Playing your draws from in position -

Hey folks, been a while and these are usually long-winded, but I'm pressed for time and wanted to talk about draws in position, as it's the most recent big hand I've played, and hey, I miss discussing poker with you folks.

So I'm in the CO and a few people have limped into the pot and I see 8c6c and I decide to limp as well, sometimes I'd raise here, but the amount of tricky players and deepstacks in the pot tells me otherwise, I'm sitting with about $1500 in front of me at a 500NL.

The BB (tight) raises to 50, and it's folded around to me. I decide that because he's tight, his range is polarized, (AJs+, AQo+, JJ+ -ish) and I decide to give him some action.

Flop is Q97 rainbow, one club. He bets out $75.

Now, had I (for some reason) give him credit for a one-pair type hand, against which I have 8 outs, giving me roughly 36% to win by the river.

Since I'm in position, I decide to raise. My options of calling and folding both suck for me here, however an argument could be made for calling (he started the hand with about $800).

I like raising my draws heads-up in position. Why? More times than not, it takes control of the hand. Sure, I wish I'd flopped a combo draw, but I didn't, I flopped open-ended. If I raise here, I get to represent two pair, a set (77 could be arguable, however 99 and QQ couldn't...) but I get fold equity, and more importantly, control of the hand.

Were I out of position on villain, I would have a hard-time raising here. I check, he bets, I raise, I brick, I check, what's he gonna do? Not give me a free card, I'd bet.

Plus I can fold out weak Q's, (QJ and KQ aren't really in his range, and the occaisonal KJ, which eats four of my outs to make a better straight. But given the size of his raise preflop and what I know about him from past hands, he probably has AA or KK, at the very least AQ, even though I'm not sure AQ would bet this flop...

So I raise to $225. He goes in the tank and calls. I'm pretty certain I hate his line here. If he calls, he's out of position, so if my read is right (AA or KK), he's betting only 4% of turns, those which give him top set, and now I am betting only turns that give me a hand stronger than his, and again, since he's polarized, I know them to be only Ts and 5s. If I pick up a flush draw or a pair, I get to check, and try to pick one of my outs on the river.

For his line, I like either jamming or folding, he had just shy of $300 behind, so I'll be correct to call, but once he calls my turn bet he's going to need a sick read to lay his hand down. I put him in the tough spot. Fold his overpair when there are only X hands that beat him, or risk going all-in bad with 2-10 outs.

Long story short, I nail my draw on the turn and he's pot commited. I announce all-in, and he puts his last $275 or whatever it is bad, because he overplayed his aces.

Keep in mind calling on the flop and bricking on the turn puts you in a tough spot, and I believe Sly has an excellent thread regarding betting the equity of your draw in the Golden Archives thread.

I just like my play here because 1. I'm not folding this flop, and for $150 more I get to see the turn and river as I've taken the action from my villain. Put the ball in my court. Sure, he could have jammed on me on the flop here, but in a $900 pot calling a bet of less than $300 I'm happy to come along for the ride in a cash game.

Had I bricked the turn, then he jammed, I'd be in a pickle, as I'm not even 20% to win now, and the pot is giving me 3:1 on my money.

But again, he's not likely to use such a line after calling my raise. Without top-set (and even with, remember he may think I'm big and I did just steal the action from him) he may check to me, giving me the all-mighty free river.

Also, once he calls my raise I know he's big.

I've been making a lot of money at cash games against tight players who overplay their aces.

Perhaps when I'm on next I'll post a thread about not overplaying AA.

Yes, sounds very good.

Great post, I love the way you played the hand, and look forward to your post about AA