PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with , .
UTG calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 4 folds, Button calls, 2 folds, UTG calls.

Flop: (7.40 SB) , , (3 players)
UTG bets, Hero calls, Button calls.

Turn: (5.20 BB) (3 players)
UTG bets, Hero raises, Button calls, UTG calls.

River: (11.20 BB) (3 players)
UTG bets, Hero raises, Button calls $0.55 (All-In), UTG calls.

Final Pot: 16.30 BB

Results in white below:
UTG has Ah 8c (one pair, aces).
Hero has Ad Ks (two pair, aces and kings).
Button has Ac 7c (two pair, aces and sevens).
Outcome: Hero wins 16.28 BB.

I really don't have any reads on this table except it was a fairly standard passive table. I had a 9% out of the blinds Vpip over about 50 hands...I thought about raising the flop, but I called instead and decided I would wait till the turn to bust him...comments?

W/o looking at the results.... excellently played... AK, cap it... flop top two, cap it... if they got a set, so be it....

err, raise the flop too....

Originally Posted by Marm

W/o looking at the results.... excellently played... AK, cap it... flop top two, cap it... if they got a set, so be it....

err, raise the flop too....

That's what my question was Marm should I have raised on the flop. My way of thinking, given the how passive these players are (at this level in general, not at this table specifically). If I raise the flop after raising PF, then they either fold to a bet on the turn OR they call down. If they are going to call down, I would rather get the extra bet in on the turn then the flop because it's twice the size (I know, it ends up being marginally more, but the idea is to extract the most out of people).

too many scare cards out there, lets find out now how much they like their hands, and to help protect against the flush draw.

funny thing about the flush draw...again, given the passiveness of players at this level...I've only met a small percentage of people who will be the flush draw and if they are going to call down, the completely disregard pot odds and call down anything trying to hit. I've stopped worring about the flush draw until the third of a suit hits...

In general, forget the level, should I have two bet the flop? (I didn't put anybody on trips specifically because of the scare cards on the flop...Anybody with JJ or better would have, normally, raised PF). I was far more worried about about a str8...QT being a hand these guys will limp with from any position. I figured if it's out there then I'll find out on the turn. It may cost me an extra SB, but if they don't have it, I make an extra BB...I figured that was the best play...

We all know that I'm not the greatest player (yet) which is why I post for comments. I explain my actions so you know what is going through my head when I make these decisions because that's what needs to be fixed, not the specific play (how many hands will I have to play before I get in this situation again)?

Played pretty much as I would have. Forcing a 2x bet at the button with the top two pair on the flop and possibly poisoning UTG on the turn makes just calling the flop my first choice. You only have a str8 threat just now - if either had a pp, they should have raised pf! There is a chance the Button will raise on the flop 'catching' you in the middle - wouldn't that be nice!
As it was, I think you got all you could - good job!

Well, two points:
I wouldn't be so quick to say that the button doesn't have JJ (obviously up until the turn). I have seen many people at all levels cold call a single preflop raise with JJ, wanting to see how many overcards fall before they play aggressively. So don't dismiss that just because he didn't reraise.

I would have raised on the flop with the three broadway cards trying to protect against a straight, don't want the guy on the button with say 1010, j10, etc spiking a Q. Raising would almost force him to fold anything but a straight or set as there is the threat of a threebet behind him if he calls. With the preflop raise the pot is big enough that he will call a single bet and take a card off with alot of hands.
But I play very defensively when I have a big hand with a vulnerable board, maybe too much so, this is a situation where it might be worth it to wait until the turn to put the hammer down so you can build a bigger pot. I think this was well played, but don't get in the habit of playing this passively on the flop with a vulnerable board as you are giving people with position on you (the button) a cheap card. You took a chance that the turn wouldn't be a Q/J/10 or spade, and it wasn't, and it paid off. But if one of those cards fell, it will be very hard to decide what to do on the turn in between these two players.
If this was headsup I would feel really good about the flatcall. I am not so sure with the button acting behind you. Position is everything!

Wtf.. you need to raise the flop.

Growlers, going with your thoughts...I can't say that I thought this way during the hand, but looking at it, I'm inclined to disagree with you...

A couple reasons that raising on the flop isn't a good idea until I've seen the turn...aside from those I've already stated (which was the real reasons I did it).

1) Given the limits and the fact that a lot of people will draw to anything, including the inside str8, wouldn't it be better to wait till the turn to jam the pot to make sure the st8 card doesn't fall? While that is a very weak play, in terms of saving money if you're going to lose the str8, that would be a good way to do it. Most people will call $.50 on the flop to see the turn, but think twice about calling $1 on the turn to see the river.

Of course, the problem with that thought is if they call the raise on the flop drawing to the inside str8 then it becomes their mistake, not mine for not protecting my hand. Since we try to get people to make more mistakes then we do, this could be a reason for making the raise on the flop.

B) If I wait till the turn to jam the pot, I get an extra big bet in instead of an extra sb. I also give the impression that the turn card helped me (if it's a blank) where as by raising the flop, I make it look like I hit big and people will be more likely to fold to the bet on the turn, if they don't fold the bet on the flop. I want to keep them all in and by giving them the impression that the blank turn helped me may get them scratching their heads.

If the turn is another scare card I can either fold to the bettor or call down. I can also see if he really likes his hand or if he was semi-bluffing.

That being said, it would be cheaper to get that information on the flop then on the turn, but since there are 17 scare cards: 4 Qs, 4 Ts and 9 spades (the other 2 spades are the T and Q) and I have 30 non scare cards should I take my chances or play safe. Obviously, I took my chances and it paid off this time. Usually I don't use this move on this scary of board. I try to save this turn raise (opposed to a flop raise) move when I hit trips (a more powerful hand) on a completely blank board.

That's one of the reasons I posted this hand. I liked the move when I made it and I thought I was extracting the most money out of the people still in the hand, but was it the best move in the long run?