2/4 NL

4 hours into a rather shit session where I've had the worst luck and bad beats abound, this hand set me off for some reason.


Dealt AK suited in the BB.

UTG+! (muppet with $70 behind him) raises to $10. Folded to the button (always raises with the best hand and has been on an incredible winning steak) who calls.

I riase to $60 because I want hte muppet allin. I figure I'm a coinflip at worst, and I may be dominating. After a while of long thought, muppet folds... but then BUTTON CALLS?!?!?!

FLOP$ 132
T84 rainbow (none of my suit)

I bet $100. Buitton raises my last $250.

I folded obviously, and then went absoulley insane. I'm sooooo happy i left the table. I asked the guy "what the hell are you calling $60 reraise with?"

No response. Finallty he says "Well. what did you have?"
"i had AK unimproved"
"thought so"

I HAVE NO RESPECT AT ALL ANYMORE. I can't make continuation bets, reraises, bets, mini raises, it doesn't matter. They call, calll, call. What makes it even worse is that half the time I have the best hand...like a set for example. And then they hit the miracle running flush, straight, 2 outer, you name it.

I actually won a hand today thinking I had TPTK w/AK but misread my cards...the guy called me down with ace high, lower kicker after i fired 3 shells!r! That was the only bright spot of my day. Everything else reeked of madness.

I'm not sure why the above hand made me go crazy, but man I just went off the deep end after that.

So I guess your "inevitable" cold streak has started? You knew it was coming so just play thru it. Listen to me, giving advice after eating a shit sandwhich for 2 months.

Since he just called, and would have reraised TT-AA, don't you think moving in on him forcing him to take a 4:1 dog or coinflip from his perception be a stronger play. If an A flops you aren't going to win more off him, only lose more if he sets 99-22.

The weak player built a pot that is equal to a normal raise and bet on the flop, may call all in, but the better player surely lets go of this near minimum bet to the all in and it removes his ability to play position.

Maybe I've just been taking too many aggressive coinflips lately, but this has been my general thoughts on the subject lately. Find a weak short stacked player that I'm likely dominating or a coinflip too, get a caller in between, push the better player out and still get to play coinflip with some equity against the weak guy. If the better player and the weak player calls I'm still probably flipping a coin, just for more change than I hoped and am staring at QQ that he couldn't see in his heart to fold.

Edit: your raise preflop should have been as good as all in.... if he was going to fold anyways.

Well, all I can really say is: Remember the zen of poker!!!

I can't resist a hijack attempt here if you don't mind too much, because I just NEVER have a hand like this.

I get AK in MP and raise it to $25, getting 2 callers, EP (who is pretty bad and loose) and LP, who is a total muppet (raises to $25 on K7s and worse). Muppet is now pretty short-stacked.

Flop comes a bunch of rags, and I bet $50 into it. Muppet says, "What the f***!" and moves in for $70 more. EP folds.

Ok, now it's back to me. Easy fold, right? Well, I sit there hemming and hawing about this one. I have absolutely no clue what muppet has here, could be almost anything, but surely he has paired. Well, the pot is now $245, and the call costs me $70. If I really have 6 outs, I'm getting better than 3:1 here, so it's pretty close.

So, I do go ahead and call it (I'm NOT recommending this play!). He turns over A6 unimproved, and I drag the pot on missed AK...

On a more substantive note, kenny, if you get no respect just play rock, rock, rock until they start to cave.

Also, on the continuation bets, I'm really liking what one might call a "playful strategy": If they're constantly attacking, then go for a check both on hit AND miss. They'll definitely attack the check, and you just hammer them (or call them down) on your AA or improved AK. This generally breaks them of the habit, but if it doesn't, just stay at it until it does. I just try to play it very "counter-expectationally," if one can say that.

To me, it doesn't mean not raising AK if you can't make the continuation bet. If they really want to attack, they're invariably risking more than you are in making the attack, so missing it 2/3 of the time doesn't really matter.

I'm going to take the advice here and go counter-strategy tommorow or saturday (when i decide to play next.) I will not make any continuation bet. Hell, they'll probably think i've flopped the nuts everytime, since I've bet every other time they've seen me. I'll let you know how it goes. I just want to confuse people's notes.

Rdale... Isn't a $60 reraise sufficent enough to get almost hand hand to fold other then QQ-AA?? I would think so anyway? I don't know if I have the balls for an all-in move there because I did that once and one caller actually had AA.

Here's a question.....does anyone check the flop instead of betting $100 like I did?? I mean I basicaly just made a continuation bet..though on a larger scale.

I think your continuation bet is mandatory because of your preflop reraise. So he can put you on AA-QQ. You flopped all small cards so the continuation bet will be folded a lot of times. I think it is a +EV play heads-up.

MHFlush

Yeah, I think if you're going to re-raise AK, the continuation bet is mandatory. But that's also one of the reasons why I almost never have the stones to do it...

You just risk getting way the hell out there without a hand, and in a cash game, I don't see the need. I think you have to have ENORMOUS fold equity on that move.

The trend these days is for everyone to think they're Gus Hansen, but maybe one in a thousand (optimistically) has the skill to do so. Against the wannabe's, conservative play usually cleans house pretty nicely.

Kenny,

This is a product of the LAG style you've been harping on for the past two or three weeks. Your continuation betting is fine and I wouldn't change it (although with this guy, who you say is a good player, checking probably would've been better). Making continuation bets in one of the few reasons why you will take more peoples stacks because they think you are loose and will call your continued betting. Having to fold a continuation bet to a reraise isn't that big of a deal, it just shows everyone that you are willing to fold even though you are being aggressive. YOU WILL TAKE THIS DUDES STACK!!! You just have to wait for the cards. Think about what this hand does for your table image for the rest of the time you are at that particular table. Every idiot there will try to reraise you because you folded once. Your next response to them will be STACKED. Don't believe this guy saying he did it because you had AK, he did it because he had an overpair. He may have done you a favor and overplayed his set. Don't sweat it, you will destroy this people and your arrogent ass knows it.

Your superior poker playing big brother,
Chris