Daily Hand Quiz

Against most players, I’d throw out a standard c-bet and usually take down the pot or else find out where I stand.
Given V’s calling-station image though, I’m inclined to check-call here because my two main objectives for betting are less likely to be met.
- V is unlikely to fold to a c-bet.
- I don’t get any useful information about V’s hand.

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John Kugelman Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 6:49 am

You mean check/fold? Check/call’s the worst option we have. We’re still putting money in the pot but we’ve got no hand and no fold equity.

I’d bet 250 and give up if called or raised. The next best option is to check/fold. Remember that check/folding doesn’t mean we necessarily give up. We’re checking expecting him to check behind most of the time and bet if he hit a pair, so folding is fine if he does bet. This would not be a good option vs. a loose aggro player, though. Only a loose passive one.

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Pirate21 Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 9:08 am

Yes…you’re right, I meant check-fold.

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Ahhh, the old garden variety brain-dead calling station. There is only 1 way to play against this type of player, and we do not have any hand we can take advantage with, and I wish not to keep firing in the hopes that ace high is still good at the end, just because I know this guy will keep coming alone. Wait til we have value, then milk it. Until then, this is super easy standard check/check/check. If he bets I’ll fold, because for this kind of player that is a crazy bold move (to voluntarily put money in without being forced to continue), and is generally done with at least a made hand.

Check/Fold until ace comes out. Only 1 possible way to play against this type, and we simply don’t have it…. yet. Be patient, wait for value, and hope this idiot is still around when we finally do so we can take him for the rest of his chips. We may not get a chance cuz this is one of those turbo jobs, but that doesn’t change the fact that this type of player can only be played 1 exact way, and we don’t have it. I may be tight and prudish for folding to a bet, but I have nothing in this hand I wouldn’t care about leaving behind, so until I have value, I’m not seeking value or representing value. Too e-zee.

I love having one of these at my table… its funny how everyone scrambles to always be in a pot with them, in efforts to soak up all the rest of his free chips while he still has them to spew before he goes bust.

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Waste_Of_Paint Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 4:04 am

I am not sure I agree with you on this one general. I think this player is the type that will indeed call preflop with any number of remotely pretty hands, but will give up as soon as they don’t improve on the flop. Unless he has a queen, spade draw or better (which more likely than not he doesn’t) I think a bet takes it down here. And as this guy doesn’t have the vaguest of ideas about pot odds, I don’t think we need to bet more than half pot to find out where we are.

I would bet 150 here and shut down to any resistance. It’s enough to discourage him from floating along with random crap like KJ, JT, 87s, 22, Ax or any other nonsense he might have that could improve to beat us, but it doesn’t stretch us more than is comfortable or than we need to. From our perspective, betting 150 into 375 only needs to work a third of the time to be profitable and I think it easily will.

It’s important to take stabs at pots like this in SNGs. We can quite comfortably improve our stack by 30% here most of the time without significant risk. How annoyed will we feel if we check/check it to the river and he spikes a nine with his ten-nine?

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check/fold or bet are our two real options. logic for c/f laid out nicely by kugelman, and WOP explains why we’d bet. i ended up in the bet camp, agreeing that he’ll fold if he didnt hit, and the chances he hit the queen are small enough that betting is +ev here. against weak players, im always trying to keep the pressure up. if they resist and i dont have it, minimal loss. if they resist and i have it, they cant tell the difference, and i end up winning much bigger pots over multiple streets.

im betting about 225. it should feel like enough that his station tendencies dont kick in….we want the “weak” part of his personality to take over here so the bet has to pack at least a bit of a punch.

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_CityBorn_ Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 8:01 am

sorry, c/f logic explained by mr jameson

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Everybody here is right on point. At this stage, it’s a flip between throwing out a c-bet and checking down (obviously if he bets, you’re done). It wouldn’t be a bad move to bet about 175 right here, but if he calls, checky-checky on the back end. Personally though, I’d be most inclined to C/F all the way.

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I’d bet over half – $275 is strong enough imo. If they have a Q, they’ll call and Hero can check the turn.

I don’t like c-f since V could be pot building a spade draw. Not sure of V overall skill level, but I prefer to maintain agg play and fire first.

Light c-bet (under half-the-pot) may price a draw in, and of course we do not have a hand yet.

C-calling seems to be tossing chips away, knowing that you’re very likely behind.

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First of all I dont know if I’m betting out ATs or K10s – (Admin). Secondly, I wouldnt be opening several pots early in a SNG. After opening several pots early in a SNG I would have limped & not bet out 3x the BB. Since my image is some what loose at this point I don’t want to showdown my hand. So in this situation I’m for betting about 1/2 pot +- 175. Villan has a wounded stack and can’t keep calling if he didn’t hit. If he missed but has 2 Broadway cards and we check, he may hit the turn and then he’s not gonna fold. If he is sitting on TP or flush draw he may shove or come over the top. Which will tell me what I want to know. If he calls I’m done. If he’s trapping he may just call and bet out on the turn/river, But I wont be calling. By betting, I have the best chance of winning now, and/or finding out if I’m behind.

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