Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Good Flop Raise?

I'm right now 1-tabling $10/$20 on Empire Poker, practicing for the WSOP side games I'll be playing this weekend in Las Vegas.

Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with As, Ah. CO posts a blind of $10.
UTG calls, 1 fold, UTG+2 raises, 4 folds, Hero 3-bets, 2 folds, UTG calls, UTG+2 calls.

Flop: (11.50 SB) Td, Qh, Kh (3 players)
UTG checks, UTG+2 bets, Hero raises, UTG folds, UTG+2 calls.

The flop raise is the most interesting bit, I think. My opponent has a PFR of 13% over 60 hands. Let's say he raises pf with QT, QJ, KT, KJ, KQ, AT, AJ, AQ, AK, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA.

QT = 3x3 = 9 / behind
QJ = 3x4 = 12 / ahead
KT = 3x3 = 9 / behind
KJ = 3x4 = 12 / ahead
KQ = 3x3 = 9 / behind
AT = 2x3 = 6 / behind
AJ = 2x4 = 8 / behind
AQ = 2x3 = 6 / ahead
AK = 2x3 = 6 / ahead
99 = 4c2 = 6 / ahead
TT = 3c2 = 3 / behind
JJ = 4c2 = 6 / ahead
QQ = 3c2 = 3 / behind
KK = 3c2 = 3 / behind
AA = 2c2 = 1 / tied

I am behind 49 hands. I am ahead of 48 hands. I am tied with one hand.

That's interesting. With the wide range of hands he might be raising here, it's almost even money that he's beat me, him with the slightest edge.

If I tighten him up to my EP opening standards for a tight aggressive game, say KQ, AJ, AQ, AK, AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, then I am behind 26 hands and ahead of 18 hands, tied with 1. If I make him looser than the above by adding one more hand:

JT = 4x3 = 12 / ahead

Suddenly I behind 49 hands but ahead of 60. This shows how important reads are on an opponent. The more you know about your opponents, the better decisions you can make. I mean, I am completely guessing on the mix of hands he would play this way. If he raised suited connectors or some small pocket pairs, that would affect these results tremendously. Against a tight player, should I simply call here and assume I'm drawing? This is a marginal situation, confounded by the fact that I simply can't fold in a large pot.

This raise depends on a lot of factors. If he has two pair, it is likely that he will 3-bet me on this flop. Pairing the board to possibly give me a better two pair is difficult because I won't know if he's hit a full-house or what.

But getting the raise in here is important, even if it opens me up to being 3-bet. I want to protect my hand against the player behind me who could be drawing very live. There is enough chance that I am ahead here, and the pot is big enough that it makes up for those times when I am wrong.

I wonder if Ciaffone would tell me to just call here, or fold. But I think that, though close, you have to raise here on the flop. The rest of the play below is standard.

Turn: (7.75 BB) 2h (2 players)
UTG+2 checks, Hero bets, UTG+2 calls.

River: (9.75 BB) 6s (2 players)
UTG+2 checks, Hero bets, UTG+2 calls.

Final Pot: 11.75 BB

Results below:
UTG+2 has Js Jh (one pair, jacks).
Hero has As Ah (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins 11.75 BB.

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