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How would you play this? 25/50p NLHE, AJo in position vs 2 opponents.
Here's an interesting hand which I thought I'd get your thoughts on. We're assuming the role of the player in the cut off who has A-Jo.
Blinds: 25/50p, full ring table, currently 8 handed though.
Stack sizes:
MP ~ £200
CO ~ £150
Button ~ £100
SB ~ £180
BB ~ £80
Background:
As you can see, the table is playing pretty deep and it's not an easy line up. The player in the BB is the one we think is the value at the table, with the MP and SB players both being winning regs at this level. We've played with them a little in the past but we know their game to be good and aggressive. Both are capable of squeezes, well timed bluffs, etc.
Preflop, our hand As-Jd:
After a string of folds from the early position players, MP opens to £2. We look at As-Jd and decide to flat call. We're a little wary of the players still to act behind, but with blinds this deep a 3-bet feels like it could be flatted or - worse still - four bet when it will feel pretty tough to play A-Jo.
The button folds, the SB calls and the BB folds. Pot size: £6.50.
Flop - 5s-8d-Ad.
The small blind checks, the MP (opening raiser) bets £5 and once again we call. A similar kind of thought process going on here: we're suspicious of the MP having a bigger ace, and with a player still behind our hand doesn't quite feel strong enough to take a raise from either the SB or MP opener. Some times I am raising here, others I will flat. This time we flat. Views?
The SB passes, so we're heads-up going to the turn. Pot size: £16.50.
Turn - 5s-8d-Ad-7d
Interesting card. The board now flushes, although we pick up the third nut flush draw ourselves.
Questions: How would you play this vs. a bet of £12? How would you play it if the opponent checks over to us?
As played, the MP player now checks to us and we check behind. What do we think of this play? Pot size; £16.50
River - 5s-8d-Ad-7d-5c
Once again, the opening raiser in MP checks. Here is the poll question:
How do you play the river? Do you check behind or value bet? If you value bet, how much for? If you don't bet and just check back, why?
If you want to go into guessing your opponent's hand that's all good too
Right, let's have your analysis, Poker Clinic.
Blinds: 25/50p, full ring table, currently 8 handed though.
Stack sizes:
MP ~ £200
CO ~ £150
Button ~ £100
SB ~ £180
BB ~ £80
Background:
As you can see, the table is playing pretty deep and it's not an easy line up. The player in the BB is the one we think is the value at the table, with the MP and SB players both being winning regs at this level. We've played with them a little in the past but we know their game to be good and aggressive. Both are capable of squeezes, well timed bluffs, etc.
Preflop, our hand As-Jd:
After a string of folds from the early position players, MP opens to £2. We look at As-Jd and decide to flat call. We're a little wary of the players still to act behind, but with blinds this deep a 3-bet feels like it could be flatted or - worse still - four bet when it will feel pretty tough to play A-Jo.
The button folds, the SB calls and the BB folds. Pot size: £6.50.
Flop - 5s-8d-Ad.
The small blind checks, the MP (opening raiser) bets £5 and once again we call. A similar kind of thought process going on here: we're suspicious of the MP having a bigger ace, and with a player still behind our hand doesn't quite feel strong enough to take a raise from either the SB or MP opener. Some times I am raising here, others I will flat. This time we flat. Views?
The SB passes, so we're heads-up going to the turn. Pot size: £16.50.
Turn - 5s-8d-Ad-7d
Interesting card. The board now flushes, although we pick up the third nut flush draw ourselves.
Questions: How would you play this vs. a bet of £12? How would you play it if the opponent checks over to us?
As played, the MP player now checks to us and we check behind. What do we think of this play? Pot size; £16.50
River - 5s-8d-Ad-7d-5c
Once again, the opening raiser in MP checks. Here is the poll question:
How do you play the river? Do you check behind or value bet? If you value bet, how much for? If you don't bet and just check back, why?
If you want to go into guessing your opponent's hand that's all good too
Right, let's have your analysis, Poker Clinic.
Comments
I reckon they got AQ and will check call river, I personally would bet the turn £9 then re-assess, if he calls and checks maybe fire out again but if he bets out probably would fold
Replying in breaking the hand down to my opinions
Pre flop
I also flat, i hate AJ at the best of times so in a raised pot im certainly just flatting. now the reason for this is the exact same as stated in the OP
Flop
I re-raise, with an opponent to act behind i dont want to be showing weakness and pricing in a flush draw. Also by re-raising i think we get info on a bigger ace/
Turn
Im nearly always betting the turn, Expessially when checked to me, if my A is no good at this stage i had outs with the J of diamonds.
River
Again as played, its been checked to me so i make a small value bet. However if i bet the turn and i am called im checking back.
Same on flop- he could easily have you dominated still, so it's basically floating for my money- but with a legitimate hand. You're looking for the weakness on a non-scary turn.
The check on turn signals one of two things to me- he's got a strong pp and is scared of the ace, or he was on a flush draw and trying to induce the bluff. He could also be afraid that you were calling on the flush draw. Because of that, and because we're heads up, I'm happy to check behind and see the river card.
The river is the most telling for me- if he has the flush or house, he simply can't check there- you've shown passivity all the way through having never bet, and are quite likely to call a reasonable value bet, but there's a huge danger of missing out on value when you check behind. So I think we can mostly eliminate flush/straight/house possibilities. With him checking turn and river, I think I put him on a strong pp now, 99-KK, or an ace. With that in mind, I value bet with the expectation of getting called- it's unlikely he'll put you on as strong a hand as AJ, and has gone into check/call mode by the river. If he turns over AK/AQ so be it, but I think you'll get value all day long from KK/QQ/JJ- would take a very disciplined fold on that board with that betting.
If he reraises heavily of course, I think we have to chalk it down as a loss and fold, and say wp. I'd bet around £9-10, and if he minraises I might be tempted to call solely for information. Probably a little spewy, though.
If we value bet it has to be around £8, and I can't see many hands that we are beating calling us (if indeed this player is a solid reg) The MP could well be just playing pot control and willing to check call any bet with AK, AQ.
The way the hand has played I'm pretty confident we are winning but as I said I can't see us getting any significant value from a river bet so best to just check behind.
raising flop this deep is a huge mistake we get into a super bloated pot vs a range that crushes us and we obv have to fold to a 3bet.
turn i think ck behind for PC is the best option we dont really need to protect our hand from much so i dont really like betting.
def vbetting river slightly over halfpot to get called by a wider range than if we bet 3/4's or greater.