March 29, 2016
Bounty Builder $22 on PokerStars, 18 players left, I was somewhere middle of the pack. All players are quite deep stacked.
Opponent seems to be a recreational player.
PokerStars – 3500/7000 Ante 1100 NL – Holdem – 7 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4
SB: 53.22 BB (VPIP: 25.00, PFR: 25.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)
Hero (BB): 34.76 BB
UTG: 25.93 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)
UTG+1: 43.74 BB (VPIP: 6.90, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 29)
MP: 22.05 BB (VPIP: 40.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 5)
CO: 32.15 BB (VPIP: 25.00, PFR: 25.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)
BTN: 74.85 BB (VPIP: 25.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)
7 players post ante of 0.16 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 2.6 BB) Hero has Q K
UTG raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls 2 BB
Opening 3x UTG by a recreational player forces me to put him on a pretty polarized range (given also that he’s short stack on the table).
22+,A8s+,KJs+,QJs,JTs,T9s,98s,87s,76s,AJo+,KQo
Flop: (7.6 BB, 2 players) J A Q
Hero checks, UTG bets 5.07 BB, Hero calls 5.07 BB
Villain bets big, I decided to call hoping for a T, some spade or just to outplay him post flop by bluffing next streets. At this point I would exlude complete air from his range, leaning towards 2 pair combo, maybe a flush draw(with A:club and Q:club on the board, unlikely), AJ or a bluff with pocket pair.
Turn: (17.73 BB, 2 players) K
Hero checks, UTG checks
This turn gives me 2 pair, not what I was hoping for but looks like a good card to bluff as I think it’s unlikely for villain to have a flush draw on the flop and he should now have too many Tx pre.
River: (17.73 BB, 2 players) 4
Hero bets 26.54 BB and is all-in, UTG calls 17.71 BB and is all-in
Blank river. Once villain checks the turn, I completely excluded flushes from his range. Even though I have 2 pairs , my hand has almost none showdown value as villain could still have stronger 2pair combos with Ax or sets.
For that reason I decided to shove the river and put villain in a tough spot (also bear in mind his bounty was in play which was $25). With 2 pairs and trips, he should have tough decision and his pocket pairs would fold anyway.
Hero shows Q K (Two Pair, Kings and Queens)
UTG shows T J (Straight, Ace High)
UTG wins 53.15 BB
Now, my questions.
1. Should I have folded the flop?
2. Should I check the river and pray for him to have some worse hand?
I think i call this flop most of the time (although maybe a mistake?)
I feel like with a pair, straight draw and backdoor flush draw we just have too much equity to be folding to a single bet, although it is a big one. When the turn goes check/check i think we are good most of the time, but by shoving are we only getting called by better? I think i would go for a smaller bet and perhaps even fold to jams (this would probably be villain dependent).
February 5, 2015
TPE Pro
December 6, 2012
I’m on board with folding flop. I think it looks like you have more hand than you do. And vs an UTG raiser, what are his bluffs on this board? Trouble is you’re out of position and are drawing to very few nut hands. Case in point is what happens here, where Hero improves and still feels compelled to turn it into a bluff. I think it’s close and don’t mind calling, but I’m guessing most people just call here without really thinking about anything other than it seems like they have a lot going on, and that’s a mistake.
March 29, 2016
Thanks guys for all your feedback.
@Killingbird
I wouldn’t agree 100% with you. Yes, we get called only by better( flushes and probably all straights) but at the same time villain should fold a lot of better two pair combos and should at least think about folding a set. About river shove, pleaese bear in mind it’s a bounty tournament so that river shove might not look that crazy as in other tournaments.
I fold flop normally. The gutter is less valuable when there is a flush on board and hitting two pair does nothing for us in terms of value.
That said, I think the bounty makes it more of a call than usual.
I like your thought process of turning it into a bluff on the river, but I wouldn’t do it. That may work on a good player, but not many $22 recreational players are folding two pair or a set after putting in 8bbs from a 34bb stack. Even if they should, they probably wont.
July 12, 2013
Carlos said
I fold flop normally. The gutter is less valuable when there is a flush on board and hitting two pair does nothing for us in terms of value.That said, I think the bounty makes it more of a call than usual.
I like your thought process of turning it into a bluff on the river, but I wouldn’t do it. That may work on a good player, but not many $22 recreational players are folding two pair or a set after putting in 8bbs from a 34bb stack. Even if they should, they probably wont.
From a UTG open he doesn’t have many flush draws but maybe exactly KJcc though right.
ONe thing I’ve sort of discovered lately… And maybe I’m a bit slow, or hopefully others can watch for this when using Flopzilla, is that when we have a UTG or tight opener and the flush draw on a board that includes and Ace w the flush card, their flush draws are severely limited.
TPE Pro
August 25, 2012
I don’t hate the flop call, but I think what this comes down to is that with the A, K and Q of clubs out there and the big flop bet sizing making you fold out a lot of QT/JT, it’s super difficult for you to really have many value combos on river. It seems like a good spot to turn this hand into a bluff, but when we consider whether we’re actually repping enough to get villain to fold those 2-pair hands we’re targeting, I’m not sure.
lapp3r30 said
From a UTG open he doesn’t have many flush draws but maybe exactly KJcc though right.
ONe thing I’ve sort of discovered lately… And maybe I’m a bit slow, or hopefully others can watch for this when using Flopzilla, is that when we have a UTG or tight opener and the flush draw on a board that includes and Ace w the flush card, their flush draws are severely limited.
According to the range you gave, he has a few flush draws 76s+ and since he is a rec, maybe even 75s+. Not many, but there are some.
I know PokerStars is tougher, so maybe this play works there. On the US sites, it’s hard to get recs to fold top pair, much less two pair. These guys are crazy.
May 9, 2017
kardi31 said
Now, my questions.1. Should I have folded the flop?
2. Should I check the river and pray for him to have some worse hand?
2. Check 100%. The only hand he calls a shove with that you beat is KJ. Make him bet. If he shoves (and he will), take 26BB to the next hand & live another day.
Most Users Ever Online: 2780
Currently Online:
41 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
bennymacca: 2616
Foucault: 2067
folding_aces_pre_yo: 1133
praetor: 1033
theginger45: 924
P-aire 146: 832
Turbulence: 768
The Riceman: 731
duggs: 591
florianm1: 588
Newest Members:
sdmathis89
ne0x00
adrianvaida2525
Anteeater
Laggro
Philbro
Forum Stats:
Groups: 4
Forums: 24
Topics: 12705
Posts: 75003
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 1063
Members: 12007
Moderators: 2
Admins: 5
Administrators: RonFezBuddy, Killingbird, Tournament Poker Edge Staff, ttwist, Carlos
Moderators: sitelock, sitelock_1