BB is new to the table, no reads.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (8 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

saw flop|saw showdown

MP1 ($24.75)
MP2 ($14.65)
Hero ($27.30)
Button ($20.45)
SB ($34.40)
BB ($9.95)
UTG ($25)
UTG+1 ($47.60)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Q, K.
3 folds, MP2 calls $0.25, Hero raises to $1, 2 folds, BB calls $0.75, MP2 calls $0.75.

Flop: ($3.10) T, K, 9 (3 players)
BB bets $1, MP2 folds, Hero calls $1.

Turn: ($5.10) 9 (2 players)
BB bets $1, Hero raises to $2.5, BB calls $1.50.

River: ($10.10) 4 (2 players)
BB bets $2.25, Hero...


Comments on all streets appreciated, but what's the deal with that weak river lead after I raised the turn? Most of the reason for my raising the turn was to be able to check the river behind UI.

I was planning on folding to further action after I raised the turn but he bet so small. I guess this shouldn't suprise me since he seems to always bet small based on this hand alone. Pot odds too good here?

I have no idea what you were doing on the turn...you are pretty much committing him with that raise..river looks like you are behind, but I think you have to call. Turn play, you raised to block, not a -typical- play. Some may even say spewy.

Flop is what you should be looking at, you call making me think you were going to try to get to showdown cheaply, but then raised the turn???

If you are raising on the turn, you shold be raising to bluff and not for value, attack or just call for pot control.

TBH, I did raise the turn for pot control, mostly. I figured there was no way he could put any more $$ into that pot w/ less than a monster before showdown after I made the small raise on the turn. I was thinking that this was the cheaper route since I would imagine he'd bet more than $1.50 on the river if I just called. Looking back obviously this was not the case.

It wasn't for value or a bluff, though if I could get him to fold a hand with outs or call with a worse hand then obviously that's great. I thought making that small raise gets me to showdown cheaper on avg than calling. Maybe I was wrong, though his river donk still seemed very abnormal and I wasn't expecting at all.

the whole hand is awkward...it like watching two 80 year olds have intercourse.........right speedle???

I either raise the flop, or c/c the whole way down. I don't quite understand the turn raise. My standard is to raise the flop.

I don't see what's so hard to understand about the turn raise.

Granted, it didn't work out, but I was raising because I wanted to see showdown, thought he'd bet more than $1.50 on the river on average if I just called, figured he couldn't put more money into the pot unless I was crushed so I could make an easy fold. Also I had a gutshot, so by raising the turn he's usually going to go AI if I'm dead or get stacked everytime if he sees the river with any sort of made hand.

So, aside from the fact that it backfired (which is the only reason the hand got posted), is it that hard to see what I was at least attempting to accomplish by raising the turn? Or am I completely insane?

Eh, I guess I get what you're saying, but I kinda feel the time for that was on the flop, not the turn. You can raise the flop to say $2.50, (hopefully) check behind the turn, then call a reasonable river bet in a smaller pot.

First of all, it looks odd to villain. He would expect any strong K to reraise flop not turn. Second, you didn't even reraise to a pot sized bet so villain is never folding there. Third, what hands are you expecting to slow down on the river? A boat or straight are betting the river regardless. Any K is most likely checking the river regardless if you raised or not. The only hand I can see this working against is maybe a missed flush draw. He might be less likely to bluff the river.

Lets review:

You were in position and raised with KQo; this is good, and get called by the BB. Here you need to decide what range he is calling with. It is important to remember that you have POSITION AND INITIATIVE. These two things are more important than your cards.

On the flop, you get donk bet when you have TP2K, plus an inside str8 draw. The villian has just taken initiative away from you, but it was a very small probe bet. This is where you need to decide how you are going to play the hand. You can fold, call, raise. I like raise, if we think of the poker converstation. Villian bet is weak-blocking bet, or he could be trying to set you up for a raise (but most players would do a c/r, weak lead is not that common at these stakes). Make it $3 and see how much he likes his hand.

You called, which is not a bad play, since you can see if he action on the turn and control the bet size, but you have to remember that you just gave up the initiative in the hand, and you look weak in the villians eyes. On the turn, villian had a very, very weak bet, and you followed it up with a very weak raise. Once he calls, half of the effective stacks are put in-which means unless a really ugly card comes on the river, you have to call every bet by the villian.

You stated you wanted to get to showdown cheaply, which you can do since you have position and can just smooth call and control the potsize. Raising only builds the pot and commits the villian. River you have to call with TP.