Poker Room skin
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
10 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $56.70
UTG+1: $35.00
Hero: $106.10
MP1: $18.30
MP2: $99.00
MP3: $100.00
CO: $102.00
Button: $296.70
SB: $55.40
BB: $69.10

This is a hand where I get involved with a marginal holding, and I do not know how I should have played it, if at all. Input appreciated

SB is a Ultra loose and very aggressive guy with 53/33, and is basically a maniac donk
MP3 I have no read on.

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is UTG+2 with
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls, 2 folds, MP3 raises to $3, 2 folds, SB calls, 2 folds, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls.

First call, there are two limpers so I limp. After the small raise I have good potodds. Is my reasoning. Should I have folded?

Flop: ($14, 4 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $8, MP3 calls, SB calls, UTG+1 calls.

I bet to see where I stand, and maybe even take down the pot if nobody has anything. What size should the bet be? Not giving right drawing odds?

Turn: ($46, 4 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, MP3 checks.

With that many callers on the flop, I am basically done with the hand.
Should I bet to not give a free card?

River: ($46, 4 players)
SB is all-in $43.4, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls, MP3 folds.

That 6 couldn't have helped him. And he is a maniac. Smells busted draw. Do you call that with Top Pair? And there is still one behind to act. But the 6 couldn't have helped him. Should I call, fold, or raise to shut out the player behind (I guess not)?

Results:
Final pot: $132.8
SB shows 7H 2H
Hero shows QS KH

I think I would muck it preflop, KQo plays bad in multiway pots, basically you need to hit the flop very hard 2pair+ to continue and it is unlikely, moreover itis very easy to put someone on KQ when flop is KQx and he bets hard, so your implied odds are not high. If it were KQs I am all for limping and calling a small raise, as you can flop a flush draw with overs or with a pair and play it strongly.

IMO if you want to get involved with KQo you need to raise it to limit the field to one, max 2 callers, then your TPGK probably is good enough to continue (once again IMO KQo plays bad in multiway pots).

On flop your raise is too small and doesn't give you any information, make it pot against that many limpers.

Checking turn is read dependent, if you were against a lone caller I would suggest to fire again, as it is check is ok.

A must fold on the river (I haven't seen the result yet) he fires into 3 people, it is very-very-very rarely a bluff, a 6 probably didn't help him, but he could be planning a check-raise on the turn, so I think he has you beat.

I havnt seent he results yet but I think its KTs/T8s checking after hitting hoping someone bets behind him or a busted draw since everyone checked the turn.

I wonder if it isn't better to raise with KQo and limp behind limpers with KQs. The suited version plays much better multiway but with KQo you'd rather have 1 or 2 opponents with position on them.

Either way I think KQ is a very marginal hand in EP and personally I fold it. It's definetely not a hand to play against a raise since it's just about the most dominated hand ever.

Post flop I think you played it fine. When you get that many callers on the flop you need to slow down and with your read on your opponent it's a reasonable call on the river since you're fairly sure MP3 doesn't have a hand when he failed to bet on the turn (I would have folded if he did that). SB only has to be bluffing 30% of the time for you to break even and with your read that seems more than likely.

I'd bomb that turn ... SB. UTG+1 are donks ... MP3 would likely have raised with AQ or better (though he might just have caught up with QJ)

I think I'd raise or fold KQo pre-flop. The limp/call isn't *too* bad though with two bad players in front of you, as you demonstrated by outplaying SB for his stack.

I think I agree with your advice preflop. I checked my stat, and both KQ and KQs are very small winners. But I guess I have to be in a later position (although there already were two limpers in this one) to play it. (But after the first limp, I think I need to call the raise, its 2 into a 12 pot, and last to act on flop)

The problem is that after the flop it is a very marginal holding. As KQ alomost always will be if you do not hit really hard. And I guess thats one of the reason to limit the play with KQ - it gets you in very tricky situations.

On the flop i bet 8 into a 14 pot, giving the first caller 8/22 in odds, The problem is when he calls the second get 8/30. Would I really have found out more with a 12 bet, giving 12/26 for the first guy. What is it that he would call the first bet with and not the second?
At the same time I do not want to escalate and build a large pot with a very marginal holding, and with one guy behind to act. I want to control the size of the pot, as I did with the check on the turn.

So is it really better to bet harder on the flop? And what odds should I give them?
I have gotten myself into a tricky situation, that I do not know how I should have handled best.

And thanks for all of yur advices!