How NOT to play AK (but it's better to be lucky than good)
This river got me out of the hole at 6am. Lesson: Don't play while tired.
[code:1:1d1cb544b6]Hand #1747630-10614 at Atlantic City ($5/$10 Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 11/Jun/04 06:11:24
Keith13 is at seat 1 with $145.50.
SnakeFrog is at seat 3 with $294.
BadBet101 is at seat 5 with $104.
The button is at seat 3.
BadBet101 posts the small blind of $2.
Keith13 posts the big blind of $5.
Keith13: Kh Ad
SnakeFrog: -- --
BadBet101: -- --
Pre-flop:
SnakeFrog calls. BadBet101 folds. Keith13 raises to $10.
SnakeFrog calls.
Flop (board: 8h 7c Kd):
Keith13 bets $5. SnakeFrog raises to $10. Keith13 re-raises
to $15. SnakeFrog re-raises to $20. Keith13 calls.
Turn (board: 8h 7c Kd Jh):
Keith13 checks. SnakeFrog bets $10. Keith13 calls.
River (board: 8h 7c Kd Jh Ac):
Keith13 checks. SnakeFrog bets $10. Keith13 raises to $20.
SnakeFrog re-raises to $30. Keith13 re-raises to $40.
SnakeFrog calls.
Showdown:
Keith13 shows Kh Ad.
Keith13 has Kh Ad Kd Jh Ac: two pair, aces and kings.
SnakeFrog mucks cards.
(SnakeFrog has 7h Ks.)
Hand #1747630-10614 Summary:
$.50 is raked from a pot of $162.
Keith13 wins $161.50 with two pair, aces and kings.[/code:1:1d1cb544b6]
My Analysis: Top pair top kicker on a non-threatening board is pretty hard to release 3-handed... the only problem is that it is hard to put him on a hand that I can beat (specifically KQ) because he didn't raise pre-flop. Any other hand that he could play this strongly has to beat me (pre-river). He just CAN'T be bluffing here. Maybe I should release when he makes it $20 on the flop. Comments?
Also, not to criticize my opponent's play (especially after the miserable way that I played the hand) but IMO he should just call my check-raise on the river. The only hands that I could reasonably have are AK, AA, or a totally sad, last-ditch, desperate attempt at a bluff (in which case his $30-shot has no value). Sadly enough, even though he pays me off big-time when I hit, the implied odds (11-1) STILL don't make my turn call a good one. Man, did I mess this hand up.
It is nice to be able to make this analysis now. It would be nicer to be able to make it at the table. Does anyone else find that they have this problem? I do this all the time.
Keith
[code:1:1d1cb544b6]Hand #1747630-10614 at Atlantic City ($5/$10 Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 11/Jun/04 06:11:24
Keith13 is at seat 1 with $145.50.
SnakeFrog is at seat 3 with $294.
BadBet101 is at seat 5 with $104.
The button is at seat 3.
BadBet101 posts the small blind of $2.
Keith13 posts the big blind of $5.
Keith13: Kh Ad
SnakeFrog: -- --
BadBet101: -- --
Pre-flop:
SnakeFrog calls. BadBet101 folds. Keith13 raises to $10.
SnakeFrog calls.
Flop (board: 8h 7c Kd):
Keith13 bets $5. SnakeFrog raises to $10. Keith13 re-raises
to $15. SnakeFrog re-raises to $20. Keith13 calls.
Turn (board: 8h 7c Kd Jh):
Keith13 checks. SnakeFrog bets $10. Keith13 calls.
River (board: 8h 7c Kd Jh Ac):
Keith13 checks. SnakeFrog bets $10. Keith13 raises to $20.
SnakeFrog re-raises to $30. Keith13 re-raises to $40.
SnakeFrog calls.
Showdown:
Keith13 shows Kh Ad.
Keith13 has Kh Ad Kd Jh Ac: two pair, aces and kings.
SnakeFrog mucks cards.
(SnakeFrog has 7h Ks.)
Hand #1747630-10614 Summary:
$.50 is raked from a pot of $162.
Keith13 wins $161.50 with two pair, aces and kings.[/code:1:1d1cb544b6]
My Analysis: Top pair top kicker on a non-threatening board is pretty hard to release 3-handed... the only problem is that it is hard to put him on a hand that I can beat (specifically KQ) because he didn't raise pre-flop. Any other hand that he could play this strongly has to beat me (pre-river). He just CAN'T be bluffing here. Maybe I should release when he makes it $20 on the flop. Comments?
Also, not to criticize my opponent's play (especially after the miserable way that I played the hand) but IMO he should just call my check-raise on the river. The only hands that I could reasonably have are AK, AA, or a totally sad, last-ditch, desperate attempt at a bluff (in which case his $30-shot has no value). Sadly enough, even though he pays me off big-time when I hit, the implied odds (11-1) STILL don't make my turn call a good one. Man, did I mess this hand up.
It is nice to be able to make this analysis now. It would be nicer to be able to make it at the table. Does anyone else find that they have this problem? I do this all the time.
Keith
Comments
On a side note...a rake of 50 cents in a 150+ pot?!? That's cool 8)
You know, I just woke up, and was lying in bed when I realized that I wasn't drawing all THAT slim. An 8, A, or J on the river is good. A 9-outer certainly justifies the turn call. If I put him on 2 pair I have 8 or 9 outs, but I don't know what they are. I have to feel good about an A or J, and less good about a K, 7, or 8. I am stil not liking the way that I played the hand though, although I'm not sure what I could have done. I hate going into that defensive "check and call" mode. Also, if I don't improve on the river, do I check-and-fold? I'll be getting 9-1 at that point.
As for a hand like KT, KJ, or KQ... I think that all these should be raised from the button 3-handed pre-flop. Then again I also raise K7 from the button. I think the whole time we were playing 3- and 4-handed I only open-limped once. There is too good of a chance of stealing the blinds NOT to raise these hands (I doubt if even a hand as good as KQ is worth more than the blinds). Also I think that the $20-shot is REALLY overplaying the hand with anything worse than KQ, and certainly with worse than KJ. I raised from the BB and then come out firing like that... AK or KQ are cerftainly good possibilities. How can he think that KT is good?
Another hand that I could be beating on the flop is 9T. Open ended straight draw... his $10 is a semi-bluff and his $20 is an attempt to slow me down on the turn. Then when it gets there on the turn he bets out. This was actually in the back of my mind when I was going $40 on the river but I figured that (a) I couldn't be re-raised (online heads up rule... they still have a 4 bet cap) and (b) I was probably winning (more than 50% of the time) so the $40-shot was good. Plus when I saw that ace, I was looking for a shovel to get my chips into the pot as fast as possible ;-)
I could also be losing to a set, but unlikely. 77 or 88 are probably raised pre-flop and also it sort of seems like a strange way to play it post-flop when you have position. Just calling the $15 on the flop and then raising the turn makes more money. Actually that's probably how I play the 2-pair as well, especially if I put the guy on a big king.
As for the rake... on UB, the rake is 50c max on any table while playing 2- or 3-handed. 4- and 5- handed they were taking up to $2 a pot, and up to $3 a pot with 6. They rake in $1 increments ($1 for each $20 in the pot up to the cap) except for the 2-or 3- handed deal, when they take 50c out once the pot reaches $20. It is a pretty good deal I guess... although at the rate we were going through hands, they make their money. Even the 50c per pot deal probably manages to take $50 per hour off the table, which is a significant amount 3-handed. (I am guesing 120-130 hands per hour, with maybe 100 of them raked... no flop = no drop, and sometimes an unraised pot will be won with a single post-flop bet, which means that the pot doesn't get up to $20). But that is how UB does things.. even if you play $200/$400 heads up or 3-handed, it's a 50c rake per pot. Nothing like the message "so-and-so wins $2999.50 with one pair, aces". At THOSE limits, its a good deal. At $5/$10, it's still a pretty significant rake. Might still be one of the better deals in online poker though.
Keith