You got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them and Flopped Straights

Flopped Straights, are they ever good? Below is a flopped straight with some pretty crappy turn and river cards. The question is what to do on the river?

Villain is a 24/8/1.5 over 1.1K hands

Full Tilt Poker $0.50/$1 Pot Limit Hold'em - 8 players - http://www.thehandconverter.com/hands/296005
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

UTG: $104.25
UTG+1: $117.65
MP1: $23.70
MP2: $38.50
CO: $121.20
BTN: $104.00
SB: $100.00
Hero (BB): $100.00

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BB with 2c 3d
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $1, 5 folds, Hero checks

Flop: ($2.50) 5h 4c As (2 players)
Hero bets $1.25, UTG+1 calls $1.25

Turn: ($5.00) 5s (2 players)
Hero bets $3, UTG+1 calls $3

River: ($11.00) Ts (2 players)
Hero ???

So not a real big pot; but the board pairs and the flush gets there. What do you do?

Check/Fold
Check/Call
Bet/Fold
Bet/Call

If you are betting, what amount are you betting?

You have to know when to Hold them and know when to fold them. What is them? In this case it is Pocket Kings. Last night happened to be one of those nights when I should have always played ABC poker; but in those hands that you don't, it is super important to know when you are beat. Here are two pocket Kings hands from last night.

Hand #1

SB is 18/13/3.9 over 10K hands
UTG+1 is 34/7/3.3 over 30 hands


Full Tilt Poker $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players - http://www.thehandconverter.com/hands/296007
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

MP1: $188.40
MP2: $191.70
CO: $125.95
BTN: $386.45
SB: $100.00
Hero (BB): $100.00
UTG: $96.95
UTG+1: $269.70

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BB with Kd Kh
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $1, 4 folds, SB raises to $6, Hero calls $5, UTG+1 calls $5

I've got position on the raiser and a bad player on my left. I want that bad player in the pot so I just called. Again, I am not ALWAYS doing this, it is hand specific and certainly don't want to polarize my 3bets and cold calls.

Flop: ($18.00) 7s 6d 3h (3 players)
SB bets $11, Hero calls $11, UTG+1 calls $11

This is where I made the mistake as I should have turned up the heat here.

Turn: ($51.00) Ah (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $5, SB calls $5, Hero folds

At some point, you need to give up when there is a big chance that you are beat. With such a small bet, folding here is probably wrong; but not wanting to take a chance on a two outer, I took the wimpy way out.

River: ($61.00) 4d (2 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 bets $15, SB calls $15

Final Pot: $91.00
SB mucks 9c 9d
UTG+1 shows As 6s (two pair, Aces and Sixes)
UTG+1 wins $88.00
(Rake: $3.00)

As it turns out, a raise preflop or on the flop probably gets the weak ace out of there. It's hard to say though.

Hand #2

Villain is a 13/4/0.3 guy over 23 hands

Full Tilt Poker $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - http://www.thehandconverter.com/hands/296008
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $108.60
BTN: $52.15
Hero (SB): $158.40
BB: $59.40
UTG: $20.00
UTG+1: $20.00
UTG+2: $50.10
MP1: $100.00
MP2: $29.70

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is SB with Ks Kc
7 folds, Hero raises to $3, BB raises to $5, Hero raises to $15, BB raises to $59.40 all in, Hero calls $44.40

Flop: ($118.80) 5d 2d Qh

Turn: ($118.80) Ts

River: ($118.80) 4s

Final Pot: $118.80
Hero shows Ks Kc (a pair of Kings)
BB shows Th As (a pair of Tens)
Hero wins $115.80
(Rake: $3.00)

http://www.thehandconverter.com/hands/296007-296008

OK, maybe ABC poker is better.

You want another example of why at my limits ABC poker is better. Here is a bonus hand.

Villain is a 64/0/3.2 over 14 hands.

Full Tilt Poker $0.50/$1 Pot Limit Hold'em - 9 players - http://www.thehandconverter.com/hands/296011
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BB: $21.00
UTG: $101.50
Hero (UTG+1): $110.20
UTG+2: $25.45
MP1: $20.00
MP2: $95.50
CO: $82.20
BTN: $144.00
SB: $97.50

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is UTG+1 with Ac Jh
1 fold, Hero raises to $3.50, 3 folds, CO calls $3.50, 3 folds

Flop: ($8.50) As Ah 4s (2 players)
Hero bets $8, CO calls $8

Turn: ($24.50) 3h (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

Trying to induce a bet to check raise.

River: ($24.50) 2d (2 players)
Hero bets $18, CO raises to $36, Hero calls $18

Final Pot: $96.50
Hero mucks Ac Jh
CO shows 2h 2c (a full house, Twos full of Aces)
CO wins $93.50
(Rake: $3.00)


Have a nice day!!!