Playing very strong hands. |
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Posted Wed Apr 18, 2007 4:10 pm GMT by AHBrownell
I've been having a bit of trouble lately playing very strong hands on the flop. I haven't found a great way to win big pots with these sorts of hands very often. I'd be very interested to hearing how people approach these sorts of hands and why they do so.
For example:
Scenario 1: You have been playing rather tight in a full handed low stakes online ring game. You are dealt A A on the button. A few players limp in, and you raise the pot. Two players call. The flop comes A T 2. Your opponents check.
What do you do?
a) Bet the pot.
b) Bet 3/4 the pot.
c) Bet 1/2 the pot.
d) Bet 1/4 the pot.
e. Check.
Scenario 2: You have been playing rather tight in a full handed low stakes online ring game. You are dealt K K in the Big Blind. A few players limp in, and you raise the pot. Two players call. The flop comes K T 2. You are first to act.
What do you do?
a) Bet the pot.
b) Bet 3/4 the pot.
c) Bet 1/2 the pot.
d) Bet 1/4 the pot.
e. Check.
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I have found that if I bet either A) or B) 95%+ of the time my opponents fold. If I lead at the pot with C) at least one opponent calls around 50% of the time. If I do D) or E) my opponents call a much great % of the time. My opponents rarely every raise no matter what play I make.
If I play weak on the flop, occassionally players will get frisky on the turn or even on the flop after I've acted. BUT once I call or raise their bet, they nearly always shut down for the rest of the hand.
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Any suggestions on how to make the most out of these hands?
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Posted Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:03 pm GMT by Gunslinger
As always in poker: it depends. What have you normally been doing on the flop after you raise? You have to mix your play up a bit so that semi-intelligent opponents don't figure out what your bets mean. In general, you want to build a big pot with a big hand, so I would be betting at least half the pot in both of your scenarios, more if there's a flush draw out there like in the first one.
Basically, if you're at a table as tight as you say, you're not going to make a lot of money on big hands like these unless your opponents also hit the flop with a strong (but hopefully inferior) hand.
HOWEVER, if you're at a table that tight (as in loose-passive), you need to be raising and continuation-betting a wider range of hands to take advantage of their tendency to fold. Make the most of your situation, not just your cards.
Posted Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:58 pm GMT by jeffonline
Getting chips out of you opponents is what is all about, however you have to give action to get action. That having been said low stakes may not be aware that you are playing exceptionally tight so you may still get the action you want.
Hand 1, other than getting the most from the other players you must consider the chances of loosing, with a flush and str8 draw on the board your response should be different than if 3 rags fell, you can’t afford to give a free card. In this one I would bet ½ the pot.
Hand 2, you are in an early position after the flop, we are in no danger from a flush but the str8 draw still exists, I would check this one, my thinking is someone may want to raise the pot themselves or allow your opponents to get a free card and catch up, once someone shows some interest, I would bet whatever I thought they would call.
Posted Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:21 pm GMT by khaosanroad
#1 I bet full pot. You got 2 callers, so I'd be happy to take it down right there. Only someone with a smaller set or flush draw will call, so make them pay.
#2 I like a 1/2 pot or check. Maybe someone will put you on AJ or AQ and make a move.
Posted Sun Apr 22, 2007 5:17 pm GMT by Jefecaminador
On the first hand, a lot of cards kill your action, or set you up to take a big hit. Still, you have trip aces and want to get paid, so I bet somewhere between 1/2-2/3 of the pot. If a blank falls on the turn make a big bet. If you don't think you can get away from the hand if a straight/flush card hits, maybe bet more on the flop.
On hand number 2, you're a virtual lock to win the hand, so I don't mind getting tricky here. Either check or bet small, like 1/4 the pot. Hopefully someone will sense weakness and bet into you. This hand, unlike the previous one, you're only objective is to get the most money in the pot as possible.
Posted Mon Apr 23, 2007 3:22 am GMT by tame_deuces
I'd just bet something I think would stand a good chance of getting some action on in both hands. I think what those amounts are will vary from game to game, but I don't see myself going below 1/2 the pot and the more I think I could bet which would get called if they had anything, the happier I would be.
I'd see low to zero grounds for checking or others forms of slowplaying, it doesn't disguise your hand in the least on these boards.
Posted Mon Apr 23, 2007 11:25 am GMT by Jauron
| tame_deuces wrote: | | I'd just bet something I think would stand a good chance of getting some action on in both hands. |
Half the pot is probably a good starting point, up or down depending on players involved. My assumption also is that you are going to do the same thing with air enough that it doesn't look funky.
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