$4.4 NLHE MTT: To Donk, or not to Donk?

[PPT]

Pre-flop I had Q9o in the BB facing a min-raise, so I called to defend my BB. Flop came 9-high with a diamond flush draw so I thought I was probably ahead but I thought I'd check/raise post-flop but instead it was check/check.

Turn came with a nothing card so I bet 50% of the pot because villain had checked on the flop. Got a call.

Turn came with J diamonds. Checked it down and villain had hit his out on the river but didn't bet (presumably put off by the diamond draw).

I wonder if I played this right or wrong? I think if I'd bet flop and turn he might have folded before the river, but he might have called all the way.


888Poker, $4 + $0.40 - Hold'em No Limit - 75/150 (15 ante) - 8 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: 3,391 (23 bb)
UTG+1: 3,050 (20 bb)
MP: 5,366 (36 bb)
MP+1: 12,754 (85 bb)
CO: 8,339 (56 bb)
BU: 2,661 (18 bb)
SB: 4,484 (30 bb)
BB (Hero): 4,955 (33 bb)

Pre-Flop: (345) Hero is BB with Q♦ 9♣
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to 300, 5 players fold, Hero calls 150

Flop: (795) 6♥ 9♦ 2♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks

Turn: (795) 3♠ (2 players)
Hero bets 397, UTG+1 calls 397

River: (1,589) J♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks

Total pot: 1,589

Showdown:
BB (Hero) shows Q♦ 9♣ (a pair of Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 35%, Flop: 80%, Turn: 86%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 shows A♠ J♠ (a pair of Jacks)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 65%, Flop: 20%, Turn: 14%, River: 100%)

UTG+1 wins 1,589

 

[fundiver199]

Think this is played completely fine on all streets. Luckily it was a diamond, that came on the river, which likely saved you from facing a bet from him.

 

[lanelosee100]

I would bet the flop with top pair but it is just a one pair holding so I don't bñame you for playing reserved this is just a typical poker hand I don't recommend getting caught up over analyzing these hands. There is no correct solve for this type of hand.

 

[theANMATOR]

Imo you played this hand well. If you bet flop/turn - he could just as likely be slowplaying an over pair, a set or a better 9, so imo this is just like a lot of hands where the river smacked us.

 

[eetenor]

Pre-flop I had Q9o in the BB facing a min-raise, so I called to defend my BB. Flop came 9-high with a diamond flush draw so I thought I was probably ahead but I thought I'd check/raise post-flop but instead it was check/check.

Turn came with a nothing card so I bet 50% of the pot because villain had checked on the flop. Got a call.

Turn came with J diamonds. Checked it down and villain had hit his out on the river but didn't bet (presumably put off by the diamond draw).

I wonder if I played this right or wrong? I think if I'd bet flop and turn he might have folded before the river, but he might have called all the way.


888Poker, $4 + $0.40 - Hold'em No Limit - 75/150 (15 ante) - 8 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: 3,391 (23 bb)
UTG+1: 3,050 (20 bb)
MP: 5,366 (36 bb)
MP+1: 12,754 (85 bb)
CO: 8,339 (56 bb)
BU: 2,661 (18 bb)
SB: 4,484 (30 bb)
BB (Hero): 4,955 (33 bb)

Pre-Flop: (345) Hero is BB with Q♦ 9♣
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to 300, 5 players fold, Hero calls 150

Flop: (795) 6♥ 9♦ 2♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks

Turn: (795) 3♠ (2 players)
Hero bets 397, UTG+1 calls 397

River: (1,589) J♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks

Total pot: 1,589

Showdown:
BB (Hero) shows Q♦ 9♣ (a pair of Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 35%, Flop: 80%, Turn: 86%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 shows A♠ J♠ (a pair of Jacks)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 65%, Flop: 20%, Turn: 14%, River: 100%)

UTG+1 wins 1,589

Thank you for posting

Leading here is a possibility based on V’s Stack size as we can make the V play for their stack on turn without busting ourselves. Also stack size will have the V checking more hands.
V SPR on flop is 3.5 a 40% pot lead flop and 66% turn bet makes the V have to decide to play for stacks on turn.

As played your turn bet is too small vs this V type -we can exploit bet 75% pot here as getting folds is fine getting more value when ahead fine as well and being bluffed less likely so turn raises lean to value and we can over fold to that.

Hope this helps

 

[fundiver199]

The issue with leading is, that it is generally allowing the opponent to play pretty well. There are a decent amount of hands in his range, that we lose to, mainly overpairs, and these are of course never going to fold. He is also never folding a flushdraw, which has coinflip equity, since it always has two overcards to our pair as well from a tight configuration like this.

On the other hand not to many worse hands will call a flop donk, and if we do in fact get a call from a hand like AJ, he still has position on us, and because our top pair is so low, there are a decent amount of turn cards, we wont like, and where maybe he can consider running a bluff against us.

Also if we lead, we might get raised, and are we then prepared to play for stacks with this hand? We only have around 20% equity against an overpair, and even if he is raising his flushdraws as well, we are typically not going to be in great shape against his stack off range, because it wont contain any made hands worse than ours. Hands like J9 or T9 are typically not even opened from EP, and stacking off with hands like 88 or 77 would be pretty spewy by him.

So all in all I would be completely happy with this outcome. Yes we ended up losing a small pot, but we put chips in on the turn with 86% equity, and we put no chips in on the river, when we were beat. So we made him draw with incorrect odds and did not pay him off, when he got there. Thats a pretty good result, and the only thing lacking from this hand was a different river card.

 

[QA77]

You played it fine, don’t think I would play it differently. I would also just check call the flop if opponent bets.

 

[jordanbillie]

Pre-flop I had Q9o in the BB facing a min-raise, so I called to defend my BB. Flop came 9-high with a diamond flush draw so I thought I was probably ahead but I thought I'd check/raise post-flop but instead it was check/check.

Turn came with a nothing card so I bet 50% of the pot because villain had checked on the flop. Got a call.

Turn came with J diamonds. Checked it down and villain had hit his out on the river but didn't bet (presumably put off by the diamond draw).

I wonder if I played this right or wrong? I think if I'd bet flop and turn he might have folded before the river, but he might have called all the way.


888Poker, $4 + $0.40 - Hold'em No Limit - 75/150 (15 ante) - 8 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: 3,391 (23 bb)
UTG+1: 3,050 (20 bb)
MP: 5,366 (36 bb)
MP+1: 12,754 (85 bb)
CO: 8,339 (56 bb)
BU: 2,661 (18 bb)
SB: 4,484 (30 bb)
BB (Hero): 4,955 (33 bb)

Pre-Flop: (345) Hero is BB with Q♦ 9♣
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to 300, 5 players fold, Hero calls 150

Flop: (795) 6♥ 9♦ 2♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks

Turn: (795) 3♠ (2 players)
Hero bets 397, UTG+1 calls 397

River: (1,589) J♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks

Total pot: 1,589

Showdown:
BB (Hero) shows Q♦ 9♣ (a pair of Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 35%, Flop: 80%, Turn: 86%, River: 0%)

UTG+1 shows A♠ J♠ (a pair of Jacks)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 65%, Flop: 20%, Turn: 14%, River: 100%)

UTG+1 wins 1,589

As played, this hand is pretty standard.

I do not agree with the plan of a c/r on this flop however.

I'd prefer a check/call, immediately check turn (had the villain c-bet this flop).