Here are two hands where I got in trouble on the river.

$50 on Pokerstars.

Hand 1: My stack is $50, and I have [Kd][Tc][Th] in MP. There is a min. raise and 4 people see a flop of [8d][Jh], giving me two backdoor draws. Opponent with a short stack ($20) in the SB bets $1. EP (stack of $40) calls, and, being last to act, so do I.

Turn: . Now I have a set, plus my backdoor straight draw. I decided to check again, since there might be a made straight out. SB bets $1 again, and both EP and I call.

River: , giving me the second-highest full house. Now SB bets $4 and EP raises to $10. What is your move here? I was pretty sure that none of them had JJ, since we would have heard from them earlier. Still I was worried and just called. Now SB goes allin for a couple more dollars and EP goes allin as well. Do you call?

Result: SB had nut flush, EP had a straight flush, with [Qs]


Hand 2: My stack is reloaded to $50 and I get [4c][Kd][5d] in LP. There are two limpers and I decide to raise to $1.50. SB and MP both call.

Flop: [6h][As]. Both opponents check to me, and I bet $5. Only SB (stack $70) calls. I do not know what to put him on; if he thinks my preflop draw means aces then he can only be on a big straight draw. He might have a pair of aces himself, but I think he would not slowplay those.

Turn: . Now I have a flush draw as well. Opponent checks, and I bet the pot. Opponent calls, leaving me confused.

River: . Now my opponent makes a pot-sized bet, effectively putting me allin. I folded.
I cannot suppress the impression, however, that he sensed that I was drawing and that he could make me fold after my draws missed.

Any suggestions? These two hands combined made for a losing session.

Pieter

ps Monk, do we get your answers to the PLO quiz?

In hand 1, I think there's not much you can do - most people will lose their stack against a runner runner straight flush when they've got the 2nd nut boat. I'd lose it faster because I would've raised to the max on the river - but hey that's me...

In hand 2, I'm not sure what you can do. I can only guess he's on a set from the flop - and was waiting to pop you until it was safe (a bad play in his case, IMO). Whether to call or not on the river is really up to you - though I think you are right that you are beat. The exception might be if he held top two on the flop and improved to aces and kings on the river - but even then you are only splitting. The fact that he's called along the whole way leads me to believe that there's just nothing for you here.

/d