This is from my second weekend back after not playing for about 7 years.. very rusty.. prior to that I played 5 times a week for 3 years and a weekend warrior before that.
```````````````````````````````
Your average fairly loose small stakes table, 2 players I would say are decent.
Decent player limps UTG, I raise in MP with QQ, HJ/CO/Button all call, as does BB and UTG.
A-K-3
UTG checks, I check, checked around.
Turn is 9
UTG bets, I fold..
not sure if relevant - 2 callers who fold on the river..
I like the hand as played. Limper's and coldcaller's ranges are full of Ax and Kx hands. I wouldn't be surprised to see a stove that showed us with <10% equity here.
Nice hand. Your play seems pretty standard here. In fact, I'm wondering why you posted it. I'm guessing you posted it because people at your table laughed that you raised preflop and then checked the flop, then folded. That's OK - you raised when you were ahead, and you checked and folded when you were behind (without putting in any more money after you were behind, without having the odds to continue the hand as a draw, and without any chance of a bluff working). That's winning poker.
Nice hand. Your play seems pretty standard here. In fact, I'm wondering why you posted it. I'm guessing you posted it because people at your table laughed that you raised preflop and then checked the flop, then folded. That's OK - you raised when you were ahead, and you checked and folded when you were behind (without putting in any more money after you were behind, without having the odds to continue the hand as a draw, and without any chance of a bluff working). That's winning poker.
Being out of action for so long, I felt that some of my plays in the session were questionable, including this one. But thanks for confirming otherwise.
I agree to many people in the pot to even try to bluff at it.
problem is would a weak Ace check the flop or a K check the flop to pot control ? I do believe some would. so I wouldn't just think my Ladies was good on the check around.
I would say the flop was terrible and I would find a fold on the turn when the guy beat into you
Agreed. Betting is defensible if it means actually realizing our equity in a big pot (as we've an 8.4% chance of making a set or better with a Q hitting by the river), but we'll be check folding too many turns for that play to be profitable.
Is it OK to bluff with the best hand when you'll never realize your equity as the best hand? Do you have a path where you bet the flop, folding out stuff that's worse, you sometimes suck out on the turn, and then you give up every time your "bluff" fails and you fail to improve.
It might be a stretch, because their distributions are so A and K heavy that your "bluff" just isn't profitable.
I think we actually get to win sometimes when they all have 87 and the like and the whole hand checks down. Then fastroll after the river checks through of course.
Is it OK to bluff with the best hand when you'll never realize your equity as the best hand? Do you have a path where you bet the flop, folding out stuff that's worse, you sometimes suck out on the turn, and then you give up every time your "bluff" fails and you fail to improve.
It might be a stretch, because their distributions are so A and K heavy that your "bluff" just isn't profitable.
Not in this hand but I can think of times when it makes sense. (Imagine someone has KQ with a BDFD and you have TT on an A72 flop in a capped pot. You have the best hand but KQ is making an FTOP mistake by folding.)
If you are giving up, it's better to bet the flop then check back. This will most likely buy you a free card.
If you are giving up, it's probably wise not to put more money in the pot, especially with five opponents (three of them yet to act on the flop) and zero chance for them to all fold. Also, if you bet flop, planning to check back the turn, you might be inclined to call a river bet, especially if you find yourself heads up.
