I often worry when I'm multi-tabling and all of a sudden there's a rush of hands that I want to stop and take a minute to think about whether I played them right. You can be folding away for ages then suddenly three big hands come along at once, just like these. Long entry, bear with me.
Hand 1:
PokerRoom 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)
Hand History Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)
Preflop: Hero is MP3 with Jh, Js.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls,
2 folds, MP2 calls,
Hero raises,
3 folds, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls.
Flop: (8.50 SB) 3h, 6s, 5c
(4 players)
BB bets, UTG+1 calls,
MP2 raises,
Hero 3-bets, BB folds, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls.
Turn: (9.25 BB) Qh
(3 players)
UTG+1 checks, MP2 checks,
Hero bets, UTG+1 calls, MP2 folds.
River: (11.25 BB) 2h
(2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.
Results:
UTG+1 has 8d 9d (high card, queen).
Hero has Jh Js (one pair, jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins 11.25 BB.
So should I put in one more bet on the river here? Clearly it's not going to get called by the busted gutshot draw but should I be betting here for value? The 2h completes just about every sensible draw going and UTG+1 has not shown any aggression at any point, he's just calling along looking like he needs another card to be happy. Plus, I still only have one pair, smaller than the highest card on board. It's hard to figure a Q is out there, but you never know. I didn't see any value betting here, but I could only think about it for a split second whilst other tables were flashing at me. I still think I like the check.
Hand 2:
PokerRoom 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)
Hand History Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)
Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 4h, Ah. CO posts a blind of $2.
1 fold, Hero calls, UTG+2 calls,
1 fold, MP2 calls,
1 fold, CO (poster) checks,
1 fold, SB completes, BB checks.
Flop: (6 SB) 2h, 8h, Ts
(6 players)
SB checks,
BB bets, Hero calls, UTG+2 calls, MP2 calls, CO folds, SB calls.
Turn: (5.50 BB) 9d
(5 players)
SB checks,
BB bets, Hero calls, UTG+2 calls,
MP2 raises,
SB 3-bets, BB folds, Hero calls, UTG+2 folds,
MP2 caps, SB calls, Hero calls.
River: (19.50 BB) 6s
(3 players)
SB bets, Hero folds,
MP2 raises,
SB 3-bets,
MP2 caps, SB calls.
Results:
SB has Jh Qc (straight, queen high).
MP2 has Js Qs (straight, queen high).
Outcome: MP2 wins 13.75 BB. SB wins 13.75 BB.
All is good until the turn. I decide to call the flop rather than raise with 5 players in, hoping to make my draw and then get paid off by at least one player. My first turn call gives me 6.5-1 on a 4.5-1 flush draw. In all honesty I couldn't think fast enough to work out whether the second call was good, so I hoped it would be profitable with implied odds, if not immediately. I was calling 2 big bets to win 13.5 - plenty for my draw still. If it's capped behind me (which it was, and which I should expect to happen quite often in this spot) it becomes 3BB to win 17.5. OK that still sounds good. All in all on the turn I paid 4 BBs for a shot at a 19.5 BB pot, which was just enough to make the flush draw profitable. The call was OK, I just didn't know it at the time!
Hand 3:
PokerRoom 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)
Hand History Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)
Preflop: Hero is BB with Jh, 3d.
8 folds, SB completes, Hero checks.
Flop: (2 SB) 2c, Qs, Js
(2 players)
SB bets,
BB raises, SB calls.
Turn: (3 BB) 9d
(2 players)
SB checks,
BB bets, SB calls.
River: (5 BB) 2d
(2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.
Results:
SB has Qc Ts (two pair, queens and twos).
Hero has Jh 3d (two pair, jacks and twos).
Outcome: SB wins 5 BB.
I don't really know what to make of this because my blind play sucks. Right now I think I played it OK, it's just one of those horrible SB vs BB situations where it looks like you probably got lucky but didn't. I could check the turn but the signs are that I'm probably good so betting is best. Then after he calls the flop raise and turn bet, I figure a river bet will only be called by a hand that beats me, and I probably can't get a better hand to fold. If only they let you chop the blinds...
