Internet Post-flop Play

Two examples from an hour’s session today, same table and people.

UTG I look down to see KK and quickly raise. One person in middle position calls. The flop shows 269 all red. I bet and the other guy calls. The turn is a 7. I bet and the other guy calls. Now I smell something fishy. When the Q hits on the river I merely check. The other guy checks and shows 27 offsuit!

Well, first he was an idiot to call a raise from the UTG player with no callers and merely 72 offsuit. He was also an idiot to hit bottom pair-bad kicker to a guy continuing to raise in a two-way pot. However, when he hits his magical two pair he just checks down! He hits his five-outer and he should have bet to make me pay off. Instead he gets a rather small pot when he cracks my kings. I’m not happy I lost, but I’m utterly thankful he didn’t relieve me of more chips!

Second instance: I’m in BB to see Kc6c. A middle position player raise. There are two callers and I call. Board is JK4 rainbow. I check, original raiser bets. The others fold and I call. I expect the guy either has an Ace, Maybe a King, but more likely a smaller pair. Turn is a 2, check, bet, call. I think I might be best here, but I want to keep the pot small. River is a 9. Check, bet and I call. The happy raiser shows Ad4d for bottom pair and I take a small pot.

Again, post-flop play killed the guy. I don’t mind the suited Ace raise since he was first in. I don’t even mind him leading out after the flop. But once he was called he should have slowed down. I see this play over and over again. People semi bluff with bottom pair, hoping to fill to trips or two-pair. In a big pot, the pot odds might make it worthwhile. But once you hit the turn, you are getting terrible odds and are best checking or mucking. It comes from so many people bluffing on the Internet. But you have to ask yourself… what am I playing against?

In this case, the only hand he could beat was a busted straight draw, a four with a worse kicker, or a pair of deuces or treys. Anything else he loses. If someone has a K or J he’s toast.

Meanwhile, I lose to any K with a higher kicker, AA, trips or two pair. If he has, say AJ/ AT/QQ/QJ/ or any other hand I’m good. I want to keep the pot as small as I can, because it is a weak hand, but with the raise and callers pre-flop, and me with top pair, AND post-flop I’m heads up, it IS worthwhile for me to stay to the end. I may be the leader, but I’m not thrilled with my kicker. But if another K hits or a 6 then I’ll feel better.

I see so many people burn off chips when they have a single pair, and try to drive everybody out. How many times have you seen someone with QQ, for example, bet crazy to the river when there is AK on the flop, only to lose to KT? If you have second or worse pair, and no one goes away on the flop, muck or slow down.

Or keep going fast, and send your chips this way.