Daily Hand Quiz

C-bet or check-call, I prefer C-bet here to make it look like a continuation bet, plus we have the second highest stack on the table to keep the pressure on. I put V on small pocket pairs to 9-8s or better. 2 overs and ace of hearts should be good enough for the hero to see a turn card (fold to a raise or shove).

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Lacking a read a standard c-bet (around 6k) seems best. Check-raise is awkward because of v’s small stack, check-fold too weak and check-call (not listed) too spewy. Also, if v would check back, most turn cards will only serve to confuse us further.

If v raises, we’re out, and if he calls he either has a big overpair, or is a donk with no idea of basic stack management – but the latter is something that we would have probably picked up on.

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bet-fold. a bet of about 4.5k here tells v we’re playing for his stack, and we have the stack to do it without blinking. he wont continue unless he’s got a pair. if he flats, hes a donk, and we check-fold any non Ace or King turn. check-raise Ace or King turn. Lead river if we hit and he checked behind on the turn.

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Just shove. Terrorizing shortstacks near the money can’t be that bad. If he’s any competent that flop couldn’t have helped him in any way (his stack is way too short to play PPs, SCs).

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I think we are forced to C-bet this one. If we check the flop, he will shove and take down the 9.1k pot because we can’t call to show ace high, and potentially double him up to over 40k, and dwindle us to nearly 50k. Plus, we have been exploited which very well may cost us down the stretch. I think c-betting to 6K is a perfect bet because A) it is 1/3 his stack, forcing him to fold or shove B) since we bet 2.5x BB preflop to (3k) it makes betting 6k look like a standard follow up bet with a PP C) if he shoves, we can easily get away because he haven’t bet enough to be forced to call the remaining 11k, and we are now safe at 62K

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Major Dude Reply:
March 31st, 2011 at 8:01 am

+1

Yeah, this is probably the best line in a slightly awkward situation. His preflop call is odd. I’d think of him being in more of a shove/fold situation, given his stack size.

So he either called preflop because he’s being clumsy with a hand we might beat . . . or because he’s got JJ+ and wants to string us along for a c-bet (or dodge an ace on the flop.)

I’d expect to get raised at least half the time here — and need to give up. But if there’s some chance of a fold, the pot odds will reward a c-bet as described.

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Pirate21 Reply:
March 31st, 2011 at 9:55 am

I agree with most of this, but not sure about the bet sizing.
If we bet 6k and get shoved over the top, there is $32K in the pot and we have to call $11K more to see the turn and river. Are we really going to fold there? If so, should we bet a little less? Don’t we get the same info if we bet 4-5K?
Or if we’re going to call anyway, should we bet more and increase the pressure on a short stack?
In short, I think we can bet less and minimize our losses if we’re folding – or bet more and increase the likelihood of V folding.

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Waste_Of_Paint Reply:
March 31st, 2011 at 11:17 am

That’s kind of where I was coming from with the question below, i.e. if we bet anything above half pot we’re going to get very tempting odds to make a call if villain shoves. Villain has air here a ton of the time and could shove over with hands we’re beating if he thinks we’re just bullying. and even if he has a pair, we’re still not in terrible shape unless it’s the unlikely AA, KK or a set.

His preflop flat seems very odd anyway – surely if he had a pair he’s got to jam/fold pre, as he’s not getting implied odds to setmine. Could be a trappy AA/KK but that also seems unlikely as we have AK. It feels more likely that he just has broadway cards or suited connectors and wants to see a flop.

The more I think about it I bet/call here.

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We have an aggressive image. Would no-one be tempted to call here if villain shoved over a standard c-bet?

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Morat Reply:
April 1st, 2011 at 2:09 am

I would, that’s why I said shove right away. I mean, OK I call if I get shoved over but I don’t feel happy about it. Getting a call wouldn’t be much better when the turn blanks.
If I decided I’m ready to play for his stack, why not just shove? This will put him into an awkward, unusual situation in which he might make a mistake (folding better / calling with worse like AQ, AJ considering our image).

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The real problem is that we have no read on him. Is he a donk flatting with a suited connector or a pro flatting with QQ+ to extract more value on the flop? If we don’t know this, we have to assume he’s somewhat competent and so he as a pair (I’d say 99+) or AK. So we have about 25% againts a pair and splitting against AK. The other problem is that if we cbet 5-6k and he shoves, we have to call 12k in a pot of 43k total, about 28% that is very close to the 25% equity we have against a pair. It may look very weak but I’d check fold. I’ve lost 4k in this hand but I’ve a very comfortable stack and don’t need to get involved in a chicken game with Ahigh.

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We definitely need to be stingy here, without a read, missed flop, we have to be careful not to pump up another player!! We’d like a cheap look at turn and river, But realistically we’d need to see something like Kh to go any further, the incentive to risk up to 17k (~1/4 our stack) just isn’t there, whereas V really needs to make a move!! – voted small bet initially, but it would make more sense to check/fold if V is likely to hold 88, again without a read, any pair or single gap connectors!!

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New quiz today. April fool!

I cbet here about 5k. If v raises I give credit for a hand and fold. Pretty straightforward but if v can take advantage then props to v.

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