Monday, July 30
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Hands today
Multiway pot action
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1315938
Analysis: This is why they say don't go broke in multiway pots with only a pair. I have to toot my horn on how little I lost here. It might even be a weak play at higher levels.
Give up on the straight?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1315952
Analysis: Here is a hand where I have top pair and a so-so kicker. On the flop they bet out minimum and another just calls the minimum. I feel like I should protect my hand so I bet out pot. The turn brought a possible flush, the card I was very scared of and a possible straight. I still have top pair and now a straight draw so I decided to check it down rather than be reraised off the pot. The river brought me the straight and I'm pretty willing to call most bets but the Villian went all in. This is what some people do after the turn trap didn't work. I'm not sure if my fold was correct or not. The pot was still pretty small compared to his all in.
My hand: TT overpair
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1315979
Analysis: This fold I felt more confident about, even though it was the same table that just saw me make a laydown. The flop I was fairly certain about. I felt preflop I would have been reraised with a higher pocket pair and the flop was VERY draw heavy. Any ace would have a straight draw, medium cards have gut shots, flush draws out, just tons of possibilities. So when he bet out, I wanted to really punish him for trying to draw and reraised him 4 times (I didn't mind a fold by him here). The turn brought the ugliest possible card. Any ace now has his straight (aces anything are more likely to call preflop raises) and any flush draws have hit, plus he could have already had me beat preflop or flop. So I checked willing to call a moderate sized bet on the river if the right card fell. The king came which was an overcard to my pair. He bet half the pot. The only hands I could beat were 66, 77, 88 and 99 so I decided to give up on my hand.
AK out of position
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1315873
Analysis: Playing AK out of position sucks. AK is a hand that wants to see all 5 cards because most of the time you're not going to hit your ace or king on the flop and if there is pressure on you, then you have to let it go. That's why AK is the ideal hand to go all in with preflop if the pot is big enough.
For example, playing .50/1.00, if I raise to 3.5 UTG and get reraised to 10.50 and I have 100 dollars. When it swings back to me, I usually consider 10% of my stack the minimum to go all in. Depending on the player I would sometimes go all in so I get full value out of my AK getting to see all five cards.
Today, unfortunately, I was min raised. I really hate min raised because it's either a really great hand (AA, KK), or a drawing hand. This put me in a tough spot with my AK. I was out of position to someone who took the betting lead. When the flop comes and most likely misses my hand, I'd likely bet out and then give up on the hand. Reraising almost commits me to the pot and going all in seems too absurd considering the pot is still small and only AA, KK, QQ, JJ and AK would call in that case (me getting beaten most of the time).
I decided to reraise him. If he went all in, I would be in a tough spot. If I miss my flop (most of the time) I would bet and if called or reraised (tough spot again!). If I hit my ace or king, I am committed. Luckily for me, I hit my ace, but notice that even though it looked like I was way ahead, he wins 1/3 times we run it. So even if things go perfectly (not reraised all in preflop, I get lucky and hit the flop) he can still win 1/3 times with his hand. His play isn't crazy, 2/3 of the time I miss my flop and may have to fold.
This is why I hate playing AK out of position.
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