Monday, June 02, 2008

The Power of Pairs Compells You!

The Power of Pairs Compells You!
The Power of Pairs Compells You!
The Power of Pairs Compells You!

In the big game last night I dug myself a hole in scenario #1, but I still think I like the play...

Scenario #1:
A MP raises like 4.5x and I figure its QQ or near there. I call with JT hearts.

Flop is Jack high with 2 hearts. He makes what appears to be a probe bet, but I am not buying it. I decide to call here.

The turn is a black Ace. This is both good and bad. If my read is correct, this is a scare card for him. But I have not made a flush.

He checks and I realize I can steal this right here. He is worried about the Ace. AJ is in my probable holdings here as is Ax for that matter. Especially AK, AQ as I think they would have peeled off another card. So I put in a pot size bet (now almost half my chips are in).

He calls with KK and I do not hit the flush.

Do you think I played this poorly? Did he make a great call based on information or a "I cant fold Kings" call?

Scenario #2. My Q is .75 and its been a struggle all night. I have had to play perfect just to get this was and win a race AQ vs. 88. the MP who has been low-profile at the table, puts in the 4-5x raise. I am thinking "decent hand here". I have JJ on the button. I figure the blinds to fold, so I wonder if I raise or call. I am worried that I although I can put him on a pair, I cant put him on a particular pair. Is it TT? QQ? I am not sure. I decide that my post flop position gives calling and edge and thus I make the call. Blinds fold.

Flop is 9 high (2 clubs). MP bets out POT and I have 2x pot left. If I fold, my Q is .5 and with 40% of the field left, I am having a real hard time folding an overpair here. The Power of Pairs Compells You! On the other hand, my gut tells me that the probable holding from the MP is QQ. The Power of Pairs Compells You!

Is this a shove or a fold? The Power of Pairs Compells You!

8 comments:

Mike Maloney said...

I don't understand your wording on the first hand, it sounds like you have two pair (Aces and Jacks) to his pair of Kings, so I don't see how you lost that hand.

Second hand, I probably push pre-flop, and if I just call, I'm definitely getting it all-in on that flop.

Unknown said...

#1 - That was my question. But I know you know what you're talking about, so I'm gonna say with a draw and top pair it's pretty damn hard to get away from the hand. I suppose you could have raised on the flop but he might have just pushed back and forced you to lose the hand.

#2 - Very good One Minute Mystery! I'd have to look at what a Q is, but given that your stack is low, you just have to ask if you think you're one of the best players left and if you can comeback. It doesn't sound like things were going well. Even a fold here means you'll have a shot at a double up. QQ does make the most sense here, but 10-10 is a possibility as well, and A-K or A-Q could also happen.
There's no right answer here. If things aren't going well and I'm at a table of studs, I push. If I feel confident that things will turn around and that I'm a better player than most at my table, I fold.

Bayne_S said...

I don't think my flop bet was pot, I think it was closer to 75% pot.

I thought from smooth call you had AA, QQ, JJ or TT and thought you would have reraised KK

OhCaptain said...

Yeah, hand #1 is really confusion. I don't see how having top two pair is a bad thing. You've got kings beat going into the river, he's drawing to a two outer, isn't that we want?

#2 - shove pre-flop. You've got next to nothing behind. People will seriously consider laying down TT, JJ and sometimes QQ depending on their stack size. Make the decision early. If you miss the flop you got no options, and even with undercards, you have no idea where you stand. Make the other guy sweat.

columbo (at eifco dot org) said...

yeah, I think it was JT. I updated it.

columbo (at eifco dot org) said...

Boy, I am hard-pressed to shove pre-flop with JJ against a raiser who has been on the sidelines.

Wwonka said...

first hand Doesn't make sense.

2nd hand I am Jamming preflop.

just my 2 cents.

Peace

OhCaptain said...

I was thinking about your last comment Columbo. I think you find yourself hard pressed to shove there and calling is basically your tournament, your only option then is too fold.

It seems to me is that your hunch is you are already beat. So why commit tournament suicide with a hand you believe is a loser.

Save your chips and hope for a better spot.