10NL: If he had 3-bet pre-flop, I would have folded

[frob23]

Merge Network $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 5 Players

Hero (BTN): $10.48
SB: $4.14
BB: $7.84
UTG: $14.66
CO: $6.22

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BTN with 5 5
UTG calls $0.10, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.50, 1 fold, BB calls $0.40, 1 fold.

With the stack sizes, if the BB 3-bets pretty much anything -- except a min-three-bet -- I have to fold. I don't have the odds to continue with just a small pair. I don't really care if he calls. If we both miss, I'm in a position to pick it up on the flop.

Flop: ($1.15) T 5 2 (2 players)
BB bets $1.15, Hero calls $1.15

Turn: ($3.45) T 5 2 2 (2 players)
BB bets $6.19 (all-in), Hero calls $6.19

Can you say fist-pump and insta-call?

River: ($15.83) T 5 2 2 4 (2 players)

BB shows: Q Q (Queens and Twos)
Hero shows: 5 5 (Fives Full of Twos)

Hero wins $15.04 (Rake: $0.79)

I know this hand is pretty standard (except for how badly the BB midplayed his hand). But I was happy with it. As an aside, I don't know what he thinks the over-bet on the turn is going to accomplish. What possible draws could he bet me off? 3-4? Would I really have an open-ended straight there. If I have A-T, K-T, or some other weird T-x hand... wouldn't he want me to stick around and bet closer to the amount of the pot?

I can't think of a single "worse" hand that ever calls that over-bet shove. But I can certainly think of many that call it (trips and better).

[Wyte22]

The shove was the worst play he made, but it still contained some logic.

He probably didn't 3bet because:
A). He was afraid of AA,KK,AK (ppl at this lvl are borderline paranoid)
B). He was Thinking a 3bet would scare off alot of hands like Ax, KQs-K9s, KJo-KTo, smaller pairs (JJ-22). Hands that he either has a decent or very nice adv over. Again, can't say for certain if this is the reason.
C). He didn't wanna be married to the hand by throwing in a 3bet, potentially having to call a 4th bet PF only to see A and/or K flop with no Q and him having to decide whether or not to follow thru (most of the time, he can't wait to click fold). the 4th bet would put enough of his stack in, that he may not like playing the hand, again don't know his player type or any HUD numbers on him.

Take your pick, 2 are viable reasons not to 3 bet, the first one is kinda meh, he is playing to scared and needs to move down levels if he can't get it in with queens PF against most opps (again player dependent).



The Flop bet is probably the best part IMO, the board is very ragged, and he makes a pot size bet into you, and it will keep in hands like AT-JT, 34o, 34s, maybe even ppl with 5 and a good kicker (depends on their looseness on calling). You made the better play by flatting with middle set (awesome play). If you had raised him, he could have had the opp to get away from the hand but at this level, I don't see that happening though.

The turn, he is scared. The overbet is terrible because the only things that call: TT, 55, 22, any 2 combo is the stuff that has him drawing to 2 outs (expect the 22, which he is drawing dead to).

I agree completely with you frob, he isn't even making it close to a bad call for hands like AT-JT, 34. But if he makes a pot size bet again on the turn, after you called his flop bet, this committs over half his remaining stack to the pot and if you shove, he is only beat by a handful of things and will call (unless he believes you had a 2).

Either way, he was getting stacked this hand, there was no avoiding it for him.

All in all, well played and disguised hand, you are getting good at short handed now I am really scared!

[frob23]

I'm not good at short-handed yet. But I'm getting better.

I don't really have him on a good range here on the flop. Since he didn't 3-bet pre-flop, I don't think he's just betting with two overs. So I think he's got at least a pair. It might be something like J-Ts though. Or even 8-8 or 9-9. There are essentially zero draws on this board so I know he's not betting a draw. Given that... I pretty much have to flat this flop and represent missed overs. If I raise, I don't think he has a hand strong enough to call. It actually turns out, he might be able to call with Q-Q here but I still like the call. I'm not worried about any turns (he's drawing to two outs here if he's behind and if I get unlucky, that's just poker)... so I am calling in the hopes that he leads again on the turn and then I can raise all-in. As you said, when he bets the turn, he's pretty much committed to my shove.

It's not hard to play a hand when you have the 3rd nuts though.

You know what would have been super-sick? If he had turned over 2-2. For the set-over-set 1-outer. If poker really was rigged... that is what should have happened. LOL