New player (month)..what should I have done?

[Newhouse]

First ever post, unsure I’m describing the hand for help, been playing poker a month, small home game with about $2K on the table. Here goes…

I have $110 left (short stack) of $200 buy in. BB has big stack on table (~$350) off a $60 buy in & playing few hands (seems tight but aggressive). I’ve been grinding playing very tight, (not working for me obviously?)

Playing 50/50…NL

Up to now standard first raise is $2.50 playing about 2 hours.

$1 in blinds
I get dealt pocket AA UTG+1 position

Preflop action: SB check, BB check, I go $3, call, call, SB fold then BB calls (four to the pot $14)

Flop K63
BB bet $6…I raise to $12, two callers, original sees bet (four to see turn) (pot now $62)

Turn K
BB check, I bet $21, fold, fold ..called by BB checker (pot now $104)

River x(can’t remember)

Call call…lose to set of Ks

Should I have been more aggressive with the A’s, play differently (bigger?)

[John S]

Pre-flop: I like the raise to $3. You want to have a pretty standard pre-flop raising size, whether you have a strong hand like AA or whether you’re raising weak. If you normally raise to $2, then all of a sudden you raise to $4-5 even bad players will catch on you’re betting different sizes with different strength hands. Sizing tells are pretty reliable, and even really bad players will start to catch on to it. So good job making a standard raise with AA.

Flop: When BB leads out into you, what do you think he has? Most likely a K or a set. I don’t mind raising him here, but min-raising from $6 to $12 I don’t like. If you’re going to raise, make it 3 or 4 times the original raise. You don’t really want to invite everyone in and try to keep playing the pot multi-way.

Turn: So you get called 3 ways, and the top card on the board pairs. Almost always someone has a K and you’re beat. Definitely a check here, and I wouldn’t call too big of a bet on the river.

[Newhouse]

Thanks

What did I think he has? Don’t recall…I think that I was just happy to have already won the pot with my AA. 😕

[DeeKay]

I seem to follow and like John S comments. My style and poker education must be very similar. So he’s right on the money. When BB bets the flop, my first reaction is that he must have a K. I wont over analyze his bet as you are all pretty new to the game I assume. The important question John S asked was “what do you think he had”. This is how you must think about the game. You raised, BB called. Immediately you must consider the type of player, skillset, and therefore the range of hands he would call with. Tight player you said. Terrific flop for having a King. Not much to fear. So when he called pre-flop and now leads out when a King hits… you have to think he’s got K-Q, K-J or whatever range makes sense for him.
Normally we love this with aces. Bring out the hammer play and let him keep betting (keep smooth calling) and then lower the hammer on the river with a large raise.
Its a horrible turn card. In fact any face card has to make you nervous that he may have hit two pair. Which is why John is right that post flop you should have raised his $6 bet to $18 or maybe even $25-$30. But likely if he has K-Q, he’s not going anywhere.
So the real mistake here, as you noted, was you were counting all the money you were going to win instead of reading the flop and your opponent. It’s never easy to fold aces, but when you start folding these big hands when you’re beat, you’ll start having more winning sessions. Part of poker is not the hands you win, but minimizing the damage on the hands you lose.
Conclusion: Sometimes this happens, hands run away from you and you have to accept it and move on. However, if your read was a King. Then you have to fold the river. Also… what is he thinking if he doesn’t have the King. You raised, and then called the flop and turn. So he’s got to put you on the king. So he kept betting on the river shows he didn’t fear your hand.

[Anouar]

Good preflop raise. You got many callers which is not great but it was the right play.

Remember that the BB has more incentive to call because of the money already invested so they may have weaker hands.

The min raise is not great. Pot was at $14 before flop. After you raise and two players call, the pot is at $44. So the BB is getting a great price to see an extra card.

Being aggressive is key. Being passive may payout big but is really dangerous.

Raises should be 3X + 1X for every caller. As UTG+1 $18 would have been a better raise. Maybe more to isolate other players.

[Author]

Posts