1/2NL–hand was a win, still played subpar

[Brian F]

1/2NL

Hero: $150 to start hand
V: approx $175 (older man, played 2/5 until game stopped going lately, fairly competent, perceived TAG)

Hero dealt Qc9c and opens to $10 in LP after 2 limps, villain flats btn after 2 calls ahead of him, 2 more calls following btn flat (6 ways to flop).

Flop: KcJs7c

EP players check, hero checks, checks to btn who bets $25…folds to hero who flats.
2 players behind hero fold so heads between hero and villain (btn).

Turn Qd. Hero checks again, villain tanks and bets $60 (live read: the way he did it was methodical and made sure he counted approx half his stack, committing himself to the hand before sliding bet out). Hero tanks for approx 20-30 seconds before calling.

River: 6c. Hero jams for $60ish, villain sigh calls after tanking and shows smaller flush.

Now the hand worked out in my favor and I got Max value but I still don’t like the way I played it. I should probably be leading flop as my hand has no showdown value, I have significant outs, and I’m outta position….there really is no “bad” turn card for my hand. Secondly if I’m calling turn I should probably be jamming, although based on prior experience with this villain I was not confident 2nd pair was good there (turned out it was lol)…after turn bet I put him on at LEAST a K (and possibly a draw of some type)….

I’d love to hear some other opinions here

[John S]

Pre-flop: With 2 limps, you want to make it bigger. You want to not and try and play these 6-way pots. If you’re going to raise, try to only get 1 or 2 callers or take it down. $10 after 2 limps is just building a pot.

Flop: I could make an argument here for betting and checking. You have a straight and flush draw here, so you’re never folding, so betting isn’t a bad option. But since this is 6 ways, and someone has likely hit this flop so you’re certainly behind when you get called. You are short enough to get all the money in, so I think this could go either way. If you bet, you want to make it a bigger bet, something like $40-45.

Turn: This gets a little tricky as to what you think villain will do on the river when the flush hits. You got lucky here since he made a flush as well. What would you do here if villain had K10? Is he the type to pay off when a flush hits? If you think he’s paying you off when it hit then I like the call. But if he’s not going to pay off your flush then you need to jam. He doesn’t have enough money for you to have fold equity here, so I think you need to play the opponent here. If the river is a red 2 you just punted $60 for no reason.

[Anonymous]

If you think he’s paying you off when it hit then I like the call. But if he’s not going to pay off your flush then you need to jam. He doesn’t have enough money for you to have fold equity here, so I think you need to play the opponent here. If the river is a red 2 you just punted $60 for no reason.

Are you talking about fold equity on the river or on the turn? I think at this point the villain is committed and is not folding regardless. He’s got to have a strong enough hand that you aren’t going to push him off for $60 more at the end. I don’t mind the flat and saving the $60 if you miss. If he were deeper, I’d agree with the jam. He’d have enough to make folding worth it and you have outs if he calls.

My $0.02

[John S]

On the turn. If you think you’re beat on the turn but your flush/straight is good when it comes in, I like jamming if you think he’s not calling river when the flush/straight hits. I’ve ran into plenty of players that will fold when the flush hits, even when the bet is so small compared to the size of the pot. But if he’s the type that’s going to call regardless, I like the call because you can save that $60 when you brick.

[Author]

Posts