Poker Hand for Discussion

[Big Country]

Playing in a NL Hold Em cash game. Blinds are 0.50/1.00. I have taken my starting $100 stack up to $135ish through basic ABC poker. No huge hand of note, just playing solid hands and getting paid off a bit when I should. In this particular hand, the UTG+1 player raises to $3, a standard raise at the table. This was one of the better players at the table IMO, playing solid aggressive poker and he has me slightly covered. In later position his raising range is wide, but from early he figures to have a better than average hand. I am in the hijack with KK. I have been raising often preflop and not gettin a lot of calls, but this would be my first reraise at the table. As it had folded to me after his raise, I made it $8 to go. Folds back to the original raiser who calls the $5 extra.

 

The flop comes down 10 high with two spades. I do have the king of spades. So, there is about $17 in the pot. It is checked to me.

 

First question - What do you do here? Check behind or lead out? If you lead out, for how much? What I did below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I did - I led out. The board is mildly coordinated with the two spades, and as he only called my reraise preflop I do not think he has aces (though they are possible), but most likely he has a big ace or a pair QQ-99. As I figure to be ahead of his range, and don't want to let him draw cheap if he has a big ace with spades, I lead out for $12. He then raised to $32. So, it is $20 more to me, with a little over $40 in the pot. If I call, the pot will have about $60 in it and we'll have effective stacks of about $90.

 

Second Question - What do I do here: Fold, Call or Raise? If raise, how much?

 

 

I will post my action and results after getting some responses and discussion to the above.

[MrTed46]

First question - What do you do here? Check behind or lead out? If you lead out, for how much? What I did below:

 

I would do what you did

 

Second Question - What do I do here: Fold, Call or Raise? If raise, how much?

 

I would call him here

[keggerz]

I dont think he has AA but i think he could be on a draw but what i really smell is a set of 10s...but i think i would still call and hope the next card isnt a spade and then go from there

 

i think he checked the 3 10's hoping to get you to bet and when you do I think he pressed to try and push you out if you are indeed on a flush draw

Edited July 10, 2008 by keggerz

[Grits and Shins]

Action 1) Pocket kings, checked to me with 2 spades on the board ... I bet, probably near or at pot size.

 

Action 2) His re-raise of $20. He could have aces ... standard raise from early position with a check raise allowing you rope to bet first. He could have hit two pair, Q-10 (you said high spades) or even worse he could be playing 10-10. I think I reluctantly call ... because he might be playing QQ or JJ. Although with a call I am likely to be back in this same position after the turn.

[Whiskey Pimp]

Action 1) Pocket kings, checked to me with 2 spades on the board ... I bet, probably near or at pot size.

 

Action 2) His re-raise of $20. He could have aces ... standard raise from early position with a check raise allowing you rope to bet first. He could have hit two pair, Q-10 (you said high spades) or even worse he could be playing 10-10. I think I reluctantly call ... because he might be playing QQ or JJ. Although with a call I am likely to be back in this same position after the turn.

 

He said 10 high with 2 spades meaning the 2 spades are lower than the 10. I say he's on a spade draw with possibly the Ace. I call.

[Big Country]

Let's say we do call here. Pot is $60 and we have about $90 left.

 

What do we do if a scare card hits, say an ace, a spade, a ten or something that puts a 3 card straight out there and out opponent leads at us for $30? For $60? What if he checks to us?

 

What if it is a blank and he leads out at us? Or if he checks?

 

 

I'm just curious of what our plan for the hand would be if we do call the flop reraise.

[The Wolf]

Let's say we do call here. Pot is $60 and we have about $90 left.

 

What do we do if a scare card hits, say an ace, a spade, a ten or something that puts a 3 card straight out there and out opponent leads at us for $30? For $60? What if he checks to us?

 

What if it is a blank and he leads out at us? Or if he checks?

 

I'm just curious of what our plan for the hand would be if we do call the flop reraise.

 

Push all in.

[TheShiznit]

I call the re-raise and see what he does on the turn. If he checks, I check.......then on the river you should be able to pretty much know what your opponent has. My guess is he has A-10 and hit the 10 and figures with the ace back it is time to get froggy. I don't think he has aces or the set simply because it would take incredible patience to check raise that. Especially if he just only called your re-raise pre-flop.

 

I think you call and check till you win.

[Big Country]

What I did...

 

So, it is $20 more to me.

 

As I am way ahead of most of his range, with TT or AA the only real holdings i am way behind, I decided to be aggressive and shoved. There were too many potential scare cards that could come, so if he was on a spade draw, I was going ot make him pay, and if he had a pair lower than mine, I was way ahead. If he had AA or TT, that's poker.

 

Well, he called making it a $270 pot and turned over the killer... TT. The board came running spades and I resucked on him in brutal fashion to collect the pot.

 

I don't think I am folding here as I am ahead of the majority of his range. I don't like calling as then I am letting him draw at the price he wants if he is on a draw, and if I have him dominated I am happy to get the money in while I am in the lead. He happened to have one of the few hands that were up on me given the play of the hand, but I did not like the fold or call option. Maybe if I had a deeper stack, a call would have been more prudent, but with only 1.5 times the pot left, I am pretty much calling any bet on the turn so I may as well get it in now.

 

Fixed - said aces, meant to say spades

Edited July 10, 2008 by Big Country

[TheShiznit]

did you say he had pocket tens.....and you had pocket kings.....flop came 10 and two rags...but gave you three spades...or four...then turn and river were running aces....how did you suck him out? Or did I misread you and you lost this hand?

[keggerz]

Let's say we do call here. Pot is $60 and we have about $90 left.

 

What do we do if a scare card hits, say an ace, a spade, a ten or something that puts a 3 card straight out there and out opponent leads at us for $30?

If its $30 I am thinking about laying it down but if i really wanted to play the hand then I might just push all in....cause after the call its probably all gonna end up making it into the pot anyway since you are pretty much pot committed at that point

 

For $60?

I am either A. Laying it down or B. Pushing all in.....i would probably lay it down and to fight another hand

 

What if he checks to us?

I check because I dont feel very good about the hand.

 

What if it is a blank and he leads out at us? Or if he checks?

If he checks I am still checking....see above for what i would do....even if it is just a blank....i know i probably shouldnt be but i am afraid of him holding 10/10

 

I'm just curious of what our plan for the hand would be if we do call the flop reraise.

[keggerz]

did you say he had pocket tens.....and you had pocket kings.....flop came 10 and two rags...but gave you three spades...or four...then turn and river were running aces....how did you suck him out? Or did I misread you and you lost this hand?

i said i thought he was sitting on pocket tens

[i_am_the_swammi]

Playing in a NL Hold Em cash game. Blinds are 0.50/1.00. I have taken my starting $100 stack up to $135ish through basic ABC poker. No huge hand of note, just playing solid hands and getting paid off a bit when I should. In this particular hand, the UTG+1 player raises to $3, a standard raise at the table. This was one of the better players at the table IMO, playing solid aggressive poker and he has me slightly covered. In later position his raising range is wide, but from early he figures to have a better than average hand. I am in the hijack with KK. I have been raising often preflop and not gettin a lot of calls, but this would be my first reraise at the table. As it had folded to me after his raise, I made it $8 to go. Folds back to the original raiser who calls the $5 extra.

 

The flop comes down 10 high with two spades. I do have the king of spades. So, there is about $17 in the pot. It is checked to me.

 

First question - What do you do here? Check behind or lead out? If you lead out, for how much? What I did below:

 

 

What I did - I led out. The board is mildly coordinated with the two spades, and as he only called my reraise preflop I do not think he has aces (though they are possible), but most likely he has a big ace or a pair QQ-99. As I figure to be ahead of his range, and don't want to let him draw cheap if he has a big ace with spades, I lead out for $12. He then raised to $32. So, it is $20 more to me, with a little over $40 in the pot. If I call, the pot will have about $60 in it and we'll have effective stacks of about $90.

 

Second Question - What do I do here: Fold, Call or Raise? If raise, how much?

 

 

I will post my action and results after getting some responses and discussion to the above.

 

1. I'd have raised bet out the exact $12 you did...it was funny I was thinking that, then scrolled down to see you did the same thing.

 

2. Knowing he has played well, and originally raised from early position, I'd have him on a mid-pair (99,88), or a J-10 suited connector. Worst case would be he hit is set of 10s, which is a possibility, and would mean you were beaten by bad luck. Other than that, I think you are ahead. I call the $20, and no matter what he does on the turn, I push my chips with the action on me.

[Big Country]

did you say he had pocket tens.....and you had pocket kings.....flop came 10 and two rags...but gave you three spades...or four...then turn and river were running aces....how did you suck him out? Or did I misread you and you lost this hand?

 

He had TT.

 

I had KK

 

Flop was something like T73 with two spades. money got all in.

 

I hit running spades to make a flush (fixed orignal post where i did say aces by accident)

Edited July 10, 2008 by Big Country

[keggerz]

He had TT.

 

I had KK

 

Flop was something like T73 with two spades. money got all in.

 

I hit running spades to make a flush (fixed orignal post where i did say aces by accident)

you got lucky but a win is a win....oh and I told you i smelled 10s

[i_am_the_swammi]

I don't think I am folding here as I am ahead of the majority of his range. I don't like calling as then I am letting him draw at the price he wants if he is on a draw, and if I have him dominated I am happy to get the money in while I am in the lead. He happened to have one of the few hands that were up on me given the play of the hand, but I did not like the fold or call option. Maybe if I had a deeper stack, a call would have been more prudent, but with only 1.5 times the pot left, I am pretty much calling any bet on the turn so I may as well get it in now.

 

Fixed - said aces, meant to say spades

 

I think you played it well....you thought his TT was a possiblity, but really, he had one of only two hands that beat you.

 

My only caveat is that you admitted in the original post that this guy had been playing well. I think inside you knew he wasn't bluffing, and your inkling that he might have AA or TT was real.

 

Like you said, has you been playing with a $500 stack, your thought process may have been different...but knowing all your chips were likely going in anyway, better to do it and put your opponent to the test (even though it turns out he insta-called

[Controller]

In other words, he's on another message board somewhere right now whining about his bad beat.

[Big Country]

I think you played it well....you thought his TT was a possiblity, but really, he had one of only two hands that beat you.

 

My only caveat is that you admitted in the original post that this guy had been playing well. I think inside you knew he wasn't bluffing, and your inkling that he might have AA or TT was real.

 

Like you said, has you been playing with a $500 stack, your thought process may have been different...but knowing all your chips were likely going in anyway, better to do it and put your opponent to the test (even though it turns out he insta-called

 

Yes, AA and TT are in his range, as are the other KK, QQ, JJ, 99, 88, and two big cards, likely suited.

 

Given the play of the hand, I pretty much eliminated AA. He seemed like the kind of player that would have reraised preflop with them, but, there was still the possibility. As the most likely hand was overs, likely on a flush draw, and the least likely of his range where the ones that beat me, I figured my pot equity was too high to let the hand go, and as noted I would much prefer to put him to a decision if he were on his most likely holding which was a draw or underpair to my KK.

 

As it turned out, he had the least likely hand but one I feared most, and I got very lucky. And yes, with deeper stacks, no way the hand plays out this way. If we were closer to $500 stacks, then I likely call here and probably face a $50-60 turn bet. Given implied odds, I'd like to think I could call, but not having the draw to the nuts (it was not the ace of spades that hit the turn) would make it very difficult.