Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Cash games

I've been active in cash games lately and running fairly well. Let me throw an interesting hand from last night's $1/2 NL game at you all and I'd be interested to hear how you think I played it (or should have played). For the most part I play pretty tight, so factor that in for what it may be worth. The hand starts with me having about $300 and both the guys in the hand having me covered by a good amount.

I hold J,10 and call a standard raise to $6 from the cut off. 5 players in, I've got position on everyone. Flop comes K, 9, 7, giving me the double belly buster draw. The beauty of this is how hidden it is on that board. A lot of people will rightfully only consider the cards that make a straight work with the 7 and 9 as scare cards come the turn, so I like my spot here should the high end hit. So check, check, someone bets out to $8, guy to my right calls. While I'm contemplating my move, guy two to my left accidentally raises out of turn to $25 (after checking from the SB). Being a friendly enough game, he is allowed to draw it back in. At this point, I just call the $8, which makes everyone laugh and throws him off. "You knew I was planning to raise and you flat call anyway?" The reality was that I was cutting my chips for the call and missed his accidental action altogether but he didn't realize it. He thinks it over and finally just calls. Other hand mucks. 4 ways to the turn. Q ball hits. Board now K, 9, 7, Q and I have the nuts (2 flush cards on board) and because of the accidental action on the flop, my resulting bizarre play and the inside nature of my made hand, no one has me on it, of that I'm positive. Check, check to me. I bet out $40 and guy who tried to raise out of turn calls and guy to my right also calls. River brings another Q but the flush misses. Board is K, 9, 7, Q, Q. Inadvertent raiser bets $65, guy to my right folds.

What do I do?

2 comments:

Reid said...

I'd bet more on the turn--closer to pot--like $55-$60.

The river is obviously read-dependent on the quality of your opponent.

I think I'd probably value-shove the river (you have exactly a pot-sized bet left) since your hand is under-repped. It really depends on, though, if you think the inadvertent raiser is good enough to just check-call KQ or even a set of Kings on the flop/turn. If he's a strong or tricky player, this is definitely a possibility. I guess you could also min-raise him for value on the river and fold to a shove, but that seems kinda weird and spewy.

It just seems like a flopped set or KQ is raising or c/raising the flop or turn a lot of the time in a multiway pot.

Most likely in my opinion, it's plausible that he has QJ/QT and was attempting to semi-bluff c/raise the flop since the $8 bet-call sequence was very, very weak. Then he reconsidered when you called, decided to peel once for the gutter, turned his Q, rivered trips, and is now value-betting one of you who probably has a King from his viewpoint. If you shove, you very well might get looked up by QJ/QT since he has you well-covered. In my experience, people don't often fold trips on non-flush boards in $1/$2 NL games.

In my opinion, it's hard to see boats show up here unless it's a very well-played KQ.

Interested to hear how it played out.

CC said...

Reid,

I merely called. He had K,Q. I agree that I should have put more in on the turn. He had me on AK and felt that when he hit the Q on the turn that he was good. The river bet was pure value, as he didn't have me on the straight and didn't want to scare me off, knowing only KK beats him and I most likely didn't have that holding.