Focusing on little things...

[TightWad]

Okay, these are a couple hands I played today where I think I made some mistakes. None of them are very exciting, but I'd like some comments nonetheless. Also, feel free to comment on what a great word "nonetheless" is. I think it's really cool because it takes 3 completely independant words, jumbles them into one, and yet is still somehow deemed to be acceptable.

HAND 1

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: TW is MP2 with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 1 fold, TW raises, 3 folds, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Perhaps a bit too early to raise KJo?

Flop: (6.33 SB) , , (3 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 bets, TW raises, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

I generally don't give too much respect to someone who leads out against my preflop raise with an ace on there, so I raise his bet. In heads-up situations, I seem to have good success raising a lead-out bet with KK on an ace-high flop, for example. But when they both call, should I be looking to play cautiously from here on in?

Turn: (6.16 BB) (3 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, TW bets, BB raises, UTG+1 folds, TW folds.

The ace seems like a decent card for me, so I bet again...would you check behind here? When I get raised, this is an easy fold, right?

Final Pot: 9.16 BB

Results in white below:
No showdown. BB wins 9.16 BB.

Basically just wondering about my preflop and turn play on that one.

HAND 2

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: TW is Button with , . CO posts a blind of $3.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 4 folds, CO (poster) checks, TW calls, SB completes, BB checks.

You can tell me I should've folded, and I won't listen. I just love suited connectors too much.

Flop: (5 SB) , , (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, CO bets, TW calls, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 folds.

Pretty bad flat-call with this many people in; there's no flush draw possible, but plenty of gutshots that I'd like to weed out. My hand is a bit too vulnerable to slowplay here, but I did.

Turn: (3.50 BB) (2 players)
CO bets, TW raises, CO calls.

I finally get around to raising, and at this point it seems pretty clear he has a pair of queens.

River: (7.50 BB) (2 players)
CO bets, TW raises, CO 3-bets, TW calls.

UGH! I almost called, but for some reason I decided to raise instead. Looking back, I think there's a slim chance he'll bet here with a hand that I beat AND that he'll call with...but otherwise, he's sometimes gonna be on complete shit that he'll fold, or a straight/flush/better trips that he'll hit me up with a 3-bet. Terrible raise by me.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB

Results in white below:
CO has 5c Qc (flush, queen high).
TW has 9d 8d (three of a kind, eights).
Outcome: CO wins 13.50 BB.

I'm pretty sure I already covered what I did wrong on this one, but let me know if there's anything I missed.

HAND 3

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: TW is MP3 with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 raises, 3 folds, TW 3-bets, 4 folds, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (7.33 SB) , , (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, TW bets, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (4.66 BB) (2 players)
UTG+1 bets, TW calls.

Quick backround on this opponent - he plays a good many hands (though not a complete station) and from previous hands I've played against him, he seems pretty bluffy. I flat-called here figuring there's a very strong chance I'm ahead, and that he either has a weaker king, or complete shit that he'll fold. I didn't want him to fold, so I called hoping to get another bet out of him on the river...I also planned to raise a bet on the river.

River: (6.66 BB) (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, TW bets, UTG+1 calls.

Pretty straightforward.

Final Pot: 8.66 BB

Results in white below:
UTG+1 has As 9s (two pair, kings and nines).
TW has Kc Ac (three of a kind, kings).
Outcome: TW wins 8.66 BB.

Did I get a bit too tricky with this one? In hindsight, he would've called down had I raised the turn, so I missed a bet...but at the time I thought that calling would gain me a bet in a lot of situations against this guy.

-TW

[piersmajestyk]

Well Hand 1 I won't say anything because you already know what it would be. Well I guess I will. That flop should be the poster child for why KJo should not be played in most instances. One person has led out at you on a raised flop when the A hit and not only that the old BB cold calls 2 bets. I think you just check that turn and pray for an offfsuit Q on the river.

My opinion on hand 2 is that if you are going to play it go ahead and raise it. Basically you got one early caller and THREE BLINDS. Make those guys pay to see the flop, and perhaps you will get lucky and they all fold and you get a HU match with position.
With that flop I think your call is fine, nothing real dangerous out there that you would want to shut out. Your turn play is good and you really screwed the river which you already know

I don't like your turn call and I'll tell you why. He raised in EP and doesn't cap it off so he probably doesn't have the old AA or KK. I would put him on a good A or perhaps at worse KQs. He checks to you on the flop and doesn't CR. I think if he has a piece of that flop he should probably either lead or CR you here to see where he is standing, but he doesn't even with the 2nd pair. When the K comes out it just doesn't make any sense that he can be ahead of you here, unless he did something real silly like play KJo out of position for a raise and then just checked it to you when he hit his J on the flop so really the best two hands that I can put him on here are AK which you don't have any problem with and KQ which you are dominating and he will definately call your raise and river bet (the fact that he has neither doesn't detract too much from how you should have played it though as he shouldn't have been toting A9o in that position). I think you have to definately raise that turn given the situation and that board, if he wants to try and draw out on you don't let his weak ass in there for 1 bet and then he gets away with a check fold perhaps on the river if he completely whiffs on a draw.

[TightWad]

Good comments, piers. Looking back, I'd say the reason I posted these hands was half to get advice, and half to embarass myself into not repeating the mistakes (most notably the god-awful river-raise in hand 2 )

As for hand 3 and the turn call, looking back I realize it was a bit gayish. I wasn't worried that he had me beaten, but in hindsight there was an excellent chance I either had him dominated and he'd call down to a raise, or he was on a draw as you said and I should've charged him.

As for hand 1, I've actually been getting better about laying off shit hands like KJo, but this was a moment of weakness. KJsooooooted is a whole different story, though!

-TW

[Nortonesque]

I like the raise in hand 1 if the limper is loose and the guys behind you will fold. And I definitely take the free card on the turn.