Hand 1 - 10/20 NL

Hero = $4300
Button = $1650

Dealt in the BB. Folded around to the button who calls. SB calls, I check.


Flop =

Checks to button, he bets $60. SB folds, I raise to 200. He calls.

Turn =

I bet $300, he raises all-in, $1150 more. Hero ????

Hand 2 - 10/20 NL

Hero = $2000
Button = $2400

Dealt in SB. Folds to button, who is semi-tight and semi-agressive, raises to $60. Hero calls, BB calls.

Flop = .

Hero bets $150, BB folds, button calls.

Turn = .

Hero ?????

Thanks

D

Hand 1: Looks like he might of had AQ, maybe QQ?

Your checkraise didn't move him off his hand, then when you bet the turn he pushes shows a lot of strength. I'd probably let that one go, but I am weak.

Hand 2: Fire again on the turn hopefully he can't lay down AK?

1. Reads? Openlimp on button is usually something bad players do (not that it's a bad play, but good players will more often raise).
You are only ahead of Axs and QJ, and he is drawing very live. If you are behind you have 4 outs max. Fold.
Also I would lead this flop.

2. Checkraising gives away the strength of your hand. Bet $300.

Hand 1--You check raise a good amount and he calls. Then you lead on the turn which shows monster strength and he shows no fear and pushes. I'm probably going to respect that.

Hand 2--I pound here on the turn

In hand #2, I decided to check-raise. I wasnt really trying for a full stack here, I was more or less trying to maximize my value. I think if I fire the turn, AK/AQ/AJ could lay down here. But, those hands probably will fire the turn if I check. I'm not really scared of a free card here, there are no draws to speak of. I figured, at best, my opponent has AT, but probably has just AK/AQ/AJ. I think a check-raise is best

Also, I like to lead into the raiser with my AK/AQ/AJ hands on this board, and then check (and likely fold) the turn if he calls. This check-raise play has to be done now and again, otherwise, when I check, my opponent will bet all the time with no fear.

In the actual hand, I checked, he bet $450, and I moved in. He called me with .

In hand 1 - I count 8 folds and 0 calls. Wow. I thought it would be much more debated than this. To all the posters - What hand do you put him on? What do you think he puts me on?

Personally, I think all sets and AQ are out of the question here. He would have raised preflop! KJ is not in the mix either. QT or Q9 are real long shots - does 2nd or bottom pair really call my flop raise? And do they push the turn? That only leaves AT and A9 as hands that beat me. Since I have a nine and a ten, those hands are less probable. I'd like a few more comments before I reveal the results on this one.

D

It's hard for me to see someone playing 1 pair this strong on such a dangerous board.

An open ended straight draw makes sense on the flop, with QJ. But would anyone push with Qs and open ended str draw? AJ maybe, TP with open ended straight draw?
I don't think that would call your flop chk-raise...

My guess is he has something better than a pair, and in that case he has you beat with bottom 2 pair.

1. I think he has J8s for the straight. As you said a higher two-pair seems unlikely since he didn't raise preflop. Same goes for a set, he likely would have raised with 99 or higher. The only hand I can figure is J8s, either that or he's playing really weird... AA?

If the button just calls when it's folded to him, he could have a terrific hand or a lousy one. When you say that he would raise with 99, TT, AA, QQ, or AQ -- well, if it were me, I would raise with any two cards I wanted to play. He didn't. What does that mean? I have no idea.

You check/raise and then lead into him and he pushes -- I don't know how he could show more strength than that. Maybe he's playing the "I'm bullshitting you" game against a blind, so you could justify a call based on the higher than usual chance he's bluffing. Or semibluffing I guess. But at least half the time, I would think, he's not bluffing and you're behind.

I'm surprised that only k3nt brought up the fact that this is a hand against the button, who open-limped - a sign of major weakness, IMO. I never give the button credit for a good hand preflop when he open-limps. Stoneburg brought up the fact that he could have J8, something I had not considered at the time. I didnt see that straight, only KJ. Dont really know why.

Personally, I just wasn't willing to give him credit for AT or A9 here - the only reasonable hands he could have. I made the call for 4 reasons.

1) This is a steal situation - blind v. button - the chance of him bluffing is much higher.
2) He started with less than a full stack - adds to the donk factor.
3) The range of possible hands that he could have that beat me is small - only AT or A9 (aside from the J8, which I missed at the time). All sets are out of the question.
4) I like to check-raise weak Aces out of the blinds against position bettors. My opponent may know this, and thus the chances of him bluffing are higher.

The most likely hand that i put him on was Ax of spades, picking up the flush draw on the turn and deciding to semi-bluff it. As I said, I called, and the river was the . I knew I was toast. He showed - even less than I thought he had, but he won anyway, as my 2 pair got counterfeited.

I'm not saying this is a clear call, a fold is certainly reasonable here. This play is marginal. I just thought this hand would provoke more discussion than it did. Not a single person thought it was at all likely I was ahead. Personally, I think a lot of you give him credit for too many hands here, like QQ, for example.


Thanks

D