Hand of the day x*x: could i have done something different?

Question

this hand has a different tone, i'm asking you guys simply, if you think the line i took in the hand was good...i know it looks like a straight out cooler, but i can't help thinking that i could have managed not to double up my opponent

it's a home game $.25-.50 blinds, and i bought in for $300(i know it's a huge number for a game this size, but the style of the players and my style warrant such a large buy-in), and my primary opponent in the hand had around the same stack as me(he bought in for $300 also)...he has a style which is quite similar to mine in many respects, although he tends to be more passive than me pre-flop, and also tends to trap a little more...however, we play a very similar style

anyway, my opponent straddles the pot for $1, and the first two players both limp...i'm in the sb with 7-7 and raise to $5, and the bb, the straddler, and the first limper call...the flop is Q-Q-7 with two hearts, checked around

(to be continued...)

Answer 1

I don't think you could have done anything differently on the turn and river.  You might have saved a little by checking the river, but you run the risk of checking down to a set of Queens, and you'd be asking the same question but from a max profit standpoint.  

When you don't have the absolute nuts on the flop but think your hand is still #1, I would have bet at least 50-60% of the pot.  People try to get cute on hands like this, which makes it hard to get off a solid holding like yours; you should chase out someone with a hand like 9-9 while still giving the flush draws an incentive to stay in the hand.  The two Queens on the flop make that 777QQ of yours a dangerous hand to play deceptively.  The bet on the flop would probably represent a set of Queens, which gives the flush draws added incentive to stay in and added incentive to the 9-9 to get out.

Answer 2

not much you can do there. there's certain situations where you're going to lose, and lose big, and fh vs fh is one of them.

the only thing you could have done differently is bet at least the pot on the flop. however, again, this is such a strong hand, you want lots of bettors in there with you.

in the long run though, if you try to trap or slowplay with trips, you'll win way more than you'll lose.

side note:

I had this hand once:

My hand: 22. UTG bets big, next player bets bigger, I fold.

Flop comes down A J 2, 3 spades. I'm kicking myself since i hit trips, but then the two players all go all in. They flip over:

AA for trips

JJ for trips

Trip AA's held up to win the hand. my trips would have been third best.

Answer 3

i would probably play the same way you did

but i think the proper way of playing this hand was after the flop to bet a minimum bet to see if someone is going to check raise which cold mean that he has a Q

Answer 4

personally, i really think i could have checked the river, since the only hands he could call with on the turn are a big flush or a full house(and since i had bottom full it would be bigger than mine), and i think he was more likely to value bet the nut flush

thx for answering the question for me

You are not going to get value at all except from maybe two hands: K high or A high flush. Queens are folding.

"in the long run though, if you try to trap or slowplay with trips, you'll win way more than you'll lose."- da hal

You would win even MORE if you bet that ****. You have an aggressive image: exploit it.

That was another mistake, you didnt bet flop. When you bet the flop your range is small, but there is a chance you are bluffing, albeit a slight one. When you check flop, bet turn, bet river your range is even smaller and you are never bluffing.

Given the line you took, you never have anything worse than a queen and most often a fh or better.

Bottom line:

1. Your hand range was very weighted toward monsters and not towards bluffs and trips.

2. Your value bet was too thin. You will lose more than you win against a good player. A c/c is much more superior.

Ps: this is a big leak of mine. I get really greedy and value bet too thin. You have to ask yourself: is his hand range weighted toward better or worse???

PS 2: less songs of the day, more hand of the days. Below is a good site where you can find some great quizzes.

http://www.dailyhandquiz.com/

Answer 5

i think the big questions you need to ask yourself since you say you play alike is, was he likely to ust call a small bet with something like AQ to hit the set or did he just call with somethin like he did. i think you played it well but if you know he didnt play that Q with any other card you might have wanted to put out a good bet on that flop (A to test the watters and feel his posible set out or maybe he has an over pair he slow played eigher way a bet might have gotten you the set response.. of he folds because of the Qs you only get a small pot but atleast you get a pot. if he calls then your out when he hits his boat anyway and then your stuck because you ust cant gt away from it.

so to say you played it well i would agree but next time your in a situation with a player who you kinda know his playing think about a feeler bet or as i would think of it as a follow up bet

Answer 6

I see why you checked the flop with two hearts because you want them to get there.  It's something I rarely think about when I flop such a big hand.  Do you think the 9's will fold to a pot sized bet on the flop if you bet?

On the turn when you bet, were raised, and you re-raise, what did you put your opponent on (A,Q)?  If you put your opponent on a flush, then you could value bet for $100.