Big Blind Special (1 Viewer)

[Kain8]

1/2 No Limit Holdem game at the local casino. Game has been extremely passive, rare preflop raises, and not much action.

Notable players in this hand:

Hero in the BB is sitting on $575 on a $300 buy-in. Hero has made a couple flushes and gotten paid off on them but has not joined the limpfest that has been going on.

Cutoff is a regular at the casino, having just rebought for $200 a few hands ago. He limps a lot like most of the table. Plays a bit snug when the somewhat big bets come out.

Small blind has about $450 in front of him and has been a pretty passive player as well. Hasn't really shown many hands since Hero has sat down.


***Preflop***

4 players limp, small blind completes, and Hero has 7s 5s and elects to check.

Flop: 6c 4c 3h

Pot: $12

Small blind checks, Hero's action?

 

[detroitdad]

Bet 7

 

[DrStrange]

Bet $10 into a $12 pot. Never slow play this hand in the game described in the OP.

This hand is going to get ugly if a third club hits

 

[MacGrad]

I'd go as far as betting the pot -- try to win it now.

You've got the best hand right now, but there are too many draws out there and you can't improve your hand... furthermore, you have no idea where the other players are at. The only cards you want to see are non-club A, K, Q, J, T (and I'm not comfortable seeing another heart come out, either).

 

[Kain8]

Hero bets $10, wanting to build a pot / give flush draws incorrect odds to call. Both the cutoff and small blind call.

6c 4c 3h (10h)

Pot: $42

Small blind checks, Hero's action?

 

[upNdown]

$150 - get them the hell out of this hand now!

 

[Rhodeman77]

With 2 callers I like a bigger sized bet, $40.

 

[detroitdad]

With 2 callers I like a bigger sized bet, $40.

I agree with this action.

 

[upNdown]

I agree with this action.

With two flush draws out there, I'm wondering why you folks all want a call. Maybe I've just lost a flopped straight one or two too many times, but I'd be really glad to take the $42 and move on.

 

[detroitdad]

With two flush draws out there, I'm wondering why you folks all want a call. Maybe I've just lost a flopped straight one or two too many times, but I'd be really glad to take the $42 and move on.

Bigger the pot the better

 

[Blaster]

Bet $40 to $60 to win this pot without a river card.

 

[DrStrange]

Hero benefits in the long run by tolerating variation. Make bets that give villains poor odds but remain callable. If Hero closes out the hand every time he has the nuts but otherwise bets in more orthodox ways he gives up value and generates a huge betting tell. If the overbet is predicated on the fact this is a strategy post with a hard decision coming, that isn't going to be of much use at a live table.

There are strategies that have huge overbets at many opportunities. If I recall correctly, I think Phil Gordon has something about this in one of his books. While I don't think hero is in the right kind of game for that strategy, I can respect a massive overbet here if that is part of hero's game - - - meaning that he would bet the same way with a flush draw or a one pair hand.

If Hero were in position, I'd bet $30 but being hero is half way out of position, lets bet $35 or $40. I also bet 100% of rivers, sometimes as a bet/call sometimes as a bet/fold. I do not fear the heart flush, though I appreciate there are some remote risks being at the top of the list.

 

[Kain8]

Hero bets $35, cutoff folds, small blind calls pretty quickly.

6c 4c 3h (10h) (3c)

Pot: $112

Small blind checks again, Hero's action?

 

[mummel]

Ouch. Bet $100 and hope you don't get reraised. Maybe represent a full house?

 

[rjbf65]

It's probably correct to bet $75 into this and pray to not get reraised. I'm so nitty that I may just check it down. I'm not sure how he can call with a hand that doesn't beat you. Since you showed aggression on every street he may have hit his draw and feeling you may fire again.

 

[colter ripton]

Check behind on the river...........its about the worse river card that could have come........

Play up to this point has been good...... You absolutely want a call on the flop and the turn..........you flopped the nuts of course you want action ........ out of position, slightly less than pot sized bets seems correct on both streets.......

now a terrible river card......but suddenly you are in position.........check behind and show it down

 

[onerand]

Bet may be thin. Not that you fear being behind, but its hard for this player to call with worse, other than a 3.

 

[colter ripton]

Of course you fear being behind at this point.....everything that can beat you has gotten there with that river card.......

Luckily you are now in position......

Your only play is to check behind here....

 

[Shaggy]

You state small blind has been pretty passive, but hasn't shown down many hands. No reason to think he is trappy after making his river FH. I think it is a bet/fold of $50.

 

[Rhodeman77]

If you have any history with this player that would be very beneficial. The board pairing part of the hand doesn't scare me. If he had a set or 2 pair we would have known about it sooner, there would have been a raise on the flop or turn. So that leaves us with the flush draw and the only real hand that is plausible that bears us.

Most people would bet there hand out of position if they make the flush. It is the obvious draw that came in and the risk of you checking behind is very real.

I would make a small value bet, like $60. He probably folds most of the time but may call with top pair or any 3 of course. If he raises, depending on how much and table read on how he does it, body language etc I probably fold. But I really doubt he has a flush.

 

[colter ripton]

Ask yourself this........

What is he calling on the river with that I can beat?

if you can't think of a realistic hand,that you can beat, that he has that he's going to call with..... (which I cant) then you have to check

 

[MoscowRadio]

I'm checking behind here. Quick calls are usually indicative of a draw, and on this flush-y, straight-y, paired board I'm not looking to get check-raised.

 

[Kain8]

****Results****





After the small blind checks again, I really couldn't find a hand that my straight could beat that would also call a river bet. Adding to that, my hand is great for showdown for a decent pot and it couldn't certainly weather a checkraise if it came to that.

I checked behind and tabled my straight, to which the small blind was most disappointed when he turned over Kc 7c for a rivered flush.

When these unfortunate results occur, I always remind myself that I did bet when I was ahead and checked when I was behind. There's always the next hand!

 

[mummel]

Well done.

 

[Rhodeman77]

Very well played by you, not so much by your villain. I just don't understand why people pay to catch a draw then don't bet it when they get it!

If he led for $50 on the river do you make a crying call or just fold? I think you have to call most times or become easily exploited in those spots. He lost value after getting bad odds to get there.

 

[DrStrange]

Villain could be a calling station kind of player. Second nut flush on a paired board isn't good enough for some passive players to value bet.

 

[Kain8]

If he led for $50 on the river do you make a crying call or just fold? I think you have to call most times or become easily exploited in those spots. He lost value after getting bad odds to get there.

$50 into $112? Probably a call. The table was so passive and no bluffs were being made so a fold would certainly enter my mind even with the $50 bet, but I'm too strong to fold to that size of bet I feel.