How should I have played this?

***** Hand History for Game 6307324267 *****
$25 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Friday, September 07, 16:11:48 ET 2007
Table Table 127242 (real money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 2: kruemse ( $9.64 USD )
Seat 3: stefan_700 ( $15.49 USD )
Seat 4: Unforgiven_v ( $26.90 USD )
Seat 5: slickrick359 ( $12.56 USD )
Seat 6: Grinder_SLO ( $34.04 USD )
Seat 7: ladi_dadi ( $21.34 USD )
Seat 8: OmmaIhrGeld ( $31.76 USD )
Seat 9: JFK_luvchild ( $23.94 USD )
Seat 10: abcdefgxyz ( $6.24 USD )
Seat 1: Seneku ( $22.25 USD )
OmmaIhrGeld posts small blind [$0.10 USD].
JFK_luvchild posts big blind [$0.25 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Seneku [ Ts Td ]
abcdefgxyz raises [$1 USD]
Seneku calls [$1 USD]
kruemse folds.
stefan_700 calls [$1 USD]
Unforgiven_v folds.
slickrick359 calls [$1 USD]
Grinder_SLO folds.
ladi_dadi folds.
OmmaIhrGeld folds.
JFK_luvchild calls [$0.75 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9d, 6d, 7s ]
JFK_luvchild checks.
abcdefgxyz checks.
Seneku checks.
stefan_700 bets [$1.50 USD]
slickrick359 calls [$1.50 USD]
JFK_luvchild calls [$1.50 USD]
abcdefgxyz folds.
Seneku calls [$1.50 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 2c ]
JFK_luvchild checks.
Seneku checks.
stefan_700 bets [$2 USD]
slickrick359 calls [$2 USD]
JFK_luvchild calls [$2 USD]
Seneku???

My reasoning:
Preflop: I'm not ahead of the range UTG would be raising with here. So I'd want to see a flop, maybe catch my set.

Flop: I have an overpair, but I'm afraid someone behind me flopped a set, since they both limped, called because the bet was that weak.

Turn: I wanted to see if Stefan pushed harder this time, if he would have had a set he must have bet hard with this board and this many players interested in the pot. When he bet only 2$ in a 10$ pot and both players behind him just called again I was pretty lost in this hand. I decided that stefan couldn't have a huge hand, because he must have played it a lot faster if he had (an overpair or a set) and both players behind him were probably on a draw or a marginal hand. I decided that I was ahead at this point an pushed all in.

Please give me some feedback on how I played this and my reasoning.

A second hand: should I fold KK preflop here?

EverestPoker Game #2058466801: Table Riga-47 - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 18:07:16 - 2007/09/10
Seat 2: jc_oxymoron ($20.35)
Seat 3: hikarapha ($17.29)
Seat 4: hand37 ($6.00)
Seat 5: GARZON.F ($7.49)
Seat 6: Faabien ($21.95)
Seat 7: _PoWerPlaYer ($8.80)
Seat 8: scorphius ($9.75)
Seat 9: Senekun ($9.65)
scorphius posts the small blind of $0.05
Senekun posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Senekun[Kh Ks]
jc_oxymoron raises to $0.35
hikarapha raises to $0.60
hand37 folds
GARZON.F calls $0.60
Faabien folds
_PoWerPlaYer raises to $8.80 and is all-in
scorphius folds
Senekun:???

Hello Senekun,

here are my observations.

My reasoning:
Preflop: I'm not ahead of the range UTG would be raising with here. So I'd want to see a flop, maybe catch my set.
Reraise. do not be scared. Put it this way. he raised 4 BB from Under the gun. yes someone might do this with AA.KK. QQ. However a lot of folk will do this with AK,AQ,AJ or middle PP's. You seem scared of the player. if the player has not raised a hand in over 100 hands then yes he is a rock and I would be wary too. Against a normal player I would raise to say £2.50 as it sends a powerfull message that you are ot scared of an UTG raise. People think - what has he got? It gives you a chnace to win teh hand and f you note this is the same amount as you would have invested in your scenario. if someone cmes over the top of you now then you can fold safe in the feeling that you are beat ( depending on the player who pushes )

If you had done what I said you would not have so many players behind you on the flop. you would only be aginst one of two players. You have isolated. You have an overpair. If you raise here ( which you should ) you show the same strength as earlier and will win the pot possibly/likely. If you meet resistence then you slow down and get to the end as cheap as possible.

Flop: I have an overpair, but I'm afraid someone behind me flopped a set, since they both limped, called because the bet was that weak.

As per my comment above, i do not like the fact that you are here in this position. it makes the next play a tough one and one that can cause a mistake. The issue is that

- You are vulnerable to a lower set.
- you do not want to hit a diamond - as you are vulnerable to the flush
- you do not want to hit the 10 to give you a 10 as you vulnerable to a stright.

Basically you do not know what you want to happen ( except a non diamond 8 - 3 cards that your opponents may have if as they have called too.), so caling is not prefered. Do you think that none of the 3 other players have you beat or that you will not become beat on the turn or river no matter what happens? I can understand a call here with Ad 8d as you know you are drawing good, but not 10,10. I think its a fold or a raise ( before they raise )




Turn: I wanted to see if Stefan pushed harder this time, if he would have had a set he must have bet hard with this board and this many players interested in the pot. When he bet only 2$ in a 10$ pot and both players behind him just called again I was pretty lost in this hand. I decided that stefan couldn't have a huge hand, because he must have played it a lot faster if he had (an overpair or a set) and both players behind him were probably on a draw or a marginal hand. I decided that I was ahead at this point an pushed all in.

I think this hits it on the head. I think you needed to be "stronger" earlier. Either in the raise or by folding when you missed the set.

I hope this helps - I am sorry if I sounded critical

Second Hand
Against a short stack you should call 100% of the time here IMO.

Thanks for the imput Calibanboy. I agree I messed up the hand preflop, which makes it that much harder to play. After the flop I was just lost in the hand and I indeed should have raised or folded there, not c/c.

No problem with being critical, I can take it (and I even asked for it).

calibanboy said:

Second Hand
Against a short stack you should call 100% of the time here IMO.

Click to expand...

He's not that much short stacked; this is a 0.05/.10 table whereas the first hand was a .10/.25 table.

Pretty tough to fold KK preflop. He's made such an overbet (raise to .35, then to .60, to 8.80?) it smells like a freeroller play. I think a good player trying to punish limpers raises to 2~3, not 8 so I'd call expecting AA 10% of the time, but AK/QQ/JJ/TT/AQ/AJ almost as frequently.

NineLions said:

He's not that much short stacked; this is a 0.05/.10 table whereas the first hand was a .10/.25 table.

Pretty tough to fold KK preflop. He's made such an overbet (raise to .35, then to .60, to 8.80?) it smells like a freeroller play. I think a good player trying to punish limpers raises to 2~3, not 8 so I'd call expecting AA 10% of the time, but AK/QQ/JJ/TT/AQ/AJ almost as frequently.

Click to expand...

Yeah, couldn't lay it down, but this action made me think about it. Shoved it allin, and he had pocket 9's. He did make his set, but that's not what matters .

Wow 1st hand is a mess, I mean I don't mind the call pf, but after that I'm betting that flop and folding to any further aggro. As played I think I'm folding the turn to be honest. Sometimes it is easy to get sucked in with this many callers, I've done it myself, but you need to show aggression on the flop here.

The second hand is a no-brainer. I'm never folding Kings pf, EVER.