Low Limit Hand Analysis
Hi all,
The following hand came up last night and, while it was the biggest pot I have yet taken in a 1/2 Limit game, I was wondering if anyone had any comments on the way I played the hand.
Here's the set up, leading up to the hand and my read on a couple of the players.
The previous two hands I had gotten dealt great cards, did a bunch of raising, but both times got rivered by draws. (As is par to the course in Low Limit) I imagined I was giving off a maniac personna with a bit of tilt.
vegasking13: Horrid player. Will call any two cards and calls down to the river. Had an overpair to the board, QQ, cracked when he stayed in and called bets with 73o when the river filled his gutshot straightdraw. Will raise with any Ace or "20".
Speedburst3: Likes to bluffs, and will not let go of a hand, regardless if the flop hits him or not.
RugratBBC: Seemed like an ok player. Regularly made laydowns.
The table was playing very loose at this point.
No one else I have a solid read on.
Here's the hand...
---
***** Hand History for Game 836703454 *****
Table Table 11293 (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: BridgePop ( $118.5 )
Seat 3: vegasking13 ( $101.75 )
Seat 7: RugratBBC ( $22.25 )
Seat 6: Zithal ( $41.25 )
Seat 9: Speedburst3 ( $47.5 )
Seat 10: OKNNC ( $5.25 )
Seat 5: mbusa ( $45.25 )
Seat 2: clubcarp ( $25.5 )
Seat 4: pogie345 ( $57.25 )
Seat 8: ElChanfle ( $49 )
ElChanfle posts small blind [$0.5].
Speedburst3 posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Zithal [ Ac Jc ]
OKNNC folds.
BridgePop folds.
clubcarp calls [$1].
vegasking13 calls [$1].
pogie345 calls [$1].
mbusa calls [$1].
Zithal raises [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$2].
ElChanfle folds.
Speedburst3 calls [$1].
clubcarp calls [$1].
vegasking13 folds.
pogie345 calls [$1].
mbusa calls [$1].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Js, 4c, 3d ]
Speedburst3 checks.
clubcarp checks.
pogie345 checks.
mbusa checks.
Zithal bets [$1].
RugratBBC raises [$2].
Speedburst3 calls [$2].
clubcarp calls [$2].
pogie345 calls [$2].
mbusa calls [$2].
Zithal raises [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$1].
Speedburst3 calls [$1].
clubcarp calls [$1].
pogie345 calls [$1].
mbusa calls [$1].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9d ]
Speedburst3 checks.
clubcarp checks.
pogie345 checks.
mbusa checks.
Zithal bets [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$2].
Speedburst3 calls [$2].
clubcarp calls [$2].
pogie345 folds.
mbusa calls [$2].
** Dealing River ** [ 7h ]
Speedburst3 checks.
clubcarp checks.
mbusa checks.
Zithal bets [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$2].
Speedburst3 calls [$2].
clubcarp folds.
mbusa folds.
Zithal shows [ Ac, Jc ] a pair of jacks.
RugratBBC doesn't show [ Jd, Ks ] a pair of jacks.
Speedburst3 doesn't show [ 9s, Kh ] a pair of nines.
Zithal wins $46.50 from the main pot with a pair of jacks with ace kicker.
---
Questions/comments:
1. Should I have raised pre-flop. I think the only reason I did it was to (hopefully) drop vegasking. My thinking: I have a better hand than most people are showing down, but it still is only AJ.
2. With the number of callers to raise after the flop, was it dangerous of me to re-raise? My thinking: I put some weight on Rugrat's call and I wanted to see where I was in the hand. With three bets in the pot, I assumed that anyone with a better hand would make it 4 bets. the bad part is that with the re-raise and all the callers, all drawing hands have the correct odds to call almost any bet.
3. Was my bet on the turn and the river dangerous? I was the last player to act so should I have just called on the river to protect me from people slowplaying the possible straight?
Any comments are appreciated!
The following hand came up last night and, while it was the biggest pot I have yet taken in a 1/2 Limit game, I was wondering if anyone had any comments on the way I played the hand.
Here's the set up, leading up to the hand and my read on a couple of the players.
The previous two hands I had gotten dealt great cards, did a bunch of raising, but both times got rivered by draws. (As is par to the course in Low Limit) I imagined I was giving off a maniac personna with a bit of tilt.
vegasking13: Horrid player. Will call any two cards and calls down to the river. Had an overpair to the board, QQ, cracked when he stayed in and called bets with 73o when the river filled his gutshot straightdraw. Will raise with any Ace or "20".
Speedburst3: Likes to bluffs, and will not let go of a hand, regardless if the flop hits him or not.
RugratBBC: Seemed like an ok player. Regularly made laydowns.
The table was playing very loose at this point.
No one else I have a solid read on.
Here's the hand...
---
***** Hand History for Game 836703454 *****
Table Table 11293 (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: BridgePop ( $118.5 )
Seat 3: vegasking13 ( $101.75 )
Seat 7: RugratBBC ( $22.25 )
Seat 6: Zithal ( $41.25 )
Seat 9: Speedburst3 ( $47.5 )
Seat 10: OKNNC ( $5.25 )
Seat 5: mbusa ( $45.25 )
Seat 2: clubcarp ( $25.5 )
Seat 4: pogie345 ( $57.25 )
Seat 8: ElChanfle ( $49 )
ElChanfle posts small blind [$0.5].
Speedburst3 posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Zithal [ Ac Jc ]
OKNNC folds.
BridgePop folds.
clubcarp calls [$1].
vegasking13 calls [$1].
pogie345 calls [$1].
mbusa calls [$1].
Zithal raises [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$2].
ElChanfle folds.
Speedburst3 calls [$1].
clubcarp calls [$1].
vegasking13 folds.
pogie345 calls [$1].
mbusa calls [$1].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Js, 4c, 3d ]
Speedburst3 checks.
clubcarp checks.
pogie345 checks.
mbusa checks.
Zithal bets [$1].
RugratBBC raises [$2].
Speedburst3 calls [$2].
clubcarp calls [$2].
pogie345 calls [$2].
mbusa calls [$2].
Zithal raises [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$1].
Speedburst3 calls [$1].
clubcarp calls [$1].
pogie345 calls [$1].
mbusa calls [$1].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9d ]
Speedburst3 checks.
clubcarp checks.
pogie345 checks.
mbusa checks.
Zithal bets [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$2].
Speedburst3 calls [$2].
clubcarp calls [$2].
pogie345 folds.
mbusa calls [$2].
** Dealing River ** [ 7h ]
Speedburst3 checks.
clubcarp checks.
mbusa checks.
Zithal bets [$2].
RugratBBC calls [$2].
Speedburst3 calls [$2].
clubcarp folds.
mbusa folds.
Zithal shows [ Ac, Jc ] a pair of jacks.
RugratBBC doesn't show [ Jd, Ks ] a pair of jacks.
Speedburst3 doesn't show [ 9s, Kh ] a pair of nines.
Zithal wins $46.50 from the main pot with a pair of jacks with ace kicker.
---
Questions/comments:
1. Should I have raised pre-flop. I think the only reason I did it was to (hopefully) drop vegasking. My thinking: I have a better hand than most people are showing down, but it still is only AJ.
2. With the number of callers to raise after the flop, was it dangerous of me to re-raise? My thinking: I put some weight on Rugrat's call and I wanted to see where I was in the hand. With three bets in the pot, I assumed that anyone with a better hand would make it 4 bets. the bad part is that with the re-raise and all the callers, all drawing hands have the correct odds to call almost any bet.
3. Was my bet on the turn and the river dangerous? I was the last player to act so should I have just called on the river to protect me from people slowplaying the possible straight?
Any comments are appreciated!
Comments
you gotta figure (in hindsight) clubcarp or mbusa were likely playing painted overcards in hearts, decided to see the turn and obviously decided to stay around to hit the flush or one of their overcards (which would have been all dead except the Q incidentily) .
Nobody on a draw was going to fold, and you were going to likely get a chance on the river to call a bet. being last to act and you checking the turn was going to induce a better on the river from the player with the lower kicker, so you could have straight called it or re-raised knowing that all the draws were dead. i'm aware that everyone will say that betting the turn had great value, but this version protects your downside a bit and gives you the same shot at the total pot once you've seen that you've cleared away the draws successfully.
having said that, what do i know ... i usually lose
No, it is not still only AJ, it is AJ suited - a very powerful hand! You are probably ahead, make others pay to see the flop. Also, if people call your raise and you happen to hit a flush or straight draw, the more money in the pot allows you to continue your draw. You have multiple ways to win with this hand, Big Suited Connectors are a very good start.
Pretty ragged board, you are probably ahead. If someone re-raises, then you get a better idea of where you stand. For now, top pair, top kicker is good unless you have reason to believe that it is not. If he re-raises, he could have JJ or another set. Also, give people a reason to fold. You are not on a flush or straight draw yourself, you have a made hand, you don't want people in with you... get them out if you can. Protect your hand with a re-raise.
What straight? the only straights that would have materialized by the river would have had to be runner, runner, unless someone was holding 65. The only hand I'd be worried about is JJ, who could be slowplaying, but the lack of aggression after you re-raised the flop slowed everyone else down... they have become calling stations hoping their weak hands are good.
On the river, if it is checked to you and you do not fear a raise, I'd go ahead and bet, particularly with multiple callers. You'd be getting 2-1 on your bet. Against one caller, if I'm not sure if MHIG, I might check. No longer need to protect the hand...
Hope this gives some insight... anyone else, feel free to disagree with me if you desire (though I'm sure this needs no invitation)
hork.
1) I don't think the raise one off the button at that loose a table is bad with AJ suited. I'd do it. You want to try to buy the button, discourage the sb and possibly BB from entering the pot (I see the sb dropped) and punish the weak limpers.
2) I like reraising to see where you are at with a decent player having raised from behind you. I also like it to punish the weak players who might have something like A5 or even A2, or at least I see people playing those hands all the time.
3) You have to bet on the turn IMHO with J-9, and two diamonds, showing. You can't give all those people a free card because probably someone has either a straight draw or flush draw here, even if they aren't going to fold anyways.
On the river, I like the bet here, although that really depends on whether I feel my hand is good or not. The player I would be fearing is the one behind you, but I don't see him having 8-10 after his raise early on, or J-9 without having raised after the 9 fell. There is always the chance that someone else caught two pair, but even in a loose game I'm not sure I see a lot of potential for that here with that board showing.
Once again, take my opinion with a grain of salt.
I would be (and am) surprised if you forced any previous caller out for one more bet. The main purpose of raising here is that there is a reasonable chance have the best hand, and you have additional drawing potential. You both get some money in the pot with (what may be) the best hand, and put the players who have not acted yet, particularly the SB and BB, to a non-automatic decision pre-flop. The more I talk about it, the more I like raising over calling. :cool:
The bet and re-raise were excellent. This is *top level* low-limit play. This is your flop, and you want to play it strongly right away to get full value for it. You have the best hand right now. Make the chasers pay through the nose.
Betting the turn and river are right on. The most important bet is on the turn. Just as on the flop, you have the best hand. Anyone who has picked up a flush draw must pay. Anyone chasing a foolish draw must pay.
Betting the river for value is fine. There are no threats on board. Two pair or trips is very unlikely. Nobody has T8 here. More likely is 56, but (a) you can't play that scared and (b) most low-limit players would actually go ahead and bet out the river when spiking a hand like that.
You *will* get called by worse hands often enough in the long run that it's worth putting one or two of your own bets at risk to make a value bet.
In all honesty, I'd be more afraid of a 2 or 5 on the river as opposed to a 7, since low-limit is "any Ace will do" country.
Extremely well played.
ScottyZ