09-15-04, LearnTexasHoldem:
Bad Beat Or Bad Play
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At first I didn't play well at all calling cards down that I shouldn't have and not realizing what my good starting cards are. In the last month though I have played quite well and have learned when to make my moves and when to use my chips. However, about a week ago I decided to go to the local casino and play in a ring game.
I had played in a ring game before online, and I had also read plenty of material on the differences of ring and tournament play. I was up and down for a few hours, playing hands in the right position and figuring out who the calling stations were. Having started with 150 and deciding that this was what I was all I wanted to risk that day I went as high as 250 and as low as 90.
Now to the hand that made me leave the table. I was on the button and was dealt AhKh in a 2-4 game. There are 3 callers and I raise to 4 and small and big blinds fold. They all call for a total of 19$ in the pot. The flop comes AcKd9h. First to act checks and second bets 2, and third folds. Having flopped top two pair and a backdoor flush drawI decide to raise to 4. The check folds and the next player raises over top of me to 6.
Having seen this guy already drop well over 400 in about 3 hours but fearing pocket kings, aces, or nines at this point I call. The pot is now 31$ and I haven't put this guy on anything yet. The turn comes and and it is a 7h. He checks and at this point I think I have the nuts. I bet 4$ with my two pair and a stronger draw. He then raises to 8$, and I'm stumped, but I decided to raise over him again to 12$, and he just calls. Pot is now up to 55$ and I'm still not sure if any of it's mine. Here comes the river and it's a 10c.
My hand has not improved to a flush but I still have the aces and kings. He checks again, and figuring the way I had been betting with this being the river I figured he would have bet and picked up some more loot from me if he had anything. I bet 4$ and he raises to 8$, and now I'm worried. I'm too far into this too fold so i decide to call. Pots up to 71$ and I flip over my AK to show two pair and he flips over a QsJs. At first I'm happy to see no kings or aces and then realize quickly that he has pulled the straight on the river.
Had this been no limit I think I would have been able to bet him out on the flop or the turn, but in the low limit ring style I thought I did everything I could have, and he still outdrew me. Frustrated I left the table with a little under a 100$. My question is was this a bad beat for me and a good play on his part? I know he was committed to the pot, and by the time the time he called the turn reraise he wasn't going to fold.
I understand that he was trying to bet me out with his straight and that more often than not he won't make that hand. From what I've said do you think I made the right play when I should have, and is there is anything I could have done to avoid that going to the river?
Bushey
Answer: That was just a horrendous bad beat. My course of action with that hand would have been to cap the flop, cap the turn, and then raise the river and call if he reraised. On the flop you have pretty much the nuts when you have top two pair against one player when you have AK. If he did end up having a set against you then the turn card giving you the nut flush draw plus a full house draw makes your hand a monster -- capping the betting again here is mandatory.
On the river since you didn't improve I would put in one more raise and then just call. The last thing I would be thinking he had was QJ. I would be more concerned with him having a set of 9s. When you run into a maniac player like this don't shy away with your good hands -- you need to maximize your value against him. Don't start out giving him the benefit of the doubt about the strength of his hand; instead, start off by thinking the guy probably has very little since he is in every hand.
The funny thing is that the guy had 3 outs on the river to win. Obviously this type of play is what had already cost him $400. You played fine, the only thing I would have recommended is to play longer with him to give yourself a chance for the numbers to work themselves out.
Lastly, his play was awful. Since it was raised preflop he probably should have just called one small bet to see if he caught the gutshot on the turn card and if he missed fold.
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