[SpeakEasy]

CALL CALL CALL

You are probably so far ahead that even thinking about being behind here is laughable. This is not the time to be scared of the one single hand that could have you beat. Do not raise! Do whatever it takes to draw BB's chips into the pot.

[jojobinks]

Originally Posted by SeattleSooner

Actually, no.

oops. please accept my apology.

and call.

btw, just calling with kings there in the bb is just a hair worse than your minraise. i woudn't make either play ever, i don't think, given the situation.

[coyote]

results aside, I HATE pushing there. CALL CALL CALL CALL.

As others have said, you are likely waaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of the other two and I would want to give the BB every opportunity to remain in the hand. It's likely she was folding anyways but gotta give her a chance.

[yeltzen]

Why on earth would you want to isolate? If the other guy flopped an ace, you want him in this pot. If he happens to have 54 and flopped the nuts, he's going all in and you're calling anyways. Do everything possible to keep him in.

On a side note, I think min-raises are probably the dumbest thing ever. I guess if these guys are too dumb to realize the obvious strength a min-raise shows, then it's okay. But, in general, they'd probably call $300 if they called $200, and this gets more money in the pot in case you don't get any action on the flop.

[yeltzen]

Originally Posted by SeattleSooner

What's interesting is that the BB played kings about as bad as I think you can do it, but lost just about the minimum she could have. Playing kings badly was a reoccuring theme for her that night though.

And had a king came on the flop and she stacked you, we'd be talking about how you played aces about as bad as could.

[Jambine]

Originally Posted by yeltzen

...... On a side note, I think min-raises are probably the dumbest thing ever....

I agree (and you’re scaring me again). You don’t want to give anyone better than 4:1 to call. The absolute minimum raise should be ½ pot, unless you’re trying to pull off a post oak bluff, or some such other ill advised fancy play. You’re going to win more in the long run.

EDIT: I also agree (terrified now) that at this level of play, most people will NOT recognize the possibility that a minimum raise could mean they’re up against a monster hand.

[SeattleSooner]

Normally I agree min-raises are suicide. Unfortunately the people I was playing with are pretty bad. They always see a min raise as weak, never strong. And they're usually scared enough of my standard raises to fold preflop or to a continuation bet. This makes it hard to get paid off with good hands.

My plan with the aces in that hand was to make sure at least one of them saw the flop with me, bet a little over half the pot on the flop, and see what happens. They aren't really tricky. They would call all my bets to the river with any pair or a flush/straight draw. They'd raise me with a made flush/straight or trips. Because I feel like I can read them and outplay them I'm not as worried about min raising, and I can get away from big pairs when I get raised. They aren't really sophisticated to bluff effectively.

I'd like to state for the record, that this isn't how I play against different competition. It just seems to be the strategy that works best against these particular players.

[w16227]

Originally Posted by SeattleSooner

I need some feedback on how I played a hand at my local monthly NL tournament. It's a $10 buy in with starting stacks of $2500. Generally there are eight players in a winner take all format. This time only five could make it. I have a tight aggressive image, but actually play much looser than everyone thinks. I'm the best player and use my ability to outplay people after the flop. There are four players left. BB and the button are loose-passive and UTG is tight-passive. We're at $50/100 blinds. I'm the small blind with a stack of about $5500. The large blind has about $4500, UTG has $1400 and the button has $1100. Action starts:

UTG calls $100. Button folds. I look down at AdAc. Today my preflop raises have been winning most pots before the flop, so I decide to make a smaller raise than normal for me and make it $200 to go (normal for me here would have been $400 to go). Both the BB and button call. I intend to lead out with a $500 bet on the flop.

The flop comes down Ah-3c-2s. At this point I decide it's unlikely that anyone has hit and hope that someone makes a bluff at it if I check. The BB bets $200, UTG goes all in making it $1200 to me. Do I call, or move in trying to isolate?

call

No need to isolate - u want more action with a hand this strong.

quick edit,

Do not overdo the acting - but you really want the other guy in the hand.

[Jambine]

Originally Posted by SeattleSooner

.... My plan with the aces in that hand was....

For me anyway, this the point where my Aces usually fall apart..

[w16227]

Originally Posted by SeattleSooner

Normally I agree min-raises are suicide. Unfortunately the people I was playing with are pretty bad. They always see a min raise as weak, never strong. And they're usually scared enough of my standard raises to fold preflop or to a continuation bet. This makes it hard to get paid off with good hands.

BUT - that makes it VERY easy to take down MANY MANY MANY small to meduim pots. It is also obvious when they wake up with a hand. If they are truly that weak - then you can play smallball all day and chip away constantly. Eventually, they see your aggressive play as the norm and will not notice when you duck out of the way when they raise. Stick and move Rock- stick and move.

As far as the isolation play- you want to isolate preflop against multiple players, not postflop when you have a monster. The button is already all-in, so there is no isolation play possible (you isolate so that you can attack a single player, but since he has no more chips there is nothing to attack). In your situation, the only hand that will call your bet either beats you, has a set, or contains the last A. All others fold, including MANY that would call the initial bet thinking that they may be ahead (like all overpairs). You may even get lucky and face a reraise.