$2/$5NL at the Venetian.

Lafortezza

Along with Caesars this was easily the nicest cardroom I saw in Vegas.

Table is pretty bad in terms of TAG good players with big stacks. I am on Corona number 5.
There is 2 huge stacks $5k+ most have between $500 and $1200, I have $600 after recently joining.

Hand 1
UTG (stack = 500) makes it $20 to go which is standard. He is the table donk, but probably knows enough to not to make any horrendous mistakes.
I call with 66 1 caller on the button, blinds fold.

Flop KQ6r. Pot = 67.
UTG leads for 50, I call, button folds.

Turn KQ6 9 still rainbow. Pot = 167. UTG leads for 120, I wait for about 15 seconds and push for just under $500 ish.



Hand 2
UTG+2 has been quite active and very aggressive, not much calling, plenty of raising PF and on later streets. He is the typical Asian stoney-faced 60yr old stereotype. He has $1000 I have $1200 before the hand.

UTG+2 raises to $20, I call with 66, folded to the BB who calls.

Flop As Js 6d, Pot = $67 , BB checks, UTG+2 bets $60, I call, BB calls.

Turn As Js 6d 4s, Pot = $247.
BB checks, UTG+2 bets $60, I raise to $200.

BB folds, UTG+2 dwells up for a long time, fiddles with chips, waits some more and then gestures that he is all-in for his remaining $860.

$720 more for me to call?

AmarilloFats

I'm Jealous..
Caesars and venetian are beautiful rooms....

In both hands I would make big raises on the flop.....Especially with these flops as it's likely they have hit TP type hands...
Both turn cards are ugly for you..
Hand 1: Since u did not raise flop, I like push.


Hand 2: Can you put him on a hand u beat???
His push sorta indicates he ain't too scared of the flush. Could he have AxKs or would he just call??

Enjoy it..And stop deleting the the home webcam links!!

marius

Hand 1) I might be tempted to just call here, unless he has kk or qq he is more or less drawing dead - depends if he is the kind of player who will fire another barrel with TPTK/two pair on the river....judging by the stacks in hand two I assume he called and you won?

Hand 2) hmmmmm, reckon I might fold this....looks like AA/JJ to me. Do you have the 6 of spades?:D

ianmc38

Hand 1 I like.

Hand 2 His $60 bet is very strange. It looks like a weak lead hoping for a raise. I fold.

I raise the flop in hand 2 alot.

Hectorjelly

Hand 1 you are representing TJ which is a hand substantially better than yours. This is clearly not the best route to go down. The stacks sizes mean you really have to raise that flop. Do you think he will fold aces on the flop but not the turn? Do you think you were not getting any more from him once you raised? I dont really get this line.

Hand 2 Ive just read now, my thinking is the same. Now you are representing a flush. Whenever you represent a hand its very difficult to get action from worse hand; its hard to turn a set into a bluff but thats what youve done. The flat call on the flop in hand is MUCH better that this one (& I hated it), 2 broadway cards and a flush draw means you really cant slowplay this. When you raise his turn bet his range narrows to a flush, a set, and a small % of a combo one pair/flush draw or two pair holdings. The looser and more aggresive he is the more likely he is to have the latter 2 possible holding. Given your description I think I would call, but against most people im folding. I would also flat call the turn bet.

This is all IMO and im probably wrong etc etc

Gholimoli

Hand one:
Raise the flop.
I understand that you have flopped a monster and you want the guy behind you on the hand.
But look at it from his point of view:
When there is a draw on board, if you flat call and the guy behind you flat calls then he is getting the odds to be drawing and hence not making a mistake. if he hits his draw then he has a better hand than yours and will gladly put more money in the pot.
If he doesn’t hit his draw you’re not getting any more out of him.
If you raise and he calls with a draw then he is making a mistake and paying too much for his draw. if he folds then you were never going to get money from him but you have done your bit which is not allowing any one with a draw in for cheap.
So on a flop when there is an obvious draw available, I think it’s a mistake to flat call based on the fact that you want the other guy in.
Also in terms of deception I think raising the flop on a draw board does more to hide the real strength of your hand than flat calling and then showing strength on the turn.
As it stands your push is fine and very UL if he has JT.



Hand 2:
This is pretty much the same as hand one except what I said applies more here because you have a more obvious draw here which is a flush draw.
More people play with suited cards PF than with connectors.
Also people are willing to pay more with flush draws than with str draws which makes the correct play here IMO a raise.
You will also have a better notion of opponent’s holdings here with a raise than with a flat call.
I think I would call here as well if he is as agro as you say as he could have A with a decent spade here or AJ.

Gholimoli

HJ made a very good point about the hand your representing and the impact it will have on your opponents.

spectre

Hand 1: I too have a habit of calling the flop bet instead of raising which is of course correct here. I don't like the push at all as the best you can hope for is to be called with two pair, everything else is being mucked. The 9 is a disasterous card for you as it either completes the straight for your opponent or is a scare card for him, therefore, a terrible place for you to raise in.

Hand 2: Raise that flop 100% of the time. You compound your error on the turn - by raising the turn, you have just turned a hand with lots of showdown value into a bluff. You should now go with your gut but my guess is that you should fold.

ocallagh

spectre wrote:

Hand 1: I too have a habit of calling the flop bet instead of raising which is of course correct here. I don't like the push at all as the best you can hope for is to be called with two pair, everything else is being mucked. The 9 is a disasterous card for you as it either completes the straight for your opponent or is a scare card for him, therefore, a terrible place for you to raise in.

Hand 2: Raise that flop 100% of the time. You compound your error on the turn - by raising the turn, you have just turned a hand with lots of showdown value into a bluff. You should now go with your gut but my guess is that you should fold.

Agree with spectre on all of this. Also - this might have been my imagination, but americans in vegas tend to push/overbet pot with the nuts: ie they don't really slow play as much.. might just be my imagination. The irish seem to do much more calling with the nuts for some reason:) I really like your opponents play here if he has the flush.

Hectorjelly

ocallagh wrote:

Agree with spectre on all of this. Also - this might have been my imagination, but americans in vegas tend to push/overbet pot with the nuts: ie they don't really slow play as much.. might just be my imagination. The irish seem to do much more calling with the nuts for some reason:) I really like your opponents play here if he has the flush.

I think betting $60 there is awful, he is inducing a raise with awkward stack sizes. If he makes a pot bet then Laforzetta cant get away from the hand. As played Laf has to call an all in of 800 - which is a big bet; the pot is only around $600 big. If he bets 220 then any raise Laf makes commits him. Also if Laf flat calls the tiny turn bet (which I think would be much better) then the pot is only 300 big on the river, so he can only bet around 250. If he fires 220 on the turn he can push the river without it being too much of an overbet.

60 here is a good number if he wants to maximise his folding equity; this would be good with a hand he thinks isnt best.

cardshark202

Hand 1: Definately raise the flop. As HJ said you are now over-representing your hand, which isnt too good. As played, I would prefer calling the turn and getting it all in on the river.

Hand 2: I would fold this fairly quickly and hate myself for a) not raising the flop and b) raising the weak turn bet.

Lafortezza

Results:

Hand 1
The push was probably a bad play given that there's very few hands that call that I beat. KQ maybe. But luckily for me the donk debated and called with AKo.


Hand 2
Villains lead for $50 on the turn really put me off. After a brief think I put him on something like AxKs, AJ, or something that had totally missed the board. If he has the flush or a higher set why would he bet so small?
So I raised.
When he pushes I was pretty sure I was beat. Either by a higher set or a funkily played set. If he had the Ks and therefore knew I couldn't have the nut flush then fair play to him.
I folded in the end.

ocallagh

Hectorjelly wrote:

I think betting $60 there is awful, he is inducing a raise with awkward stack sizes. If he makes a pot bet then Laforzetta cant get away from the hand. As played Laf has to call an all in of 800 - which is a big bet; the pot is only around $600 big. If he bets 220 then any raise Laf makes commits him. Also if Laf flat calls the tiny turn bet (which I think would be much better) then the pot is only 300 big on the river, so he can only bet around 250. If he fires 220 on the turn he can push the river without it being too much of an overbet.

60 here is a good number if he wants to maximise his folding equity; this would be good with a hand he thinks isnt best.

Yeah i suppose the turn bet of 60 is not great at all, but for some reason I like the rest of the hand.. and I quite like that aggressive/over betting style at the moment. Nice and simple poker.