Monday, December 10, 2007

Garden City 12/9 Results and Hands

Ok, the first entry about Garden City last night. Real quick, because I need to leave in ten minutes.

Overall, I felt pretty comfortable. I definitely felt like I belonged and I was better than at least half the table. I also felt quite bored a few hours in (stupid limit) and I also felt like I made a number of mistakes. Not huge ones, but mistakes. Overall result was losing $238 in three hours.

The table in general was really passive, with the exception of one guy who was quite aggressive (but he made tons of mistakes, including raising the river on a AKTJ9 board, three diamonds, after the guy who'd raised pre-flop checked, another guy bet, and then he raised. Should be a flush, right? No, A9o, which lost to a set of tens. On the flip side, a number of guys were reading me pretty well, which was kind of annoying, but there were enough calling stations at the table that I can't really do much bluffing, and I rarely got chances to semi-bluff.

So, some hands (more later too):

1. Probably the hand I screwed up most. I had 99 on the button, and 4-5 limpers in front of me. What should I do?

(highlight text below to see my comments -- think about it first)
I called. I think that I have a clear raise for value, and possibly to get some dead money from the blinds (maybe). But I can almost raise for set value alone, plus I likely have the best hand or second best.

Flop came 433 rainbow. Checked to me, I bet, 3-4 players call. I still like my hand except for the BB who called -- he looked at his chips before checking, but I couldn't tell if he was weak or strong.

Turn came 6, and now two diamonds on the board. Checked to me, I bet, BB folds (yes, I'm good) and aggressive guy I mentioned earlier raises. Guy to his left calls them cold. I put the raiser on trips, straight, possibly 77 or 88 (probably not, he would have led flop). The problem was, he might also make that raise with a flush draw (he'd been making a number of out of line raises, although I did show strength). I figured the cold-caller for a flush draw. So, what should I do? What does he have?

(highlight for my response)
I called, but I think this is my first opportunity to get out of the hand. I am drawing to a two-outer in most cases and I don't think he'd get too out of line here. Plus I'd have to call him down.

River came a non-diamond ten. Raiser leads out, cold-caller calls (???), and action on me. What do I do? What do they have?

(highlight here for my answer)
Against just the raiser, I've gotta call. But I don't know about overcalling. First, I'm not sure the raiser would lead into two of us without better than two pair. Second, the caller may have lucked into tens up. But, it is a monster pot, and it'd be horrible to lose it here for one bet -- the first guy could be bluffing, and the second guy could have a 4, 6, or even 77 or 88. So I called -- raiser had the straight, other guy mucked.

Ok, gotta go. More later.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you played the hand well. I think a PF raise is ok, but I'd do it more for variation than as a rule. The reason being... it will become correct for gut-shots to stay w/you on the flop(since the pot will offer > 11-1 for a single flop call). You'll get enough customers as it is w/a set. PF raise with Axs (because you will have a draw to the nuts), but I'd only do it once in a while with middle PP.

Your read on the BB... Whenever someone looks at their chips and then checks, 80% of the time they are weak and they are trying to scare you into checking. I saw this myself on Sat. Bet away and re-evaluate if you get check-raised.

Given the bluffing tendencies of the check-raiser, you have to call, but you're right to be worried about the cold-caller. Depends on your read. It was a small mistake, but I've seen people turn up some bizarre hands and 1 time in 10, your 99 could've been best.

One last thing... you said some people were reading you well (Were you not getting paid off??)... If so, I think this means you're not bluffing enough. Remember, even at a loose table, you still MUST try and bluff. I'm not saying bet into 4 people on a 678 monotone flop... Your bluffing frequency has to go down, but you have to do it for variation and advertising.

Good luck next time.

Sean said...

For raising 99, I think it may be worthwhile based on overpair potential... barely. I see what you mean about gutshots on the flop.

The BB read: it wasn't that kind of a move -- I could tell, he wasn't acting. But he didn't seem real strong either, which was why I bet out.

I didn't find one spot to bluff in. Either someone was leading the whole way (i.e. top pair+) or I was leading. I'll definitely keep bluffing in mind though, especially on the turn and river.

And the check-raiser. He was super-aggressive, but he wasn't an idiot -- he played well post flop. He had to figure me for at least an overpair, so his raise was strong (and raising a flush draw into someone who'd definitely call wasn't his style). With the other flush draw guy in there, I thought I should have folded the turn since I had only two outs (maybe 4, if a 3 was good), the flush guy probably had 1-2 overs and diamonds. I feel like I was drawing thin and could have saved two bets.

Is that too weak?

Anonymous said...

no... if you feel you only have 2 outs, then it's not weak to fold. It really depends on the range of hands you can put your opponents on. If it doesn't include smaller middle pairs (which I agree w/you is unlikely), then you are drawing thin and folding would've been a high caliber move.