[FlopZnuts]

OK, I wanted to get some opinions on this play:

.25/.50 cash game, 8 players, average stack is probably $50.00, chip leader had probably somewhere around $150.00. As always, this game is pretty fast & loose (read DONKEY poker) and you really have to watch your step and dodge quite a few minefields. I know these players well and have been playing with most of them for over 2 years, so I am comfortable with my ability to read them most of the time. You will likely see lots of hands I play with them in here, lol.


Anyhow, I am having a tough night and getting my money in good (most of the time) and then just getting killed by the deck, and I am stuck about $150.00, but have reloaded and grinded my stack back up to about $75.00 or so. I am again in the big blind, Jeff calls from the button, Nick in the small blind calls and action is on me. I look down at As, 6s. Not a great hand but playable. I decide to raise 3x the BB to $1.50, mostly just to get some money in the pot, but also to get a little information. Both players smooth call.


Flop: Ac, 6c, 6d



Miracle flop for my hand! There is no way someone has pocket aces so obviously I have the best hand and am unlikely to get drawn out on. (I felt the worst I could do is chop unless they hit runner-runner for a bigger full house.)


So, now what do I do? Well, there is a play I like to set up sometimes in this situation that I would like some feedback on. The small blind (Nick) checks to me, so, with $4.50 in the pot, I bet $5.00 straight. (I decided to lead out here and check the turn to trap my opponents I bet this amount for 2 reasons:



1) So it possibly looks like I am trying to steal the pot,
2) Or if I am not stealing, it looks like I am simply trying to find out where I am in the hand. Both allow me to check it down on the turn to whoever called, hopefully making them feel their hand is good and setting my trap.



Somewhat to my surprise, Jeff raises me here to $15.00 straight and Nick calls. So, I decide to smooth call here too.



The turn is a good card for me (unless someone has a straight flush draw).



Nick checks, I check to Jeff who bets $30.00. Nick folds (I felt he had an ace and good kicker which he did), and I decide to get Jeff’s now, lol! So I push and of course he calls and I take down the pot. (Finally getting un-stuck for the night, lol!)



Do you guys (and gals!) like to trap like this? What are the pros and cons. Something tells me that very good and experienced players will sniff this move out. What other ways could this hand have been played? Did I make any mistakes? Discuss!


Thanks!

[Matthew]

Not to be difficult, but I would probably read the OP if it didn't have 407,623 smileys in it.

[FlopZnuts]

Sorry, I typed that up in Word and it adds some strange stuff to the code. It should be better now.

Originally Posted by Matthew

Not to be difficult, but I would probably read the OP if it didn't have 407,623 smileys in it.

[jmc]

I'd think that with A6s, you should check the BB. You're in the BB and you get to see the flop for free with a great drawing hand. It's not like anyone is folding preflop, so all you're doing is bloating a pot with a weak hand OOP. Plus, you're not really trying to get people to fold in this situation -- if you can make a flush, you might get paid huge.

Postflop looks fine -- your read on your opponent allowed you to trap him on the turn (although a more cautious opponent might check behind on the turn).

[jojobinks]

what did he have?

i'm not sure how betting the pot on the flop is a trap. looks like a value bet to me. trapping usually refers to playing a hand deceptively. you did just call the raise, which seems like a good idea to me. is that what you meant?

on the turn, if you think he's gonna call with an ace or a pair, than it's fine to go ahead and shove. but against a reasonable player, we'd rather have him bluff at us. a good player could get stacked there with a six or a smaller boat, but probably not with an ace or KK, so we'd rather him keep the lead.

[FlopZnuts]

Betting the flop is not really the trap, but a set up for the trap on the turn. (I think it was on High Stakes Poker I saw someone make this play.)
Basically, I wanted it to look like I was just taking a stab at the pot on the flop, and when one or both players called me I could act weak on the turn and trap them. Sort of like, "Oh well, I took a shot at it and got called, so I guess my hand is not any good so I will just check/fold now." Then if they bet out I could come over the top etc.

Jeff had AJ and hit 2 pair on the turn if I remember correctly. I still can't believe Nick folded, but he has played with me long enough to know I had him crushed when I check raised all in.

Originally Posted by jojobinks

what did he have?

i'm not sure how betting the pot on the flop is a trap. looks like a value bet to me. trapping usually refers to playing a hand deceptively. you did just call the raise, which seems like a good idea to me. is that what you meant?

on the turn, if you think he's gonna call with an ace or a pair, than it's fine to go ahead and shove. but against a reasonable player, we'd rather have him bluff at us. a good player could get stacked there with a six or a smaller boat, but probably not with an ace or KK, so we'd rather him keep the lead.

[beekeeper]

I like the move if you know your opponents well enough to know that they are going to read your bet as a steal. Otherwise, because there's an Ace out their, you could hope that one of them will take the lead in the betting and your calls will encourage the 3rd player to hang around. It sounds like you read your opponents pretty well.

[Poboy]

c-bet flop/CR all-in turn is not really a trap. What it does do is protect the times you c-bet a whiffed flop and check the turn. But, you'll also have to occasionally fire with nothing on the turn or they'll know if you CR, you have it.
I'm assuming he had a 6, possibly an Ace. He should fold to your shove. If he has a 6, the only hand you could really shove here is a 6 with a better kicker or AA. Any hand that he beats would not shove here.


When you have a monster, try to play like it wouldn't make sense. Your move does that somewhat in just calling the raise and checking the turn. Opponent dependent, donking the turn might do it, or just calling down might do it. That allows you to make the most you can.

[toblat]

if I had that hand I would have checked in the BB, on the flop raised something relatively small, to look like a feeler bet then if you get raised I think for a little and flat call, check the turn and depending how much the other people bet either flat call a small to moid bet and re-raise a large bet (because if they're making a strong bet they will most likely have something to call with) then on the river of course bet the nuts.

I think the big thing is to always bet the flop if you hit big, it hides your hand because if you check the flop and than call or raise on the turn you either have a great hand or are drawing on many cards.

you did bet the flop so I would say that you did a good job, but I wouldn't have bet so much it very well could have scared away any action

[KingZilla]

Originally Posted by jojobinks

what did he have?

i'm not sure how betting the pot on the flop is a trap. looks like a value bet to me. trapping usually refers to playing a hand deceptively. you did just call the raise, which seems like a good idea to me. is that what you meant?

on the turn, if you think he's gonna call with an ace or a pair, than it's fine to go ahead and shove. but against a reasonable player, we'd rather have him bluff at us. a good player could get stacked there with a six or a smaller boat, but probably not with an ace or KK, so we'd rather him keep the lead.

Total agreement with JoJo. A pot sized bet post flop does not indicate to me you are setting up a trap. It tells me you have something, especially after the 3x BB pre flop bet. You'd lose me in a heartbeat and it's a wonder you didn't scare your opponents out of the pot immediately. Still the end result was a payoff for you, so it's hard to criticize.