due to player E’s stack to pot ratio limit our downside; instead of being reraised on the turn and folding to pressure, since villain’s stack is the size of the pot-our reward stays the same when we bet but we aren’t suspectible to bluffs. This also indicates the pot control advantage under the case for checking is substantially less important. Also if we are wrong, we can afford it. This also pressures the middle pairs and provides the possibility of making a mistake– given our image.

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If you check here what would you fold to on the river? ie what card what bet?

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