Playing $4-8 at the Wynn. Pretty decent table, nobody really out of line but not true sharks either. My only real read is that the button is not the kind of guy that pushed marginal edges like I do, for him to raise preflop with two limpers is likely JJ-AA and AK only.

Dealt to me in BB:


UTG limps, MP1 limps, Button raises, SB calls, I call, others call.

Flop (5 players, pot $40):



I check, others check, button bets, SB calls, I call, UTG calls, MP1 folds.
Note that I normally would checkraise this flop against most players but felt very good chance button had high pockets as opposed to two overcards based on previous preflop raising patterns.

Turn (4 players, $56):



I check (intending to checkraise expected button bet), UTG bets $8, button raises to $16, SB coldcalls $16, Hero:????????

What is my turn play and feel free to critique other streets. I was running really bad tonight and it was clearly affecting my play - smartly left after only 3.5 hours even though had whole night free as wife at work and nothing else going on. Lost $115

Keep the CR going, just because that was my original plan and I am now so lost that I would revert back to this original plan and checkraise, just to confuse anybody else that may still have a lishgt grasp on whats happening.

Then you try discern happy faces from confused faces and probably one very angry face on the button. I just really don't see T8 being in play here, but a set is probably pretty likely now, 77 is my guess.

I'm definatly seeing a river here... and hoping to boat up..... check/calling otherwise...

I would have folded this PF unless I knew that Button would try a blinds steal with limpers already in the pot AND that SB knew the same thing so his call wouldn't be representing a decent hand.

Flop play I'm betting this outright. I feel that is a more effect play then a Check/Raise when there's a PF raise. They expect to see the PF raiser bet so they pretty much decide if they check it around they will have to call a bet, but if the bet comes before their expecting it, it throws them off. This also has the added benifit of being able to take control of the hand. With top two pair, I'm probably betting out on the turn also...

Since you set up the check/raise, and it's 2 bets to you, I would probably still raise it up. UTG could have anything from AJ, KJ, QJ, TJ (remember, he limped PF). I could also see a similar range of hands from Button but throw in Over pairs also (I believe it makes it more likely be's beat. Either way, If you raise and it's capped, at that point, you're probably up against a set (probably JavaScript) and it may be a good idea to dump it. If I was Button, I could see me playing like this with AJ or an overpair...maybe even possibly KQHearts (with all the draws here, why not raise).

Bboy and Steve-o, where are you?

I agree with beav, call preflop then check-raise the turn. Yeah you are beat at the moment but get rid of a few hands that could beat you. you'll have a better Idea where you stand as well by your opponents reactions to the check-raise

I love your check-call on the flop. This line of thinking shows that you're confident in another 9 or Jack and toss in the minute possibility that you have the best hand. That is too minute to plan to get aggressive in the big rounds without help.

You got a great or horrid card and I like a CR here to 2 bets to pump, but I don't know how I feel about 3-betting here. The SB could easily play 79, T8, or 33 the same way as he did here. I like Steve's reasoning of a CR to observe, not to indiscriminately pump the pot. You can't let Ah7h draw cheaply, nor can you allow the double gutted 56, or even worse, a 5h6h to hit a cheap card from UTG.

You're not describing the game as a very tricky one, so I doubt you're gonna run into a clever 77 or even a UTG putting the players involved on crap due to passive PF and flop to semi-bluff on the turn with a lead.

This being said, I feel you're beat by a straight or a set of threes from the SB, but I can't say this with enough confidence to fold to a pot this large. The placement of the SB's raise has to give you confidence that the SB is seeing the river. UTG could easily be testing with an AJ here as well.

My feel is split and math is telling me to CR to knock the button out of the hand and gain value in a large pot.

Dealt to me in BB:


UTG limps, MP1 limps, Button raises, SB calls, I call, others call.

Flop (5 players, pot $40):



I check, others check, button bets, SB calls, I call, UTG calls, MP1 folds.

Looks like a safe flop. Your plan to check-raise would probably thinned the field a little but betting out would have doubled the bets if Button raised as expected. I think betting out and creating a sandwich is good.

Turn (4 players, $56):



I check (intending to checkraise expected button bet), UTG bets $8, button raises to $16, SB coldcalls $16, Hero:????????

You didn't lead out or check-raise so from the check-call. First, now we have top two pair - that's good. Again, I would suggest leading out and hope Button raises but anyway nothing wrong with mixing up our plays.
UTG leads out after ck-c from the flop - possibly A-Jo, K-Jo or Q-JavaScript but J-Ts looks likley for a pf limp and there's enough in the flop for one call. A lead out or ck-r from BB probably would have seen UTG gone on the flop. A set? Nope, if he slowplayed the flop, he'd slowplay the turn as well and ck-r.

Button raises - that was expected and you already have him playing a big pp so let's stick with that. Looks logical enough so far.

SB - coldcalls!!! Now that's someting of a worry. All I can see from him is a draw of some sort and the str8 makes more sense than a flush but we'll keep it in mind. T-8? Nope would have 3x the button raise! So he has 4 to the str8 and if he has any sense it would have to be open so put him on to a Q-T or running a backdoor flush in hearts. Slowplaying trips - I don't think so, the str8 and flush draws threaten and he has a chance to re-raise here, why wait for river and possibly get drawn out?

Hero - RAISE! you have top two pair with two opps making a claim on the pot and another drawning for it. If you're going to get beat, it should come at a cost. Try to win it here (unlikely but try anyway since it add value to the pot) and maybe a better hand will fold although I'm guessing you have the best hand right now! RAISE!

Whew!!!

I appreciate the analysis, guys. I feel better that I wasn't too out of line - I lost this huge pot and after the hand felt I overplayed it but I guess others agreed with me after all. This hand put me on tilt, that's for sure.

Preflop, I think it is an easy call.

Flop, like I said I normally would checkraise here but as I said I was sure I was behind the button as the only two overcard hand he would have here is AK. It also disturbed me a little that SB called - makes the checkraise less effective as gives better odds to UTG and MP to coldcall.
Aces-o-8s: I agree with everything else you said but I hate betting out this flop. This is what they call a "weak lead" and these guys would raise me everytime - I personally don't like weak leads against better players as it doesn't define your hand against these players and since the preflop raiser is after UTG and MP it won't get anybody out.

Turn: I was very dismayed that UTG bet out as it ruined my plan to raise the expected button bet to isolate against his overpair.
I three bet $24 when it was to me. UTG coldcalled, Button folded his KK(!), and SB called.

River: Not the worst card in the deck. But then SB bet out, I called, UTG called.

SB had and UTG had so if you include the KK that button folded, I was beat THREE TIMES!!! SB raked huge pot with straight.

I wanted to post this hand because as I said my perceived overplay put me on tilt, but now I don't think it was so bad. UTG betting out should have been a red flag as it would make sense that he would bet out with that turn card, to get button to raise and shut out draws like the SB. A set kinds makes sense in retrospect for SB.

Thoughts?