$5 NLHE 6-max: AKs, I got lost in this hand!

[TPC]

This hand played pretty weird. I had already clicked sitout BB because I had decided this was my last orbit. UTG I get AKs and for me, I really don't want to get involved in a big hand and lose, not how I like to end a session especially when I had a great session going. Besides all that, what does villain have here? I honestly didn't know if I should bet for value or if I was destroyed! So I ended up just checking back. What does villain have and what would you do?

Winning Poker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.02/$0.05 - 6 players
Replay this hand on Upswing Poker

UTG (Hero): $17.76 (355 bb)
MP: $5.86 (117 bb)
CO: $6.16 (123 bb)
BU: $5.00 (100 bb)
SB: $5.70 (114 bb)
BB: $6.90 (138 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.07) Hero is UTG with A♦ K♦
Hero raises to $0.14, 1 fold, CO 3-bets to $0.49, 2 players fold, BB calls $0.44, Hero calls $0.35

Flop: ($1.49) 3♥ K♥ 5♣ (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.74, CO folds, BB calls $0.74

Turn: ($2.97) 5♥ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1.48, BB calls $1.48

River: ($5.93) J♠ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

 

[PaxMundi]

Im more inclined to 4bet and gii once we get an over call because of the increased dead money in the pot. Over calls to a 3bet are usually low to mid pp's and AQs AJs KQs type hands. And id expect better made hands to raise the turn here as villain is oop on the river either that or donk shove the river. But i dont mind your river check KJs got there and KTs or worse kickers are unlikely. And your not getting called down by 88-TT on the river or at least it's unlikely so you only really target KQs for value. So basically i think we have very good showdown value for a check but not great value in shoving vs villains calling range on the river here.

 

[Sidetracked]

I would much prefer a 4 bet preflop. The BB has just cold called a 3 bet, and his range is clearly capped. A large 4 bet will often take down the pot preflop. As played, your check on the river certainly isn't bad, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the BB flip over 33 or 55.

 

[gustav197poker]

Preflop
Small opening size you chose. That allows many junk hands to seep and end up hitting on the flop. You should seek to isolate yourself and not invite many people to join the flop.
In fact, if the bb increases, you must remember how it was his style of play and if you saw him enter with air hands from that position. And if the answer is yes, your hand could be to reach a 4bet against an aggressive bb.
Flop
You got ahead with a bet on the flop (donk bet), you wanted to protect your hand and it's a wet board, with possible color for future streets. The villain pays (he probably carries a combo of hearts).
Turn
Another five appears and from the heart. You have top pair and top kicker but now, we are behind a color or even a full house. Although probably a set would have bet on the flop.
The villain pays your bet and this is a sign that our TPTK is a very fair line in this situation.
You have to think that the villain called you 3 times and with a 3bet in preflop.
At this point we have 2 Kx combos that defeat us and 5 combos of hearts that form color for the villain.
I think that considering the whole sequence of the hand, I would have called in this place. (At this moment I think that villain could carry pocket aces, or maybe he got the color)
River
The villain didn't bet, so he probably wouldn't have bet either. There were enough calls to think that villain has no strength. I think at this time you should think more conservative and not before preflop.
Regards.

 

[TPC]

I would much prefer a 4 bet preflop. The BB has just cold called a 3 bet, and his range is clearly capped. A large 4 bet will often take down the pot preflop. As played, your check on the river certainly isn't bad, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the BB flip over 33 or 55.

I was wanting to avoid a huge pot due to it being my last hand. The three bettor is likely to shove to a four bet, I know in this case due to my history with them. Good guess, but the villain didn't have 33 or 55.

Preflop
Small opening size you chose. That allows many junk hands to seep and end up hitting on the flop. You should seek to isolate yourself and not invite many people to join the flop.
In fact, if the bb increases, you must remember how it was his style of play and if you saw him enter with air hands from that position. And if the answer is yes, your hand could be to reach a 4bet against an aggressive bb.
Flop
You got ahead with a bet on the flop (donk bet), you wanted to protect your hand and it's a wet board, with possible color for future streets. The villain pays (he probably carries a combo of hearts).
Turn
Another five appears and from the heart. You have top pair and top kicker but now, we are behind a color or even a full house. Although probably a set would have bet on the flop.
The villain pays your bet and this is a sign that our TPTK is a very fair line in this situation.
You have to think that the villain called you 3 times and with a 3bet in preflop.
At this point we have 2 Kx combos that defeat us and 5 combos of hearts that form color for the villain.
I think that considering the whole sequence of the hand, I would have called in this place. (At this moment I think that villain could carry pocket aces, or maybe he got the color)
River
The villain didn't bet, so he probably wouldn't have bet either. There were enough calls to think that villain has no strength. I think at this time you should think more conservative and not before preflop.
Regards.

Small opening? 3xbb is a pretty standard opening bet. I open with 3x always no matter what my hand is.

I'm capable of 4 betting in this situation, however, if I four bet, I'm calling a shove. The whole point of this hand was to avoid a large pot as it was my last hand of the session.

As the hand progressed I was really questioning how good I was. I wasn't letting another heart come on the river for free, so checking the turn wasn't an option. My plan here was to bet and fold if I was check raised. Villain flats and then checks river. Now I'm sitting here wondering how I can be good? So many hands are beating me right now, am I being trapped? If not and I bet for value what on earth would call me that I could beat?

Any guess to what villain is holding, as in not their range of hands, but what their actual hand is?

 

[sheltowee420]

I have lost more chips with the AK pocket, then with any other pockets. I now make a point. of trying to keep to pot small.

 

[gustav197poker]

If you thought you were ahead of Kx on the turn, your blocking bet was perfect. And if you had that thought, you had to place a bet on the river again. Maybe half a final boat would throw worse hands and come out if occasionally villain does 3bet.

 

[TPC]

If you thought you were ahead of Kx on the turn, your blocking bet was perfect. And if you had that thought, you had to place a bet on the river again. Maybe half a final boat would throw worse hands and come out if occasionally villain does 3bet.

My thought on the turn was I wasn't letting another heart show up on the river for free. I had planned to fold if I was check raised. I was lost because I wasn't really sure what I was going to do on the river. When villain checks, I think I'm good, or being trapped. I couldn't think of what I could really get to call for value here, so I ended up checking back. Any guess to what villain is holding here?

 

[LevySystem]

Any guess to what villain is holding, as in not their range of hands, but what their actual hand is?

Depends on the villain really. Do we have any reads?
I dislike the idea of coldcalling 3bets from the BB but thats a different story. Ive seen people do it with AKo even. So id say OTR he shows something like J(h)J, K(c)J(c) or A(h)K. Those are the only hands that makes sense as played. Any Flush would jam Turn as you are checking back the river most likely, and i cant really seem to find much else. Maybe he called Turn with TT-88 with 1 heart? but that would be incredibly bad...

 

[gustav197poker]

Poker of fives?

 

[TPC]

Depends on the villain really. Do we have any reads?
I dislike the idea of coldcalling 3bets from the BB but thats a different story. Ive seen people do it with AKo even. So id say OTR he shows something like J(h)J, K(c)J(c) or A(h)K. Those are the only hands that makes sense as played. Any Flush would jam Turn as you are checking back the river most likely, and i cant really seem to find much else. Maybe he called Turn with TT-88 with 1 heart? but that would be incredibly bad...

You are right about Kx, but I couldn't believe the x!

Poker of fives?

Nope!

 

[TPC]

Couldn't believe this is how bad villain was! I mean yeah, it's 5nl, but still!


Winning Poker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.02/$0.05 - 6 players
Replay this hand on Upswing Poker


UTG (Hero): $17.76 (355 bb)
MP: $5.86 (117 bb)
CO: $6.16 (123 bb)
BU: $5.00 (100 bb)
SB: $5.70 (114 bb)
BB: $6.90 (138 bb)


Pre-Flop: ($0.07) Hero is UTG with A♦ K♦
Hero raises to $0.14, 1 fold, CO 3-bets to $0.49, 2 players fold, BB calls $0.44, Hero calls $0.35


Flop: ($1.49) 3♥ K♥ 5♣ (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.74, CO folds, BB calls $0.74


Turn: ($2.97) 5♥ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1.48, BB calls $1.48


River: ($5.93) J♠ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks


Total pot: $5.93 (Rake: $0.29)


Showdown:
UTG (Hero) shows A♦ K♦ (two pair, Kings and Fives - higher kicker)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 72%, Flop: 83%, Turn: 90%, River: 100%)


BB shows K♣ 8♣ (two pair, Kings and Fives)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 28%, Flop: 17%, Turn: 10%, River: 0%)


UTG (Hero) wins $5.64

 

[SuzdalDEcor]

Lost the 4bet button? PostFlop - perfect. On the river your hand is bluffcatcher in most of cases.

 

[TPC]

Lost the 4bet button? PostFlop - perfect. On the river your hand is bluffcatcher in most of cases.

4bet button not lost or broken. Was the last hand of a great session. I didn’t want to get involved in a huge pot and end the session on a possible sour note. I have history with the 3 better, he’s shoving more times than not to a 4bet. I’m calling a shove if I 4bet. Did not want to end on a flip.

Yes, by river I wasn’t beating much!

 

[Tenek26]

I think I would raise on the river despite the villain calling other streets. I do not believe that he has two pairs or a set, otherwise he would play more aggressively.

 

[PaxMundi]

4bet button not lost or broken. Was the last hand of a great session. I didn’t want to get involved in a huge pot and end the session on a possible sour note. I have history with the 3 better, he’s shoving more times than not to a 4bet. I’m calling a shove if I 4bet. Did not want to end on a flip.

Yes, by river I wasn’t beating much!

It's the wrong attitude to have you could of ended the session on a high by winning a stack. So whether it's the first or last hand just make the best decisions you can.

 

[TPC]

It's the wrong attitude to have you could of ended the session on a high by winning a stack. So whether it's the first or last hand just make the best decisions you can.

Years ago I would’ve said the same thing you just did. I was already up about two stacks on this table alone and up about five stacks total counting all four tables. I prefer ending things on a high note whenever possible. While practicing on the driving range if I have a handful of balls left and hit a pure drive that draws or cuts the way I intended it to and it hits near my target, I call it a day. If find it helps with my mindset in the long run.

With this particular hand we could also argue that I ended up getting maximum value for it. The way the hand played, we know the original 3better didn’t have AA or KK, so this is one of the situations where he’s at the bottom ish side of his three bet range. He could of folded to my 4bet and the BB probably would have as well because we know they have K8s. So 4betting could’ve just netted the 3bets preflop. Where how it was played got two extra streets of value.

 

[TPC]

I think I would raise on the river despite the villain calling other streets. I do not believe that he has two pairs or a set, otherwise he would play more aggressively.

When we bet on the river, we need to do it with a purpose. Most common purposes is for value or as a bluff. If we are betting for value we need to have a range on our villain that we believe he will call our bet with a worse hand.

Me saying I was lost in this hand meant I had no idea where villain was. If villain on flush draw he’s got there and is trapping me. If he had JJ, he got there on the river and looking for me to bet again. If he has the same hand as I do, we are just adding to the rake. Did he really just stubbornly call me down with QQ? Did they take a weird line with AA? I had no idea...

So the reason I check back is I can’t put him on a worse hand than mine that would call my bet on the river.

 

[Vlad Savchenko]

Checking back the river isn't a terrible play, though IMO you missed an opportunity to go for some thin value versus what seems to be a weaker player (cold-calling 3-bets OOP usually isn't the best play).

There are a few other things though:
1. Preflop is a mandatory 4-bet with the amount of dead money in the pot. Don't be afraid to get it in with AKs - you have 42% equity versus QQ+/AK, it's not a bad spot at all.

2. The attitude of "not wanting to end a good session by losing a stack" can cost you quite a few BBs. Life is one big session, there's really no difference whether you lose $10 one day and win $30 the next one or just win $10 twice. It's the final result that matters.

 

[TPC]

Checking back the river isn't a terrible play, though IMO you missed an opportunity to go for some thin value versus what seems to be a weaker player (cold-calling 3-bets OOP usually isn't the best play).

There are a few other things though:
1. Preflop is a mandatory 4-bet with the amount of dead money in the pot. Don't be afraid to get it in with AKs - you have 42% equity versus QQ+/AK, it's not a bad spot at all.

2. The attitude of "not wanting to end a good session by losing a stack" can cost you quite a few BBs. Life is one big session, there's really no difference whether you lose $10 one day and win $30 the next one or just win $10 twice. It's the final result that matters.

1. Why is a 4 bet mandatory? I have 42% equity, yes. If I see a favorable flop I have even more equity. I would almost prefer to play poker than play the 3 bet, 4 bet shove all in preflop game. Less variance.

2. Mental state of poker is very important part of your game. I didn't want to lose a big pot on the very last hand. If I did, I would be thinking about it for hours after. Yes, in the long run of our infinite poker career, you are correct, it doesn't matter.

 

[Vlad Savchenko]

1. Why is a 4 bet mandatory? I have 42% equity, yes. If I see a favorable flop I have even more equity. I would almost prefer to play poker than play the 3 bet, 4 bet shove all in preflop game. Less variance.

2. Mental state of poker is very important part of your game. I didn't want to lose a big pot on the very last hand. If I did, I would be thinking about it for hours after. Yes, in the long run of our infinite poker career, you are correct, it doesn't matter.

1. You have a premium hand that is a profitable 4bet/call against a single average 3-bettor, BB only juices the pot by putting in his money.

Don't get me wrong, calling is also a highly profitable play (you're getting good odds and you have a strong hand), it just has a couple downsides:
A) You allow both villains to realize their equity instead of charging them more money or just denying their equity at all.
Just looked at the showdown, BB had K8, with this wide of a range you definitely want to get value from both of them.
Same as with AA, you're far ahead of both ranges, just raise it and get some value from a fish.

B) Postflop you're a "monkey in the middle", which leads to a bunch of uncomfortable scenarios. The flop in the hand is actually one of the best ones you can hope for (excluding super-rare scenarios like AAA, AKK, QJT etc).

2. It's obviously up to you if you feel like you absolutely need to "save a good result" or whatever. Just pointed out that it costs you money and if the goal is to make the most of it - probably it's time to change something. If you just want to be happy - it's a different story. After all, it's your life, your money, your choices.

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
I much prefer 4-betting for the reasons, that have already been stated by others. Especially the dead money from the fish, who cold called a 3-bet from the blinds. And if you are really not in the mood to play a big pot, then just fold. Continuing is clearly +EV, but you have less than 3BB invested, so getting out is not the end of the world either. Even if you just call here, pot is going to be around 30BB, so you are clearly putting your stack at risk, when you hit the flop.

Flop
You choose to donk lead the flop, which is a bit unconventional, but I guess its ok given the whole situation. Because BB is also in the pot, CO is less likely to C-bet with air, so if you check, you might just be giving both of them a free card, and you are of course very likely to have the best hand.

However donk leading is a bit strange, if your goal was to play a small pot. You are giving CO an option to raise your donk bet, and what exactly was the plan, if he did that? Or if BB check-raised you? This is something, you need to consider, before you lead out. Realistically on a board like this, where no one should ever have a set or two pair, the answer has to be “stack off”. So donk leading kind of contradict, what you were trying to do preflop.

Turn and river
As played I think, this was perfect. You pretty much had a 2 street hand but not a 3 street hand on this runout. KJ got there, flush got there, 5X got there, if he somehow has that. Overall a reasonably well played hand, but your rationales for making plays could need some improvement.