For the last month or so, bmy 6-handed limit game hasn't been up to standard. It seems that I've become weak passive after taking some rough beatings. This particular hand is a good example. What do you think of the way I played this hand and why?
***** Hand History for Game 653655552 *****
10/20 TexasHTGameTable (Limit) - Sun Jun 06 02:35:24 EDT 2004
Table Table 10751 (6 max) (Real Money) -- Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1:
Seat 2:
Seat 3:
Seat 4:
Seat 5:
Seat 6: Me
Seat 6 post small blind (5)
seat 1 posts big blind (10)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to seat 6 [ 5h, 5s ]
Seat 2 (tight aggressive player who appear to be semi-tilted at this point) raises (20) to 20
seat 3 folds.
seat 4 folds.
seat 5 folds.
Seat 6 calls (15)
Seat 1 (superloose calling station) calls (10)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 8h, 8s, 9c ]
Seat 6 bets (10)
Seat 1 folds.
seat 2 raises (20) to 20
seat 6 calls (10)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 4h ]
seat 6 checks.
seat 2 bets (20)
seat 6 calls (20)
** Dealing River ** : [ 7d ]
Seat 6 checks.
Seat 2 checks.
** Summary **
Main Pot: $138 | Rake: $2
Board: [ 8h 8s 9c 4h 7d ]
Seat 2 $864, lost $60 [ Kd Ad ] [ a pair of eights -- Ad,Kd,9c,8h,8s ]
Seat 6 balance $1328, bet $60, collected $138, net +$78 [ 5h 5s ] [ two pairs, eights and fives -- 9c,8h,8s,5h,5s ]
I think you played the hand well.
The initial raise from Seat 2 wouldn't have phased me the least and I would have called. I would not have re-raised here because as you said, he is a tight player.
I liked your bet on the flop. Seat 2 is tight so he is probably holding overcards at this point. Plus, you are in the SB so everone must be concerned about that with the mediocre cards hitting the board. As soon as I saw his raise, I thought overcards, like AK, AQ, KQ, etc. I wasn't at all surprised when I looked at the end of the post and saw AK. Anyway, calling the raise was fine.
The check into the raiser on the turn was OK. I may have been more agressive here since another card out of the playing zone hit. I may have bet into him or check raised.
The check on the river is fine since the 7 hit. You can't discount the possibility of him playing JT. Although, with his PF raise, this does seem unlikely.
So, I think you played this one well.
Five others saw the flop, there was a pair on the board, and you won with a small pair without risking a bunch of money. Good job!! This was no place to try to run anyone out.
You said UTG was a possibly tilty TA, but did he always push his big cards on low-medium flops? What did he normally raise with UTG (any 2 broadways? or any broadway with an ace? only big pairs and big aces? The occasionally suited connector?) and did he push too far with his overcards often, as in this case. The tilty read would make me at least take my pair to showdown, because that definitely does not look like a helpful flop for an UTG raise with the slim possibility of pocket 8's or 9's but fearing him flopping a full house/quads is just looking for monsters under the bed. I also wouldn't fear the JT because most TA's would not raise UTG with a drawing hand (unless it was a super great table!) OR if they knew that the raise could get some people tied to the pot.
Flop: bet/call is good. I like to your lead into the aggressor play shorthanded because I can find out how much the original aggressor values his hand. It looks like a position/semi-bluff raise especially since the BB folded out to your bet. You gotta figure that he's going to raise to continue with his preflop aggression, so I can't respect that raise too much because it's almost expected and it would seem more out of place not to raise here.
Turn: This card has got to be a brick here, and I'm sure you both knew it. Maybe check-raise here and fold to a 3-bet. If he just calls your check/raise, then I'd lead out on the river. The check/call flop then check/raise turn sequence emulates a slowplayed monster and it's an effective play for occasional use against people who pay attention. The check-raise/3-bet fold gambit would cost you the same as check/call on the turn and river. Very few players will 3-bet a check-raise as a bluff unless they are hyperaggressive or upper-echelon players so you can figure that he does in fact have an overpair and its 3:1 in his favor of having a better pair than yours (3 underpairs to you and 9 overs).
River: Since you check/called his turn bet, checking and hoping for a free showdown was definitely the least risky play, and I'd probably call here also because the pot is huge and he might keep pushing his bluff. he knew he was beat though and checked it through (good play on his part) Question, what was your intentions after your check? Call him down if he bets or fold to his bet? He's been representing a big pair all along but since you said he's been kind of tilty then check/calling gives you the cheapest way of catching him being out of line.
Overall, I don't think you played the hand badly given the nature of your opponent. You may have missed a BB or two in there, but it's much easier to say that now after I've seen the hand's outcome. Check/call all the way, while seeming weak and passive, is how you catch him getting frisky and out of line here and is very useful for letting the tilters hang themselves out to dry.
Whenever I play 6max, I only play one table at a time so I can concentrate on my opponents. Dunno if you were multi-tabling here, but sticking with one table till you feel confidently that you are out of your slump may help. Till then, keep cracking away, I'm sure it just a matter of time. Also, the 2+2 shorthanded forums have a plethora of knowledgable players with a good signal-to-noise ratio.
