Party nl 1/2

I open raise to $8 from MP with two red queens and get 3 callers including the BB.

Flop drops 939 with two clubs

I bet $30 into the $38 pot and get called by one LP loose passive player.

Turn brings a beautiful red aces. Uhh what do I do now?

Check. What exactly are you beating here that will call you? He could have been on a flush draw on the flop but it's very likely that he has the and is now ahead. He could have a lower flush draw but it's just not worth betting to find out. If he called you with a lower pocket pair or a 3 he's gonna check behind when the scare card (Ace) hits. If he has a 9 which there is a good chance of, you save yourself money by checking.

The thing about loose passive players is that you can really never put them on hands very well. If he was a good, tight player I wouldn't think he has a 9 with the shallow Party stacks, but being that he is loose and passive he would probably smooth-call you on the flop with a 9. You really don't have enough behind you if we assume $100 to start, so I can't see you making a bet that doesn't totally commit you. This is what sucks about Party, you just have to deal with it and fold the best hand on occasion when there are a million things that can beat you.

Kenny, can you explain to me why you think you can steal this pot and why you put him on a low pocket? To me it seems that there are three kind of hands he can have: 1) he can have a 9, in which case he is never going to fold. 2) he can have a (nut) flush draw; maybe with overcards. Then a $30 bet gives him the right price to chase and he will not fold. He also might have hit his ace. Thirdly, he can have a hand like TT or 88, as you suggest, but then he puts you on something like AK (well, he should've raised the flop in that case, but he is passive). That is the only possible scenario in which the A on the turn could be a scare card. But even for a loose passive player it seems unlikely to me that he would call an almost potsized bet with a low pocket unless he is convinced you don't have an overpair.

I think that if you want to have any chance at stealing the pot you would have to bet big, but I don't think that will work often enough to make it worthwile.

Pieter

ps Kenny, if you promise not to suck out on me during the next BTP tournament I will reveal to you how to dramatically increase the frequency at which you are getting laid

heh that was funny. I might get laid this week actally... there is promising potential. I'll let you know how it goes.



Well anyway..i admit I completely missed the part about the opponent being loose/passive. Perhaps checking here isn't so bad....but I hate to give free cards or let people take the pot from me when I show weakness. Since he is passive...I guess he won't bet without the best hand..which makes checking more ideal theb betting in this situation.

However, if you checked that ace to me..I would sure as hell put a nice bet in there with anything. And then you'd have to make a tough decison and probably let QQ go.

It went check, check on the turn and the river was a complete blank. I checked again and he passively checked his missed flush draw and I scoped. Anyone bet small on the river or just check/call or fold to a bet on the river?

On the river I think you still call a moderate bet, even a passive player knows that when they miss a flush draw the only way to win is to bet. I dont like a small bet on the river. One of Icemans ideas that I really like is to try to induce the bluff. If you bet the only hand that he is going to call with beats you. On the other hand if you bet and he raises you have to fold. Now if you check he either checks and most likely you win, or he bets and you can make some extra money if he is on a bluff.