Results later. Do you think this was good? Please critique all streets. Thanks.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is UTG+1 with
UTG raises to $2.5, Hero calls, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, 4 folds.

Flop: ($10.75, 4 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $5, MP1 calls, 2 folds.

Turn: ($20.75, 2 players)
Hero bets $9, MP1 calls.

River: ($38.75, 2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets $20, Hero calls.

Final pot: $78.75

EDIT: I only bet half pot on the flop because I wasn't sure where I stood -- was the guy going to CR big or was he check/folding with AK missing? On the turn I thought half pot was enough to charge what felt like a FD because he could also have had a set. I don't know, maybe that sucked. River I was hoping he had a FD and would bluff it. His bet size (almost but not quite his entire stack) scared me but I called anyway.

$9 on the flop.

I probably check turn, him calling right behind you shows such incredible strength.

Reraise pre-flop to isolate/define. Flat calling gives people behind you reason to limp with Ax, Kx, etc.

As played I would probably bet pot if he is passive and check raise if he is aggressive. No read, I probably bet.

As played I would bet $15

Definitely call. You are getting 4 to 1 in what is at worst a 50/50 sitch in my view.

This is full ring, so the re-raise is marginal IMO, but I would do it depending on the player that is doing the raising.

Flop you need to bet it like a man. You don't know where you stand? Then bet bigger to find something meaningful out, the small bet will induce calls from missed AK or other crap. It will also induce raises from hands you beat, and you might have to fold.

Turn, once again bet it like a man. You have no reason to believe you are beaten, so I fire again, more like $12-16.

I really like the check-call on the river. So many donks will bluff their missed flush draw here.

1/2 pot bet on flop is no good. I know you're uncertain about your hand, but that bet doesn't help you out. Better to check than bet 1/2 pot, but I think best is to bet full pot and see what happens. If you bet full pot and called, I check the turn.

On the river if you checkd to induce a bluff, then obviously you have to call. Sometimes I find myself in a similar situation on the river, where I tell myself (sometimes after the fact) that I'm checking to induce a bluff, but in reality I'm just checking because I have no idea where I stand and I'm pretty much just hoping he checks behind.

Interesting. This is the first time I've used that particular converter. I expected the stack sizes to convert also, and didn't even notice that they hadn't.

I was feeling really good about how this hand went down because I basically stacked the guy. He had [Tc]. I was happy with my river check/call in particular. I was feeling nervous about where I stood, but decided that his most likely holding was a flush draw. (For me, when I'm nervous about where I stand on the river, I usually throw out a blocking bet. I had to fight that tendency here.) That one good decision made me 40% of a stack.

But the flop and turn bets are weak in retrospect. My only excuse (especially for the flop bet) is that this Party during bonus clearing time, which means everybody is weak-tight and nobody is raising or check/raising against a large field without a monster. I figured even a half pot bet would be enough to tell me if my hand was good against the preflop raiser.

But I 100% agree, turn bet needed to be at least 2/3 pot.

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Yes, I do think that, Allstar. Which is why I'm glad you guys called me out on my lousy play on the flop and the turn.

you are giving way too much credit to villain here. he'll call this flop bet with any clubs. any 9. TT. 76. 88. 77. hell the flop bet is weird enough that he might occasionally call it with 65 or pocket 4's.

and then yes he can also have sets or combo draws. and that sucks. but i wouldn't go out of my way to look for monsters under the bed.

as to the PF reraise- i think its fine sometimes. i wouldnt always do it. remember again that this is $50NL at party. you'll get calls from all sorts of pocket pairs and A-x hands.

jon

Yeah I stand by the PF raise being terrible.

Someone explain to me how raising JJ is different from raising 22.

If you know the opponent is bad I'd bet close to pot on turn, but as played I'm giving him credit. Also I'm saying check if he bet $9 or whatever I said to bet, since he bet $5 I fire again.