Hi everyone. I'm new here, and hope to use this as a source for useful tips. Ran across a situation today that seemed interesting, and was looking for constructive feedback.

Picked up AKo UTG, and raised. Got a reraise from MP, another MP caller, and a call from BB. I capped it, and all four of us saw a flop of KJx rainbow. BB checked, I bet, and everyone called. Turn was a J and BB checked again. What is your plan from here, and why? All thoughtful replies appreciated. Thanks.

The turn is a no-brainer bet since you have no reason to believe your hand's not good and you have multiple opponents. (Does that count as a "thoughtful reply?")

Three other players are involved in a capped pot. There's a good chance that some or all are playing high cards. Isn't one of them likely to have a Jack? What is your plan if you are raised?

Welcome.

It's helpful to give pot sizes on each street.

It's helpful to give reads.

It's helpful to know if it's online or live.

I'd bet the turn. Any sort of read would be helpful, because usually in a live 2/4 game, the range of hands that 3-bet are really small. The range of hands that call 3 are not necessarily small though, but are against some players.

Sure, they can have a jack, but it's not "likely" because two being on the board makes it less likely they have one. Thinking that it's "likely" is just mubsy. Here's a list of hands that don't have a jack that can play like this: AQ, AT, QT, T9, KQ, QQ, TT, KT. If they're looser, there are more. Bet the turn.

I dunno; you've not provided any reads. Are you gonna c/c if you think one has a jack? Perhaps b/f or c/f? You have tptk in a multi-way pot. Bet your hand.

My "plan" would depend where the raise came from and if it was called before the action got to me.

What's your plan?

Pardon my oversight in not extending a warm welcome to our forum. Good first thread, too.

Welcome to the forums!

Preflop and flop are fine, obviously.

I would also bet this turn, even though it looks scary. But I would be able to give better advice if we had some reads. For example, what do you think the MP 3 better is reraising you with preflop? AJ? KJ? Probably not; like mtndrew said, the range people make it 3 bets with preflop is quite small. You can eliminate most hands with a J from his range as a result. JJ would be unfortunate and a lot of live players will slowplay their sets, but there is only one combination of JJ available to him at this point.

If I bet the turn and got raised, I would call one more bet and check the river unimproved, and fold if it came back to me three bet.

Whether this is online or live is also really important, too.

Thanks for all the helpful replies. This was an online game, though I'm very interested to know why people think this matters so much. I had no reads of any significance (I rarely do, since I don't play against the same people on a regular basis). I did bet the turn, as recommended, and after the two MP players folded I got check-raised by the BB. I felt that I was probably beaten, but also thought that I had to call this and the river bet due to the size of the pot. Agreed?

It matters greatly since ol games are live games on steroids and you must play very aggressively if you're going to survive and prosper.

Agreed.

If you called the turn c/r, you need to call non-threatening rivers.

nh

1. Welcome!

2. Online plays very differently from live, 2/4 online plays a lot more like 20/40 live.

OP, what is your experience to date playing limit hold 'em?

Sporadic recreational play on and off for the last 2-3 years. Virtually all online. Never taken it seriously until now, but trying to develop a better understanding.

With the greatest of respect, 2/4 ol is not a beginners game.

This is correct. Have you read any books?

I don't want to come off as trying to belittle your skill or knowledge. Just trying to figure out what you've read so we can get a better idea of how to help.

Don't worry, no offense taken. I'm here for help. I don't think of myself as a "beginner", but everything is relative I have 4 LHE books in my library:

Winning Low Limit Hold'em (Jones)
Hold'em Excellence (Krieger)
Small Stakes Hold'em (Miller, et al)
Internet Texas Hold'em (Hilger)

I'm generally a pretty studious (and mathematical) type and pick up on most concepts pretty quickly once they are explained. I've read each of these books at least once, and go back to SSHE occasionally as a reference, since this seems to be the most thorough of the four.

Does that help?

It does help; knowing you've read and re-read SSLHE by Miller gives a good baseline of knowledge. However, there are certain parts of the book that are perhaps not as applicable to the current state of the game. Stick around, post more hands, and comment on the hands of others to get up to speed.

While being a beginner is "relative," you've played sporadically in the last few years. 2/4 ol is not an easy game, and is considered the equivalent of 20/40 live. Quite a few of us that play more often than sporadically are not sitting in 2/4 ol games. Personally, if you want to get really serious, I would get Pokertracker 3 or something similar, and start grinding at micro-stakes, say .10/.20 or .25/.50. Once you start crushing those over a decent sample size, move up.

I start by betting the turn cuz pot is hugenormous and letting anyone draw for free would be disastrous.

If anyone raises I go into call down mode because I have top pair in a half million dollar pot.

If it somehow comes two bets back to me I think I can make a hero fold unless I have reads that tell me I'm playing with crazies.

ETA: Just noticed this was on-line. I've played 0 hands on-line, so ignore my thoughts.

GcluelessnoobG

+1

very, very true.