Posted by Junelli 1:58 PM
Let me know your thoughts about this hand:

In $1-$2 PL, I have $165 in front of me on the button (from a $200 buy-in). There are a lot of chips on the table, and 3 players have approx $600-$900. The game is very loose/aggressive and it is always at least $10 to see a flop, and it's regularly re-raised much higher.

I'm dealt AcJc on the button. A middle position and very aggressive player raises to $10. I smooth call the $10. The small blind (Mark Lester) reraises to $25. Mark is a solid player and generally won't make this move without a pretty good hand. I wouldn't call him passive (because he's not afraid to get his chips in the middle), but he usually won't reraise without a hand.

Anyway, the Big Blind (also hyper-aggressive) re-reraises making it $85 to go. The aggressive middle position player smooth calls the $85.

So it's $75 to me (with a chip stack of $150). It's clear that if I play this hand, it's going to be for all my chips. If all 4 of us smooth call the $85, the pot would be $340, and I couldn't scare/intimidate anyone with only $75 left.

I thought about folding for the obviously reasons: (1) I may be dominated, and (2) my cards may not be live.

However, I'm getting very good odds on my money. Right now, it costs me $75 to call a pot of $205 (2.7:1). Plus, if the small blind calls (remember he had reraised), I'm getting about 4:1 on my money.

However, I know that smooth calling is the wrong move here. It's either fold or move all-in for $165 straight. If I move in, I gain fold equity (as previously discussed), and might push 1-2 players out. If I get heads up, I have a much better chance of winning.

Also, $165 wasn't a big deal for me to call, and I was certainly willing to gamble. If I win the hand, I stand to collect between $415 - $660 (assuming at least one person stays in the hand). If they all fold I pick up a pretty good sized pot and profit $195 on the hand.

So I move all-in.

Mark Lester folds AKo in the small blind (how about that for fold equity??).

Both the Big Blind and Middle Position call. The main pot is $495.

Big Blind turns up 99 and Middle shows JJ. My ace is live, but it never comes. JJ takes down the pot.

Incidentally, a King did come giving Mark Lester the winning hand (had he stayed in). He would've won between $500-$800 on the hand. If Lester had moved over the top all-in, the BB (with 99) would've likely folded, and there's a decent chance that the JJ would've folded (fold equity gained).

If JJ calls, he is a coin-flip to win the hand. But he is getting very goods odds for the play (>3:1).

What do you think about my all-in move before the flop with AcJc? What do you think about Lester's fold of AKo? What do you think about the other calls (99 & JJ)?

5 Comment(s):

Posted by  Dr Fro, at 4:31 PM, June 17, 2005  

actually, the better question is:

Do you ever not play poker, Morris?

I think I heard a rumor once that Morris went to bed for a few hours, but I don't believe it.

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Posted by  Dr Fro, at 5:15 PM, June 17, 2005  

Junelli - I would have folded. I haven't made much money on AJ over the years. Unfortunately it is a dog to AK and AQ but favored over AT. People w A9 and lower will (should) fold with preflop raises. Regarding pairs, at BEST it is a coin toss. AA, KK, QQ and JJ are big trouble.

JJF - I would learn to spell "definately" before making a post that tries to make you look more "brilliant" than we are.

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Posted by  Dr Fro, at 5:19 PM, June 17, 2005  

One more thought -

Going all in from the button means that it is no longer relevant that you are on the button.

I have heard people say "well such and such hand is marginal, but I was on the button..." What good does position do you if you have no more chips? Are you going make a position play like a mean stare on the turn??

Not relevant to this, because you never mentioned it, but it got me thinking about a drunk guy from last night...

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Posted by  Junelli, at 5:34 PM, June 17, 2005  

Yeah, you're right. I should've folded. However, I saw stars in my eyes when I thought about quadrupling up.

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Posted by  Anonymous, at 2:35 PM, June 19, 2005  

Fold equity doesn't mean getting one player to fold. It means getting all to fold and picking up the pot uncontested. Junell had ZERO fold equity.

When a pot is raised, reraised and reraised again and I only have $10 in and ZERO fold equity, I am folding everything except AA, KK and maybe QQ/AK suited depending on how legit the raisers are.

AJ is dogmeat in this situation.

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