$25 NL, 99 in the big blind

[F Paulsson]

This was a hand that I decided I'd post even before the river was dealt. Lots of decisions that I - the NL rookie - found difficult in this hand. Comments on ALL streets appreciated.

CO is aggressive, that's really all I know about him. Presume normal $25NL player with slightly aggressive tendencies, I guess.

pokerstars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (7 handed)
MP2 ($14.40)
CO ($36.45)
Button ($20.50)
SB ($37.90)
Hero ($38.65)
UTG ($4.15)
MP1 ($9.65)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 9♥, 9♣.
3 folds, CO raises to $0.75, 2 folds, Hero raises to $2.25, CO calls $1.50. Should I raise here at all?

Flop: ($4.60) 8♣, 4♦, 5♥ (2 players)
Hero bets $3, CO raises to $6, Hero calls $3. CONFUSED!

Turn: ($16.60) 10♥ (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks. Given the way I played the flop, I saw little point in doing anything but checking. Eh?

River: ($16.60) 8♠ (2 players)
Hero bets $3, CO raises to $10, Hero feels generally confused about the entire hand. I was making a small bet hoping to get called by AK. I had decided that I could fold to a push if one came (which I'd take to mean A-8 or some such). This, however, wasn't a push. I don't know what I can beat that would raise here besides a bluff.

 

[joosebuck]

cold call the preflop raise so you can see where you're at for cheap. majority of flops will have an overcard to a 9 and at low limits i could see A10 and better raising.

flop, he seems aggressive so check to him and let him bet and raise 3-4x his bet. he should fold here most likely

if hes still in by the river, fear A10/K10 or JJ/QQ/KK/AA

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

The preflop raise considering you're OOP is fine. Try and take the pot down without seeing a flop, or failing that you're compensating for your bad position by at least becoming the aggressor and taking the initiative in the hand.

I think, and I may be being overly weak-tight here, that I try to get to showdown as cheaply as possible after the flop raise. I don't like the river bet because it appears weak, and hands your aggressive opponent a chance to seize the initiative, especially considering it's unlikely you reraised him preflop with an 8 in your hand. If an overcard or flush card comes I see more value in the small bet, as it's less likely you will have to face a raise. As it is, villain does not see the 8 as a scare card (he could also have something like A8 of course), sees you making a small 'scared' bet, and acts accordingly. His small raise does look like it wants a call though, judge that as you will.

Of course, this being $25NL his thought processes might be closer to "Me have good hand, me raise" or "Me feel like bluffing now", but we can only speculate.

As played, I think I fold the river (yeah, even after my rambling), but it's close.

 

[titans4ever]

Out of position after the flop makes this hand hard to play, yuk. I will look at hands and make it a story from their perspective to try and guess or narrow down what they might have. I have to assume they would play close to what I would play unless I know otherwise. Here is what I would do for this hand.

Villians play or thought process and hands I may put him on.
Preflop
I raise 3BB and get reraised by the BB, I call since I have position. Hands: AA, KK or AK would bomb after the reraise so these are out. QQs-55s some will reraise and others may just call. AQ AJ and A10 would only call and not reraise. Give them credit and assume A9 and lower kicker would fold (how I would play that hand).

Flop
BB fires out bet just over 1/2 pot. I reraise just to see where he stands and get callled. He does have a PP! Wonder how big and if it bigger than mine. He did not reraise me so it must not be a monster like AA, KK or QQ. Hands: JJ and 10s would be scared of QQ right now. Any Ax hand would be willing to fold right now knowing they are probably behind. Smaller PP may have hit set and smiling.

Turn
Check? What is he afraid of with that turn card? Maybe he does not have a huge PP if he did not bet it out here. Did he just hit a set of 10s and slowplaying me? Let's just see the river for free. Hands: PPs JJs-5s and Ax (saw for free). Person with set is just slowplaying here hoping for bet on river.

River
$3? I don't think he has anything. Lets see if I can push him out here. Hands: same as turn since no betting. To many hands still in play to make an accurate decision and should fold here. You are right that there are not may hands that you can beat except the bluff.


How I think you went wrong on the hand and could have gotten more info.

I don't like your panic mode after his reraise on flop. It could easily be a feeler bet to see if you really did hit anything since he has position. I think you should have reraised again right there to see where you stand. You should have pushed it up to $10 or $11. You get called again, then start to worry. I look at the reraise right there as the bet I am more than likely going to have to do on the turn or river (you wasted $3 on the river, that $3 or $5 on the flop reraise would have alot more power behind it for aggression factor alone). It would also not allow an overcard to come and scare you.

You checked on the turn after calling the reraise. You gave him the hand right there with that weakness, unless you are slowplaying a set. You do a bet here and the semibluff or two overcards will fold here. You will really know where you stand by betting it out here after you called his reraise on the flop.

You should have just checked the river after checking the turn. $3 into a $16 pot is so weak alot of good players will reaise with crap just for the principle of it. Your bet should have been at least $8 or 1/2 pot or more. This is where that $4 or $5 reraise on flop is nice. It is less money than a decent bet on river and has alot more weight behind it.

 

[twizzybop]

This is a damn if do call and damn if you don't call.
You may have the best hand and if you raise he probably will call. So just for a value bet(call), I would call. Yes one may be beat but to figure out what he has by now is sort of to late.

 

[colin_147]

This is a horrible hand, FP. Not necessarily the way you played it, just the hand as a whole. Its like "where the hell am I?"

Ok, preflop. He makes a 3 x bb raise in the cut off. You now know you will be playing all the way out of position, so I agree with the re-raised to take the pot down. I mean, you know what the odds of of the overcards appearing vs your odds of hitting your set. The call by him is like "oh shit"

Continuation bet is good. A pretty standard play but the last thing you wanna do is give him a free card. I was going to to say that I dont agree with the call after his re-raise but I dont necessarily think this is quite as horrible a play as people may think. You are telling him you have a hand and will not lay it down to his min raise

The turn is seriously confusing. I like your check (hell, if he wants to give me a free card, i'll take it!)

The river is also pretty weird. The river bet is either a "please call me" or "I wanna see you for cheap". Unfortunately, he has figured your hand is pretty weak and raised you. tbh 3/1 on your money its prob worth the call, even though its very likely you are beat. but its $7 call to win $34, so if he knows what he is doing, then its likely he isnt bluffing, as he is definitely giving you pretty nice odds to call

 

[Effexor]

I don't mind the raise PF, but usually with a weak PP I just try and see some cards for as cheaply as possible.

The flop bet of 3/4 the pot is a good feeler bet to see where you stand. His raise is most likely either a big PP or "I know that you missed the flop and I want to try and buy the pot right now" semi bluff with a strong ace.

His check on the river tells me he probably doesn't have a big PP, someone with AA, KK doesn't check here.

The only real mistake is the river bet, check the river on marginal hands. If villian was playing a big PP like AA, KK or QQ, he'd have bet the turn, so I think he's trying to buy the pot.

I'd call.

 

[Bombjack]

I think he probably has an 8, either A8, K8, 78, 89, or even 67 for the straight. I'm pretty sure you're beaten.

 

[Effexor]

Actually A8 fits right in with the betting patterns, is it too late to change my vote? hehe

What did he have? The suspense is terrible.

 

[F Paulsson]

You should have just checked the river after checking the turn. $3 into a $16 pot is so weak alot of good players will reaise with crap just for the principle of it. Your bet should have been at least $8 or 1/2 pot or more. This is where that $4 or $5 reraise on flop is nice. It is less money than a decent bet on river and has alot more weight behind it.

If we check the river, how big of a bet are we willing to call?

The $3 river bet was intended as a blocking bet. It may have been to small. My reasoning was, at the time, that only trip eights and up will raise my bet, but he managed to raise precisely enough that I had a difficult decision on whether or not to call him.

 

[blankoblanco]

I agree the $3 river bet was probably too small to be a sufficient block bet. If I bet $3 there and get raised, I really don't know if the person is just sensing weakness and making a play at it or if they have a strong hand. I bet $6 here. I think that's enough to where, if raised, you can be quite sure that you're beat.