NL20 - Completely butchered, please help me pick out the bones...

JohnConnor

NL20, no reads. Folded to me on the button, standard raise, sb and bb both call. Not 100% sure what I was thinking on flop, was a bit confused by the weak donk tbh and have heard that raising for info isn't so good. Looking back I definately think this is a raise, especially with position, yes? Presumably a raise would be to gain information and extract value at times? I've carried on my weak line on the turn and I guess this is pretty horrendous. On the river the money goes in small increments and I just found myself clicking call everytime (I did river top 2 so any doubts re AK, 2 pair are gone and the board is pretty dry). But when there's action like this on the river, can top 2 ever be good? I'm guessing no, at least not without exceptional reads.

How should this hand really have gone then? I raise the flop, get flatted by the set, the donk bettor folds. If he bets the turn do I need to call? Check back if he doesn't? What about the river, py off the vb?

What if the set raises the flop? Then I really wouldn't be happy and at my early stage learning cash I have to say I think I would call down. This would be terrible right?

Once again any and all thoughts, criticisms welcome, cheers, JC

PlayerActionCardsAmountPotBalanceCHAMBER188Small blind £0.10£0.10£11.32tomvick89Big blind £0.20£0.30£14.12 Your hole cardsAQ   LuzhnikiFold    TheSwanFold    JohnConnorRaise £0.60£0.90£18.80CHAMBER188Call £0.50£1.40£10.82tomvick89Call £0.40£1.80£13.72Flop  36A   CHAMBER188Check    tomvick89Bet £0.60£2.40£13.12JohnConnorCall £0.60£3.00£18.20CHAMBER188Call £0.60£3.60£10.22Turn  8   CHAMBER188Check    tomvick89Bet £0.80£4.40£12.32JohnConnorCall £0.80£5.20£17.40CHAMBER188Raise £1.60£6.80£8.62tomvick89Call £0.80£7.60£11.52JohnConnorCall £0.80£8.40£16.60River  Q   CHAMBER188Check    tomvick89Bet £4.00£12.40£7.52JohnConnorCall £4.00£16.40£12.60CHAMBER188Raise £8.00£24.40£0.62tomvick89All-in £7.52£31.92£0.00JohnConnorCall £7.52£39.44£5.08CHAMBER188All-in £0.62£40.06£0.00CHAMBER188Show33   tomvick89ShowA5   JohnConnorShowAQ   tomvick89WinFlush to the Ace£38.26 £38.26

zing

you seem generally competent and refreshingly post a hand history with a decent description attached w/ thought process so props for that.

it's not that raising for info isn't good it's that people do it for that sole reason, foremost you're raising the flop for value but obviously info comes with that as you can narrow down ranges to Ax and SDs/GSs etc based on the next actions of villain(s) and therefore in turn will decide what line is best versus his most likely holdings.

obviously as you've already alluded to the river is clearly terrible, fair enough calling the £4 but after that i mean just look at the actions compared to your hand strength. Just don't get roped in by the amount already in the pot

and actually analyse the actions and you can clearly see you're always dead.

generally though raise flop and look to bet/fold turn+riv and maybe you can avoid a colossal mess like this.

richtea

Raise a little bit more pre, definitely raise flop, then you'll have a better idea where you are.