[dad604]

Just got off a one day cruise on the NCL "Star" Last evening I manage to get an empty seat right away at the only poker game which was 1/2 NL

Just sat down and first hand, no read at on any player, 10 players.

early player limp
hero (mp) call with JTs
Button call
sb call
bb check

flop QT3 rainbow - pot $10

sb check
bb check
early player check
hero ?????

Couldn't believe the rake structure. 10% with min $1 to max $25. Even if no flop, they still take a min of $1 rake, meaning if blinds chop they still take $1, leaving $1 each for the blinds. After a few hands, find out the dealer was not very good, made many mistakes. He even prompted a player to make a string bet on the river.The player already had put $35 in front of his cards and you could see other player was thinking whether to call or not when the dealer asked the bettor if he wanted to go all-in... and the player did throw in his remaining $100 chip....Other player did not complain, just mucked his card.

They used a BJ deck with jumbo index. It had the BJ markings at top and the numbers and suit was way down. I had to bend the cards almost half way up to see what I had.

[whataboutj]

With no read and the action checked to you I would bet $5-$7 and try to take the pot down. Unles you are playing against an experienced player who is getting tricky with a pocket Q you most likely have the best hand at this point.

I am guessing this hand turns into a bad beat story though

As for the dealer - telling a player to string bet is unaceptable IMHO. If I were the other player I would have gone balisitc

[dad604]

No bad beat or brag story. Just want to see how others would have played this and bet size vs how I played it. Trying to learn if I did right from better players.

[Poboy]

Stack sizes?

[dad604]

Game just started not too many hands before I sat down, so about $200 for everyone.

[Clipper]

Here is what I would have done:

1.) first choice would be to not even limp for $2 to see flop

2.) If involved in hand, then bet $7 after they checked. If called then try to check to showdown (unless you improve of course)

[FL70]

Bet ~pot and fold to any raise.

[Poboy]

I check. MPBK is not what I'm looking for in a flop. Getting raised by the button or check raised sucks. If the button bets small enough and there are no raises, I can call, closing the action and getting good odds for trips/2P or picking up a SD.

[dad604]

Anyway, I bet out $10, only bb called

turn was another Q making board QQT3 rainbow.
HU now and bb checks
me ??????

There is no big surprise, kind of boring hand actually but I just want to see how others would play it. New to this NL stuff.... I have been a limit player untill last couple of weeks.

[Clipper]

dad, Poboy had some good points. NL is more about implied odds of busting your opponent (catch trips or the draw). In limit, betting out would be a good play just for value alone if they all checked. But in NL you are betting the pot (not a fraction of pot as in limit) to win a relatively small pot. You could easily get checkraised in a multi-way pot and have to fold it; whereas if you took a free card you might catch lucky on turn and/or river and have a much stronger hand.

Due to the escalated bet sizes, limit players are apt to get pot-stuck with medium strength hands in multi-way pots. This is a disaster in NL because you are putting in bets from 1/2 to full pot-sized.