Pocket kings in the SB, short handed. (1 Viewer)

[DrStrange]

We are playing 1-2 live, five handed. It is a cold rainy night over the holiday weekend. The game was a spur of the moment session where the three 'guests of honor' didn't show up even though the asked for the game to be set - - - Grrr. We are missing a lot of the action players, started with seven and now five are left.

Cast of characters:

Hero is in the small blind with $400, solidly ahead. The night has been good to Hero - preflop hands have been mostly garbage or gold, not so many to get into trouble with. People joke about how tight Hero plays but they call even so.

BB has $400 as well - close to break even. He is tricky/trappy quite loose {perhaps correctly in a five handed game} and sticky. Notable - BB is normally a losing player and avoids this game but he came last session and won ~$2,000. This has emboldened him and improved his game.

Button has $500, but on a $700 buy in. Button is the perfect calling station. Hyper loose, very sticky and rarely bets or raises without a hand.

The hand:

Two folds, then Button limps. Hero opens up his hand and sees . Should Hero call or raise, if raising how much? Typical raises are $7 - $12 all day.

DrStrange

PS this hand is easier than the other one I will post next. . . .

 

[detroitdad]

9.00

 

[12thMan]

$10 to play all day I say.

 

[BGinGA]

Raise to $15, expect a call. If he's calling loose, make him pay.

 

[DrStrange]

*** on to the flop ***

Hero raises to $12, both villains call. Three way action, $36 in the pot.

Flop is: < >

Action on Hero. Bet or check, if betting how much?

DrStrange

 

[detroitdad]

Bet $26

 

[Mr Tree]

With the three spades I think you lead out about $20 and call a reasonable raise. Hope the board pairs.

 

[12thMan]

I'm a bad player so I would bomb it, pot or even $40, I hate those spades and want anybody with one to make a bad call to get there. I'm always looking for a reason to fold (I see monsters under every bed, see the whole bad player thing) and an all spades board is making a strong case. I still have a powerful hand and can't just check out, but I would like to find out where I'm at and be prepared to fold them if the board doesn't help us or we get re raised.

 

[DrStrange]

This is a rather dry flop. There is only one king left to make top pair. It is "gin" if someone had two spades. It is a fine draw to the naked ace of spades. But most of the villains will have nothing - no pair and no flush draw.

These villains are "crazy fools' about flops like this and can find reasons to draw at far weaker one card flushes. It wouldn't shock me to see someone playing nothing but a naked nine of spades. Hero has made good money drawing at the nut flush and then collecting from someone who made a worse flush.

DrStrange

 

[MikesDad]

Bet $25

 

[DrStrange]

*** opps! I thought I posted the next step ***

Hero bets $25 into a $36 pot (70% pot). Big Blind min-raises Hero to $50. Button folds.

Action on Hero. Call $25, fold or re-raise? If raising, how much?

DrStrange

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Ship it. Bb has the ace of spades and is min raising so he can check behind on the turn and see two cards as cheaply as possible. Make him pay.

 

[bivey]

MUTB, MUTB!

 

[Ben]

I call, and bet $115 on a non-spade non-board-pairing turn.

 

[Meddler2]

Wouldn't a paired turn card be optimal for hero?

 

[Ben]

Wouldn't a paired turn card be optimal for hero?

For Hero's chances of winning the hand, sure. For Hero's chances of getting action from worse, not so much.

 

[DrStrange]

*** on to the turn ***

Hero calls $25. $136 in the pot, heads up.

The turn: < >

Action on Hero - bet or check, if betting how much?

DrStrange

PS edited to correct error in pot size.

 

[Gear]

Blech. Check-fold.

 

[Ben]

Well that's... interesting. Villain's range awfully heavy with flopped flushes of various sizes now (including now the nuts and 2nd nuts.) We can't really rep much here ourselves so check and see how much he bets, or if he has a small flush or worse he probably checks behind and then I bomb the river.

 

[DrStrange]

I wonder how effectively Hero could bluff a thinking player with a long history playing vs Hero? What hands are in Hero's range where he could table the nuts or near nuts? K / Q / J / seem like the bulk of that range. Hero's flop play is consistent enough with those hands - bet to take the pot and then call with the spade draw (though paying to draw to the non-nut flush could end up being a disaster).

Hero is fortunate to have a hand where he holds 20% equity vs a flush. Or maybe not . . .

DrStrange

 

[Ben]

What hands are in Hero's range where he could table the nuts or near nuts? K / Q / J / seem like the bulk of that range. Hero's flop play is consistent enough with those hands.

Even if he is giving it that much thought, for most players that is enough to fold to a river bomb, especially given that Hero does not have a reputation as a "bluffer" (I assume.) Checking the turn doesn't hurt us there as we would often check those hands as well.

 

[detroitdad]

Check, call a smallish bet, hope the board pairs on the river. If he gets silly with the betting then fold.

 

[DrStrange]

*** OK, what is the plan ***

Hero checks. Villain bets $25. Do not make normal assumptions about bet sizing here. This villain often bets way too small trying to "keep you on the hook". He absolutely could hold the nut flush and bet this small. Remember, this villain is tricky trappy.

Action on Hero. Fold, call or raise. If raising how much?

DrStrange

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Call

 

[Forty4]

Have to call that amount.

 

[Gear]

Have to call that amount.

I sure don't. Fold.

 

[Trihonda]

I call.

Here's my attempt at maff without using a calculator (wish me luck).

$25 to win $111

We have 10 outs to the boat/quads, and if that hits (~19-20% chance if it hitting), we're almost certainly going to win the existing stack.

Given JUST this, I think we fold, right? Not the right odds.

But wait... There's a river bet. IF the board pairs, we're likely to get more of villains chips (implied odds). Even with the paired board, we might find some extra value with the right bet? I think this makes this an easy call on the turn.

If the river blanks, it's an easy decision. C/F

 

[Ben]

Except its $25 to win $161. We're getting 6.5:1 direct odds and absolutely cannot fold. Given Doc's info above, raising would be inadvisable - so we take our sweet odds and call, and value-bet if the board pairs. (Of course, it is always when our opponents give us stupid odds that we never hit - proven law of science.)

 

[Marius L]

strange bet by him on the turn. If you have history with him and belive he can make this bet with the nuts then i think its an easy call because you will likely get paid of on the river if it pairs. On a river that pairs the board I think either a half pot sized donk bet or something would be ok. C/R river seems fine as well, depending on how passive the guys is.

 

[DrStrange]

Maybe I gave the wrong impression about villain's range for the tiny bet. It is W I D E. Anything from the nuts to a tiny flush, even two pair or one pair. His purpose might be value or blocking or getting Hero to fold via a creative bluff, though I lean towards blocking or value.

DrStrange