Beginner Limit Hold'em Poker Forums

Villain is 36/32/0.8AF over around 20 hands

Wondering whether my line is decent here. Think pre and flop are standard. Turn I am least sure about as if I was to bet I think I would be calling down to protect against semibluffs, although he doesn't seem superagro so far and it might be better to value bet turn and check river. When I check though and he checks back I am pretty sure he doesn't have a pair or a draw. I don't think he will call with Q hi on river though so I bluffcatch vs I think 8x or worse than K hi. I think I have to check/call down when he bets turn in this spot as I think I pretty much have the top of my range with K hi.

Anyone agree or disagree with analysis/ think a different line is better than as played?

Poker Stars $1/$2 Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 1847099
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

Pre Flop: (1.5 SB) Hero is SB with 7 K
3 folds, Hero raises, BB calls

Flop: (4 SB) A 4 A (2 players)
Hero bets, BB calls

Turn: (3 BB) T (2 players)
Hero checks, BB checks

River: (3 BB) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets, Hero calls

Final Pot: 5 BB
BB shows 9 Q (a pair of Aces)
Hero shows 7 K (a pair of Aces - King kicker)
Hero wins 4.8 BB
(Rake: $0.40)

I am actually realising that these kind of turn spots, where I have showdown value on the edge of whether I can value bet or not, are some of those I find most difficult. In these kinds of situations what factors should influence whether I bet or check. As you can see below I gave a decent draw a free card but did induce a river bluff. I also would have bet/folded if semibluffed there which would have been a disaster.

Poker Stars $1/$2 Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 1847101
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

Pre Flop: (1.5 SB) Hero is BB with A Q
4 folds, SB raises, Hero 3-bets, SB calls

Flop: (6 SB) 2 7 K (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB calls

Turn: (4 BB) 5 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

River: (4 BB) 2 (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls

Final Pot: 6 BB
SB shows 8 9 (a pair of Deuces)
Hero shows A Q (a pair of Deuces - Ace kicker)
Hero wins 5.76 BB
(Rake: $0.48)

These are definitely not easy spots, and its important to get an idea of your opponent's bluff frequency. The pots are small, so your opponents have to bluff often to make calling down worthwhile (but some opps bluff at almost any opportunity). For example, BB's river bluff in hand 1 is pretty bad with his particular hand.

In hand 1, if the turn is the T, I think you should check/fold your hand if villain bets the turn. Of course, you could still bluff catch some of the time when you have K 7 or even K 7 in that spot.

In hand 2, I think checking back is something you should be doing at least some of the time in this spot. It is a board texture where I will be giving up with a lot of my Q highs and worse (will likely take two barrels to win the pot and villain might even look me up on the river with A 5 if I have an overaggro image or he is simply enamored with the call button), so I can balance that by checking back some hands I intend to show down on most river cards.

Agree that villains bet with Qhi in hand 1 seems pretty awful. Can't see folding ever there really given there are plenty of guys that just make these pointless bets if you seem to show them weakness and also really raise their bluff frequencies if you check twice to them. When he checks turn I can't see him having me beat really and it's 8x or nothing on the river probably.

Hand 2 is probably easier with a read. If villain is superpassive bet/fold seems better and then probably taking a free showdown. If he is agro then checking turn to call a river bluff seems best as then we don't get semibluffed off the best hand and get the extra bet when they bluff anyway

Hand 1, I don't really like the idea of Ch/Calling down or Bet/Calling Down, seems a little too optimistic with such a marginal hand. I would rather Ch/C with a hand like KQ/KJ/QJ on the turn. Given how villain played the hand, I think we can Ch/F this turn in the future against him. All options are really gross I guess, I think at game speed I either B/F or Ch/F.

Hand 2 seems fine. If villain is good he should be value betting a few worse ace Hi's I think, although at this limit I doubt very few could.