This hand has been buggin me. I would like you all's opinions.

NL$25 @ Empire

I have everyone covered. BB and Button are both calling staions.

UTG min raises to $0.5. 1 fold, Hero reraises in MP to $1 with . Couple of folds, Button calls, BB calls, UTG calls.


Pot $4
Flop

BB checks, UTG checks, I check (figuring I would check raise here), Button bets $3, BB Min raises to $6 ( At this point I figure him for a K), UTG folds, Hero calls??????, Button calls.

Pot $22
Turn
Checks around.

River Ahhh!!!
BB bets $4. At this point I am positive he has the K and I fold. Of course the calling staion of a button calls with his .

BB shows wins pot.

I am at a lost of how I should have played this. I am getting over 6 to 1 to call that River bet, but I know I would just be throwing away the 4 bucks so I didn't. Should I have bet the Turn? Knowing his tendencies he would have called all the way with the King.

Anything else I could have done?

-twelver

I don't mean to be mean but I don't know where to start. First I don't like the min reraise pf. Either jack it up more or just call. Then on the flop the original raiser checks, it's checked to you, BET IT! Why are you trying to check raise the button here. There is no indication he will bet, even though he did. I really don't like the check raise play on the flop even if you were in front of the original raiser, especially since you did re-raise pf. If you bet there it will look like a continuation bet and the K will probably raise you if it's out there. Then you get the bet and a BS min raise by UTG, RAISE HIM! You checked going for a check raise and then you get a bet and a raise and just call??? It' pretty clear there is a K out there so get some more money in now. The other K will put you on a K and likely push in a lot of money, especially if he has AK.

Then on the turn what are you doing?? Checked around?? Bet it!! You know a K is out there and you have the best hand, get more money in the pot. You should have been able to get your whole stack in on this hand by the turn.

On the river you are pretty screwed, but that is not the point of all of this. You can't be results oriented. You need to play this hand much, much stronger so you get paid 90% when the board doesn't double pair like that.

greggabe,

I appreciate your thoughts. That is why I come to this forum to learn. One thing, that I know I have to become better at is aggression. Hopefully I can learn from this blunder.

-twelver

Yeah sorry if I was maybe a little harsh twelver. I'm definitely here to learn too and this is a great place to do it. I hope my comments were more helpful than harsh. I have a bar exam simulation today so I am a little fried this morning, could have probably been a little more constructive with my criticism. Anyways, I hope I helped.

I agree with greggabe. This is something I have had to learn ... when I flop the nuts you don't check in hopes of trapping later. Bet! Win more with your winning hand while they are dead money. Sure you might scare off some people, but you probably wouldn't have been able to trap them later for much anyway. If I have the nuts and I'm leading, I'm betting 1/3-1/2 the pot as a continuation. Now in your case, you know the other guy has 2nd bet hand, so you can really put raising pressure on him.

Turn--you are definitly betting here, especially since you know: 1) you will get at least called and 2) you are leading the hand. Build your pot here... don't wait for the river.

As for the river... that's just poker. I do applaud you ability to fold though once you knew you had little boat. Many cannot do that.

Tim

twelver, there's a time for slowplaying, but it's not here. if the flop came T22, then it's probably worth check/calling a round against normal players. but on this fabulous board you can get action from Ks and flush draws and straight draws, and you have your opponents pinned as calling stations. this is the ideal scenario for building/winning a huge pot.

on the river, i would actually call, b/c you can beat the board and 1 in 7 times BB will turn over a flush or pair of 6s and if button raises you just throw it away.

greggabe...no harm taken...I am more than willing to accept criticism...it is how I get better

-twelver

You can't win a big pot unless you build a big pot -- calling the flop then checking the turn is keeping the pot small, and also letting a king draw for free to beat your boat. You know that few at these limits will let go of a king after flopping trips, and you know one or both of your opponents probably has one --- so bet! The underfull boat is a super hand to take huge pots of the guy with trips -- but its vulnerable and wont win much if there is no action.