The thing is when your trying to get maximum value, you always think that you could have done more if you get folds too quickly.
I agree that the only hand that is going to beat me is Quad 4's. The person already has Quad fours or he does not. if he has them then no matter what happens, all the chips are going in the middle at some point.
If he does not have them then the only way I can see him carrying on is with 4x or with an Ax. 45s might call the preflop raise. If so he has 1 out. thats a risk that is worth taking for him, as he woudl think he is ahead anyway. If he has Ax would be a terribly played preflop in retrospect and if so he is likely to just keep calling.
I agree that I should have hestitated, to show thinking time, and then flat called and allowed him to catch up. As you can see from the below I scared him away. There is a "Potential" to get additional value here that I did not get. But it is only potential - I may have hit the maximum and its possible that my small raise could have been JJ-KK
my comments on the hand.
- My raise to 42 was "ok/good". I slimmed the field slightly. However with 3 callers Iwas still vulnerable.
- The flop was "ok"for me - it protected my hand big time. However at the expense of reducing the chance of getting people to bet/call with only 1 other ace out there.
- What would I have done if the flop have been 6,7,8 Suited. Its very very possible/likely I would be behind.
- I would have prefered a 4k4 flop. I am just as likely ( almost) to be in the lead. But in this case am far more likely to get action and hence likely to extract better value.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $6 BB (9 handed)
Hand History Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)
Hero ($419.95)
UTG ($151)
UTG+1 ($693.30)
MP1 ($366.85)
MP2 ($404.35)
MP3 ($737.40)
CO ($256)
Button ($139.50)
SB ($304.35)
Preflop: Hero is BB with A
, A
. MP2 posts a blind of $9. CO posts a blind of $6.
UTG calls $6,
1 fold, MP1 calls $6, MP2 (poster) checks, MP3 calls $6, CO (poster) checks, Button calls $6, SB completes,
Hero raises to $42, UTG calls $36, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 calls $36, CO folds, Button calls $36, SB folds.
Flop: ($195) 4
, A
, 4
(4 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks,
MP3 bets $60, Button folds,
Hero raises to $120, UTG folds, MP3 folds.
Final Pot: $315
As it happend I made a profit of 35.5 BB from this hand. Sure I would liked it to be better. But its not bad for one hand that could have been vulnerable with so many in the pot. Had I raised to say 60 Preflop Its likely would have only won 7BB. Its balance and a tough one. I guess I have to be happy.