Daily Hand Quiz

First: how is our image non-applicable. Everyone has an image, whether we’ve played zero hands or every single one so far. Oh Well. The biggest concern to me, other than that we’re maybe betting with the 2nd best hand, is that the pot is quickly becoming too big for what our hand is. A half bet here and call will make the pot as big as our remaining stack with river still to come… all with 2nd pair out of position.

I’d hate to check here, and give control of the hand to D, but perhaps he wants to keep it small too. I’m not really worried about giving a free card here. With that board, either we are way behind (to an ace) or we are way ahead (Jx) and they are drawing to maybe 3-5 outs. A free river card isn’t going to change anyone’s fortunes often enough to charge for it all in the name of protection, while in the face of a pot that is already too large.

We either need to check and pray he wants to get this to showdown cheap, or we can lead a small blocking bet here and on the river to prevent him from making a bet we can’t call. I think I’d lead here exactly for 400. This is a good blocker size, if he r/r it, it would be for more than he would have bet if we just checked it to him, so he can only call it, thus we save 200-250 on this street. But what is our river plan? I think I would check it and just pray that he does the same. Or we can try and block bet again on the river. With that board, I don’t think there’s any 5th card that can come that will give him a r/r worthy hand. The only question is does he have an A or not. I would hate to bet all 3 streets, just to find out he had A9 and we couldn’t get away from our measly queens.

I think I’m gonna block lead the turn, and check the river. If he doesn’t r/r us here, and he only calls, I think there’s a good chance he will check the river too. He may put us on some kind of mid to high ace, and his A8 might not look as hot anymore? I don’t know. Let’s just focus on doing whatever we can to get to showdown as cheap as possible, and I think this is the best route to do it. If he goes hefty on the river into us, we have to fold. There is no hand we are beating that would call 2 times, and then blast away back into us on the river. Sometimes we can’t dodge a 3 outer. This just may be one of those times. But for this level and blind size, forget that we have QQ, and just focus on keeping a small ball pot. (Working overnights gives me too much time to think about this shit)

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Pirate21 Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 8:55 am

His A8 will look pretty good since he just hit 2pr on the turn

I’m with you that I think he has Ax. I doubt it’s a real strong ace or we would have seen a raise by now. Our only hope here is that a) a Q hits or b) he things we have a better ace. My problem is that since I’m convinced we’re behind, I don’t really want to invest the chips to make him think we have the strong ace.

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Nelson Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 9:13 am

Hey Pirate! Hope your doin alright! Any scores lately? Check these sour potatoes – On Pstars recently – I’ve tried 3 times to satellite my way into a NL Omaha hi/lo knockout in the WCOOP (buyin is $265). The satellites are $27. First one, 69 plyrs, 5 got in – I got 8th. Second one, 46 plyrs, 3 got in, I got 6th. And last night, 47 players, 3 got in, I got 5th. Too bad I don’t get a frickin prize for 3 final tables…jeez. Luckily I had 3 knockouts in the first one for $15, and the second one I had one knockout for $5 and got $25 for 6th. So I’m only down $36. But what a bummer last night – 4th place got $145…My time is coming I’m tellin ya!

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Pirate21 Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 9:57 am

Keep working it – sounds like you’re close….
I haven’t won anything significant lately. I end up playing a lot of 1 or 2 table sit-n-gos just because of time constraints. Finished 5th in a R/A hold-em tournament last week.

I don’t get it. We have QQ and flop top pair on an A high board? Something’s fishy.
Anyway if our hand was AQ I’d check/call trying to get to the cheapest showdown possible. I can’t think of much Ax hands he can call with and we beat, maybe Axs kind hands or a chop w/ AQ. AK, AJ are all ahead and AT- would be a bad call pre from a strong regular.
If we actually have QQ for second pair it would be nice to know what position the other caller had. If D called on the flop with an active player behind him it’s safe to say he’s got an ace at least. If he was last to act he may have floated but an ‘A’ is still a big part of his range. I’d c/f QQ here most often.

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check fold, youre always beat here. you didnt want to see an ace for a reason, cause in a multiway raised pot someone ALWAYS has the damn ace. and ill tell you what. if you lead and get called, which you will, youre gonna check fold after that anyway unless you want to spew your entire stack off early in a tourney without even top pair (despite what the quiz narration says). just save the chips. bad flop, bad situation, next hand please.

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I‘d lead again for 475. The board is fairly dry that a ~½ potter with 1 card to come does not look weak, and will get you info.

An Ace is certainly in the range of the caller, but a mid-pr warrants another shot in case they called w/a J. While our hand does not merit building a big pot, it is strong enough to fire a turn, at the same time representing AQ or AK. If called, I’d shut down on the river.

Checking would hand control over to a strong opponent.

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Assuming QQ is actually our hand since there’s some obvious discrepancies between the title and the description…
I guess we need to decide what kind of hand V had in order to call our p/f bet from middle position and then call a 2/3 pot c-bet with an ace on the board. If we trust the read on V, I have to think we are behind a majority of the time and may have difficulty pushing him off his hand.
On the other hand, V is calling, not reraising – so, he is either playing pot control or he’s trapping. I can’t think of too many hands he’d be trapping with – JJ and 66 might, usually not AA since they likely re-raise p/f. I think we need to give credit for TT+ or Ax (and leaning towards the Ace).
Given how early it is, I’m not inclined to go to war with my QQ in this spot. I can buy the argument for a smallish blocking bet to try and get to showdown on the cheap, but if we face any resistance I’m letting it go.

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Pirate21 Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 10:19 am

To clarify my last comment… I voted c/f and would still stand by that over leading in this spot.

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In keeping with the WA/WB concept we should have checked the flop.
(http://www.cardschat.com/f49/wa-wb-concept-76525/)

Now I think I check/call (as long as the bet is reasonable, but a well-seasoned player is not likely going to overbet this board) since the turn bricked.
It is by no means a sure thing that we are beat, his range easily includes pairs, KJ, QJs, JTs and so forth.
If v has A-rag he will be wary of a better Ace. He may even opt to check back in which case I’ll value bet the river.

If we call his bet it’s doubtful that he wants to put in extra money on the river unless it hits his hand.

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Wtf? Check fold. We are NEVER ahead here, no need to spew a large chunk of our stack on a bluff with little chance of working. Easiest quiz I have ever seen on here.

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