Here are a couple tough hands from this morning. What would you do?

Hand 1: My very first hand at this table. The Blinds pass me and I post in the CO and I am dealt Pocket Jacks.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (8 handed) from (Format: Bet The Pot)

Hero ($200)
Button ($176.45)
SB ($239)
BB ($319.45)
UTG ($200)
UTG+1 ($228.75)
MP1 ($390.80)
MP2 ($118.95)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , . Hero posts a blind of $2.
UTG calls $2, 1 fold, MP1 calls $2, MP2 raises to $8, Hero (poster) calls $6, 3 folds, UTG calls $6, MP1 calls $6.

Flop: ($35) , , (4 players)
UTG checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets $24, UTG raises to $72, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, Hero calls $48.

Turn: ($179) (2 players)
UTG bets $120 (All-In), HERO ???????

This really looks like a set here. UTG limp/calls pre-flop. I am 99% sure they have a pocket pair. But it is possible they could have something like 88-TT. I obviously have no reads here, since it is my first hand.

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Hand 2:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (8 handed) from (Format: Bet The Pot)

Hero ($206.35)
BB ($200)
UTG ($238.75)
UTG+1 ($316.45)
MP1 ($290)
MP2 ($226.75)
CO ($378.80)
Button ($115.55)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
5 folds, Button raises to $6, Hero calls $5, 1 fold.

Flop: ($14) , , (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $10, Hero calls $10.

Turn: ($34) (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $20, HERO ????

I call the PF raise because this definitely could be a blind steal. And I like 97s for some reason. I flop a flush draw and just call his 3/4 pot bet. On the turn I pick up a pair. What is your line here?

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Hand 3: Over at Tribeca on a 200NL 6 max table. I have a double stack. I busted two short stacks a few hands ago with a flopped two pair. And a couple hands ago I sucked out on another dude when he hit a flush on the turn but I filled up a full house on the river. I've been pretty aggressive at this table.

Tribeca No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (6 handed)

UTG ($116.32)
MP ($187.00)
CO ($142.84)
Button ($187.76)
SB ($232.75)
HERO ($390.50)

Preflop: HERO is BB with , . HERO posts the big blind of $2.
UTG calls $2, MP raises to $7, 1 fold, Button calls $7, SB calls $6, HERO calls $5, UTG calls $5.

Flop: ($35) , , (5 players)
SB checks, HERO bets $15, 1 fold, MP calls $15, 1 fold, SB raises to $45, HERO ???

I call the PF raise because there were a lot of people and suited connectors do good against a lot of people. I flop the ass end of a straight and have a re-draw to a flush. I am drawing dead to AK of spades, but I can't be worried about monsters under the bed, right? Looking back at this, I am surprised at how little I bet on the flop. I guess it was more of a probe bet to see where I was at. SB check-raise is kind of small, as it would only cost me $30 to call into a pot that has $110 in it already. What do you do here? Re-raise? Call? Fold?

I'll post results after a while.

#1) Unless the guy is superaggressive, I fold to his check raise. People at these stakes rarely will check raise that flop with 99. You have no read so I fold and wait to get a read on him before I play a huge hand. I think calling the check raise and then folding to that turn card is pretty bad. So its fold the flop or push the turn and I would fold the flop 95% of the time especially at full ring.

#2) Drawing hand OOP for a raise will get you in these spots over and over. Fold preflop.

#3) Im all in. He doesnt have [Ks] often enough to even consider it. Since you also have the flush draw, you could just call and push any turn card that doesnt pair the board and isnt an A or K, but thats alot of cards so I prefer to push now.

hand 1: I think you are behind on turn. read would be nice. Villain is playin the hand really aggressively so that could be somethin like 66. or 88 99 TT. But 56 or a FH works too

However i think the decision should be made on the flop. If you call the flop you should call the turn. I prefer folding the flop.

hand2: Fold PF. there is no reason to defend blinds in a Full Ring NLHE game. The blinds are not significant. But since you did. I like to lead the flop and call a resonable raise if necessary. As played-- i CR the turn all-in. I would say raise to $70 but villian only has 70 left so then he would have 20 more to push in which you would then have to call. So i just push.

hand 3: Im happy to get allin here. bump it too $125.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I learned a lot here I think.

I ended up folding my Jacks on the first hand. I would love to know what villain had there. Don't you think that if they actually did have a set, and then filled up on th turn (Thus not worrying about any straight draw now), they would have slowplayed on the turn? Sure, there is already $179 in the pot, and we both have only $120 left, but if I was him, and I wanted to make sure I got the rest of the money in, I might have checked there.

Either way, my call of the raise on the flop was terrible. I need to either re-raise or fold. Calling is BAD. I call way too much. It is definitely a big leak I have.

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Hand two I ended up pushing (So $80 more for him to call in to a pot that has $150 in it now). I was pretty sure I was behind here, so I would consider this kind of a semi-bluff. I still have 14 outs on the river, and my semi-bluff could possilbe get top pair crap kicker or lower to fold.

He ended up calling and turned over pocket rockets, uggg. And I didn't hit one of my 14 outs. I did make a note on the guy that he can't lay down overpairs, so I know he'll pay off sets in the future (not that I'll ever see him again though).

You all are right in that I should have folded PF. I guess I shouldn't worry about defending blinds in full ring NL. And I probably should have made a play for the pot on the flop instead of the turn.

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On hand 3, I did end up pushing. Villain thought for a long time, and eventually folded. I think I played this one pretty good. I should have maybe bet more on the flop.


So what did I learn here? I call too much. Raise or Fold, right?

Thanks!