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$1-2NLHE, 6-Max: Just call? Or ship the river?

August 23 2011 ,
by Matthew J-B

$1-2 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Max Cash
$208 Pot
Villain: from Canada

Hand Replayer (via twoplustwo.com)
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In this hand I call an UTG raise to $6 from the villain holding 44 from UTG+1. I’m IP and hoping to set-mine. The villain is a winning regular at $1-2 6-Max on PokerStars. Everyone else folds and the board comes down (J 4 A) and I flop a set. The villain C-bets $10 and I elect to just call. I just call for a number of reasons… 1. To slowplay, a raise here puts too much pressure on AK or AQ and I want to appear to have the AQ vs his AK or a weaker Ace or a Jack at this stage… 2. Follow on from point one is that the value hands that continue (happily) facing a raise here are of course AA or JJ and AJ. He raised UTG so I have to have that in mind… 3. If he is mixing it up I feel like he will try to represent a strong hand here if I show weakness and possibly try to get me to fold AQ on the later streets. I want him to try to do that. So the turn comes a King also putting two hearts on board and he fires $26 into $35. Now, I could raise here again but I figured he would think a set would raise at this point. I’m gaining money from AK or AJ and losing money to AA, KK, JJ or QT, and losing him triple-barrelling his bluffs. He could also have picked up a heart draw with his bluffs which would be a good reason to raise but with a call he has charged himself for the draw and I get to see if the river is safe, so I call. The river is the 2h. He bets $62 into $87, I have $160 in my stack so can ship a $98 raise. I’m not folding, but I consider calling or raising. I figure the bluff heart draws got there, I’m not sure if he calls a ship with AJ so if I raise I am hoping for one hand: AK. I end up electing to just call, he shows AK and I win the pot. The table then laughs at me saying things like “you can never be too careful!” which made me wonder if I’m thinking through this wrong. Clearly the villain indicated that he thinks he saved $98 on that hand. I felt at the time that perhaps he was just frustrated that he got a call and lost. I’m still happy with my call having just written this post, but would appreciate some thoughts??

One Response leave one
  1. 1debo1 permalink
    August 24, 2011

    I think once you decide to only call the turn I think you can only call the river when that last heart hits. If he’s a winning regular he’s not calling your river shove with AK everytime anyway so the call was right as generally the only hands calling your shove beat your set. I think your right about your flop play aswell. Flatting looks like a float or a smaller ace so your getting vlaue from his TPTK or double barrel bluffs if he thinks your just floating.

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