getting maximum value

[Mooronic]

What’s the correct play?

I was at a live tourney yesterday in a local free poker league. Full table, relatively small blinds compared to the average chip stacks. The table was playing really aggressively with all-ins being called seemingly every other hand. I was playing pretty tight, but had won a few hands recently leaving me with a nice chip stack. I’m no expert at this, but based on betting patterns & showed hands I knew enough to realize that most players at the table were not very good poker players - expected at a free tourney.

I was on the sb and limped in with Ks 4c with about 6 other callers.

The flop shows Kh, Kc, 8s. Out of position, I checked hoping for some check/raise action. Everyone else checked and the turn showed 3h.

Again I was the first to bet. What should I have done to get maximum value out of the hand?

 

[t1riel]

Well, checking isn't a bad option here with a trips on a rainbow board. If these players really are as bad as they say they are, I would have put a minimum bet on the flop. Bad players would call because there are 2 cards left. Good players will see the bet as "I have trip Kings and trying to get some money out of it" and they will fold. If someone raises, call. On the turn, check/call. On the river, make a big bet. Other than that, I can't see any other way to get more money out of this hand.

 

[Mooronic]

I checked on the flop (checked all around) and got scared by the 3h - flush draw with 6 players. I went all in. Everyone folded leaving me kicking myself while picking up only the blinds.

In hindsight I should've done what you said - check or min raise and wait for the river for the big bet. I'm pretty sure that's a leak in my game - it's not the first time it happened. Read somewhere it's a common novice mistake.

 

[Bombjack]

This is actually a very dangerous flop for you, with 6 other people in the hand. People are more likely than average to call with a King in their hand, and if the other King is out, you're almost certainly beaten. Lead out for half the pot, and if anyone calls, play very carefully (i.e. check-fold, unless their bet is very small), and hope the board pairs again or you hit your 4. If everyone folds, be grateful you've won a pot and you didn't go bust.

 

[ChuckTs]

This is actually a very dangerous flop for you, with 6 other people in the hand. People are more likely than average to call with a King in their hand, and if the other King is out, you're almost certainly beaten. Lead out for half the pot, and if anyone calls, play very carefully (i.e. check-fold, unless their bet is very small), and hope the board pairs again or you hit your 4. If everyone folds, be grateful you've won a pot and you didn't go bust.

What bombjack said^^^

You have a strong hand, trips, but a very weak kicker - someone could easily have limped with KT or even a small pair an have an underfull.

I lead the flop because 1)vs. loose players, they're likely to call down with a pair of 8s or some junk and 2)I want to define my opponents' hands. If I get reraised big, then I think about (and most probably end up) dumping my hand. If my opponent cold-calls, I can figure that I'm probably ahead, but I'll proceed with caution.

So as for the best actions, considering how you checked the flop, I bet about 2/3 the pot on the turn. Enough to give bad drawing odds aswell as sweeten the pot, but probably enough for someone to call down with 8s.

I personally would have led the flop, and lead a small turn bet had someone called my flop bet.

 

[NineLions]

What bombjack said^^^
I lead the flop because 1)vs. loose players, they're likely to call down with a pair of 8s or some junk and 2)I want to define my opponents' hands. If I get reraised big, then I think about (and most probably end up) dumping my hand. If my opponent cold-calls, I can figure that I'm probably ahead, but I'll proceed with caution.

I've bet, then been re-raised. The problem was, it was re-raised by a maniac, so I still didn't know what he had.

 

[ChuckTs]

I've bet, then been re-raised. The problem was, it was re-raised by a maniac, so I still didn't know what he had.

Well that's when you have to figure it's better safe than sorry, and dump your weak kicker hand. I won't take a chance with weak trips like this if I don't have to; you gotta learn to fold a hand when you know you're beat (or at least when there's a big chance that you are).

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

Nobody's asked for blinds and stack sizes yet?

Mooronic, if you want better answers you should probably read this. The more info we have, the better the responses will be.

 

[Mooronic]

I don't remember the stacks vs. blinds all that well, it was around my 4th beer at that point.

 

[t1riel]

I don't remember the stacks vs. blinds all that well, it was around my 4th beer at that point.

Well, maybe that was one of your mistakes right there.

 

[KerouacsDog]

If they're not very good players, announce that 'with the pair of kings on the board, and my pair of 2's here, I'm gonna have a small bet', then put a bet in.
Probably wont work, but what the hell!