Question of the Day - 01/09/08

[Bacon]

Scene

No-Limit Cash Game, Blind 1/2

Your Stack: 190
Opponent 1: 150 (UTG)
Opponent 2: 300 (2nd to act)

Question:

You are playing in an online six-max game. In this hand two weak spots, player 1 and player 2, limp in and you raise to $12 from on the button with . The blinds fold and the limpers come along. The flop comes . Player 1 leads for $22 and player 2 calls. What should you do?

Call. The only hand you are losing to in AA, and if either UTG or #2 had this, they would've re-raised your $12 bet pre-flop (I think). By calling, you are stringing them along, extracting more money. Mind you, if they have called your $12 raise with 34/45, then the turn/river might cause problems, but I doubt they are doing that.

[rcon]

You are playing in an online six-max game. In this hand two weak spots, player 1 and player 2, limp in and you raise to $12 from on the button with . The blinds fold and the limpers come along. The flop comes . Player 1 leads for $22 and player 2 calls. What should you do?

I'm betting the pot (85) here, or maybe 3/4 of it. You have to put them both on an ace - weak players like to limp with Ax, but it is possible one of them has limped with AA, and I want to know about it. I'm not too scared of the pot becoming too big, as I've got a strong hand. The only thing putting a little doubt in my mind as to this strategy is that I might just get a flat call with AA as well as Ax. I'm also not to worried about scarring them off, as I like to c-bet a lot of pots, and raising would hopefully be seen in this same light.

Calling/slow play isn't my style - looking forward to the answer to see just how wrong my approach is here

[Chelsea4thewin]

with the stack sizes (100xbb), the out of position players are definately going to raise pre-flop

[rcon]

with the stack sizes (100xbb), the out of position players are definately going to raise pre-flop

Isn't the "weak" part meant to indicate they may well limp with a monster - or am I taking them for being too weak? (NPL weak style )

[bennymacca]

Scene

No-Limit Cash Game, Blind 1/2

Your Stack: 190
Opponent 1: 150 (UTG)
Opponent 2: 300 (2nd to act)

Question:

You are playing in an online six-max game. In this hand two weak spots, player 1 and player 2, limp in and you raise to $12 from on the button with . The blinds fold and the limpers come along. The flop comes . Player 1 leads for $22 and player 2 calls. What should you do?

you are waay in front here - the only ONLY hand that you need to be worried about is AA, and if one of the players has that, then good luck to them.

i would flat call the flop, and probably the turn as well, and set them up for a big raise on the river. raising any earlier, and one or both players will probably fold, and not pay you off.

[Hans_Gruber]

Answer:

Call. Raising is everyone's gut reaction, but why? You should always have a reason to raise - either to get more money in the pot from a worse hand or to get your opponent to fold. In this hand, you aren't looking for a fold and if you raise, you won't get value out of any hand you beat. If you raise, your opponent will fold everything you're ahead of and continue with hands you lose to. By flat-calling, you keep in hands that you beat and that he'll continue on the turn with. Thus you maximize your EV.


Raise (48%) Fold (2%) Call (50%)

Reason to raise? Easy - to get more information about your opponent's hand. You certainly don't want to over commit yourself by going all in, but with your opponent betting the amount they have they could be holding anything from a simple pair to the nuts.

By raising for information here you could save yourself trouble and higher losses on the turn and river.

[muzzington]

Scene

No-Limit Cash Game, Blind 1/2

Your Stack: 190
Opponent 1: 150 (UTG)
Opponent 2: 300 (2nd to act)

Question:

You are playing in an online six-max game. In this hand two weak spots, player 1 and player 2, limp in and you raise to $12 from on the button with . The blinds fold and the limpers come along. The flop comes . Player 1 leads for $22 and player 2 calls. What should you do?

Answer:

Call. You have middle set on an extremely dry board. The pot is already multiway and getting larger. No need to chase them out just yet. Flat-call the flop and raise the turn once these wetnaps put a little more money in the pot. Though I do not normally advocate slow-playing, this is a fine spot for such a move.

Poll results: Fold (0%) Call (65%) Raise (34%)

[muzzington]

Your Hand:

Game: Limit Texas Hold'em, Cash Game
Position: Early
Type of Game: Loose/Aggressive
Blinds: N/A

Question:

You are first to act. What do you do?

[David]

Whatever makes for good conversation later..

[stevo]

Go in the tank for 5 minutes and then go all in! Any ace is good right