Sunday, November 06, 2005

a hand for thought

I was "FJDelgado" in the following hand, my online name is changed for shits and giggles.

############################################################################
Stage #217920052: Holdem Normal $15/$30 - 2005-11-03 04:07:54.007 (ET) [ 2005-11-03 04:07:54 ]
Table: Austin (Real Money) Seat #9 is the dealer
Seat 9 - C SPACKLER ($920.35 in chips)
Seat 2 - FREDRIK312 ($639 in chips)
Seat 3 - ANY2WILLDO4U ($704 in chips)
Seat 4 - DTXQH ($712.20 in chips)
Seat 5 - DAKID1 ($1000 in chips)
Seat 6 - FJDelgado ($1562 in chips)
FREDRIK312 - Posts small blind $10
ANY2WILLDO4U - Posts big blind $15
DAKID1 - sitout (wait for BB)
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to FJDelgado [8d 7d]
DTXQH - Calls $15
FJDelgado - Raises $30 to $30
C SPACKLER - Folds
FREDRIK312 - Folds
ANY2WILLDO4U - Folds
DTXQH - Calls $15
*** FLOP *** [4d 5h 3s]
DTXQH - Checks
FJDelgado - Bets $15
DTXQH - Raises $30 to $30
FJDelgado - Raises $30 to $45
DTXQH - Raises $30 to $60
FJDelgado - Calls $15
*** TURN *** [4d 5h 3s] [6c]
DTXQH - Checks
FJDelgado - Bets $30
DTXQH - Raises $60 to $60
FJDelgado - Raises $60 to $90
DTXQH - Raises $60 to $120
FJDelgado - Calls $30
*** RIVER ***
[4d 5h 3s 6c] [10d]
DTXQH - Bets $30
FJDelgado - Raises $60 to $60
DTXQH - Raises $60 to $90
FJDelgado - Raises $60 to $120
DTXQH - Calls $30
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FJDelgado - Shows [8d 7d] (Straight, four to eight)
DTXQH - Mucks
FJDelgado Collects $682 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total Pot($685) Rake ($3)
Board [4d 5h 3s 6c 10d]
Seat 2: FREDRIK312 (small blind) Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 3: ANY2WILLDO4U (big blind) Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 4: DTXQH HI: [Mucked] [Ah 7c]
Seat 6: FJDelgado won Total ($682) HI:($682) with Straight, four to eight [8d 7d - P:8d,P:7d,B:6c,B:5h,B:4d]
Seat 9: C SPACKLER (dealer) Folded on the POCKET CARDS
############################################################################


Any critiques are welcome.

Obviously, playing the stone cold nuts is easy. But what interested me about this hand was the play of DTXQH. I put him on top pair (specifically A5) after his flop raise, which is why I 3-bet the flop (to represent a higher pocket pair, and increase my profit if I wound up hitting the turn). When he capped the flop, I was concerned about DTXQH holding a middle pocket pair. After his turn cap, I was positive he held 77 (he did not), and that he was paying me off ATM-style.

Thank God for donkeys.

200% Bonus up to $200!!

4 comments:

gqb30612 said...

Wow. You played both the preflop and flop streets badly. Muck it next time, lower your variance, and increase your long-run expectation.

F.J. Delgado said...

hey luke... normally I would agree with you, but this game was short-handed, and I was in late position. If I were to raise with 78s indiscriminantly, then yes, my variance and long run expectation would be unfavorable; however, playing suited connectors and small pairs well is a necessity in developing a strong, aggressive game.

In other words, I rarely play 78, even shorthanded. But when I do, I'll probably raise in an effort to vary my play. That was the case for this particular hand.

This hand also worked out to my advantage in the short run at the table, as the other monkeys (and DTXQH) played back at me when I held premium hands. It also somewhat epitomizes what I believe are some of the differences in our games (you play tighter yet still incredibly aggressive, but we both manage to scare our live opponents).

Playing hands like this are important to my game, and it's a definite strength.

chuck zoi said...

I don't mind raising preflop w/suited connectors sometimes, but the flop is pretty ugly.

If you put him on A5, he's a 3-2 favorite and you cap it? He's never folding flopped top pair with a pot that big, so what is the point trying to represent a higher pocket pair? These games are usually too aggressive for a free card play to work. And if he has A5, he's not giving you 8BBs on big streets if there's an open-ended straight on board. He MIGHT give you 3-4BBs if you hit a bigger pair, but even then he has redraws.

DTXQH played his hand well up to the check-raise on the turn. I like his flop play with a deception double-gutter straight draw, 2 overcards and A-high. After you 3bet him on the turn, he should just call. Maybe then bet out and call a raise on a river that doesn't pair, since your hand looks most like a set or 67.


Board: 4d 5h 3s
Dead:

equity (%) win (%) tie (%)
Hand 1: 69.5455 % 68.38% 01.16% {Ah7c}
Hand 2: 30.4545 % 29.29% 01.16% {8d7d}

F.J. Delgado said...

To be accurate, I 3-bet the flop, unless you're referring to my 3-bet and subsequent call of the 4th bet (when you mention that I capped the flop).

My initial flop bet was somewhat of a value bet, since I put him on overcards when he limped UTG and then called my pre-flop raise ("value bet" in the sense I felt I could get him to lay down his hand on the turn or river). I was right on my initial read, but changed it incorrectly. It wasn't until his flop checkraise that I gave him credit for the hands I mentioned (I should have been clearer in that regard).

My flop 3-bet was not a free-card move, which is what makes his flop cap the best play of the hand.

DTXQH played this hand poorly, however, from beginning to end (raising with A7 is far better than limping with it UTG 6-way). His best move was capping the flop, but his reasoning for doing so was most likely flawed. What makes his play weak is that he's making a strong move against an aggressive player, but out of position. He sealed his fate when he passively played a mediocre hand in the worst spot in an aggressive lineup.

My position is ultimately what allows me to to play the hand the way I did.