Help with a hand analysis from more experienced players?

Question

Still fairly new to the cash game scene, lost a semi big hand today and was wondering if people could critique things I could have done differently.

9-max table 1/2 NL:

Hero (~70 BB in LJ): AsQc

Villain (~300+ BB in CO):Ad4d - relatively new to table, couldn't really tell his style of play yet

Preflop: 3 limps to hero, hero raises to $10, villain calls, two limpers call (BB & UTG).

Four way to flop (pot size $46) comes 3dJd9h. There's the diamond draw, but otherwise a relatively safe flop for two overcards. I decide to cbet to try to force some players out:

Action checks to Hero, Hero bets $25, Villain calls, (pot size $96)

Turn comes Ac. I thought this was a great card for me - I'm now ahead of all combos of flush draws that would have called the flop, along with several overcard combos. I'm behind AJ, AK or sets but I figured the sets were unlikely since villain probably would have raised the flop, particularly with two behind to act. I'm putting villain on a flush draw at this point, so I decide to charge.the draw - Hero bets $50, villain thinks for a second then calls (pot size $196).

In hindsight since I only had about $90 behind at this point I should have jammed? But based on later hands it seemed like villain was relatively loose with chasing flushes and straights.

River comes a 4c, hero checks, villain jams, and hero calls. I was more or less pot committed at this point, and folding with the flush draw missing seemed weak to me. I probably should have led with the jam, but I think the end result would have been the same since he hit his two pair.

I don't know. In hindsight , I think I probably should not have inflated the pot on the turn or jammed, but I dont think jamming would have pushed villain off the hand. Any critiques appreciated - thanks!

Answer 1

Preflop:

Your $10 raise pre-flop seems a bit small. I'd make it around $16. On the otherhand, AQo on a 9 handed deepstacked table is not even that great. What do you do against a 3-bet? You could have also limped along. Raising a bit more polarized is probably better in this spot, with for example AK and some lower suited aces. This way it is more obvious what you should do against 3-bets.

Flop:

On this flop, four ways, I would strongly advice against c-betting with your hand. I think your particular holding must be one of your worst combinations to c-bet, since you don't have a flush draw, straight draw or even a backdoor flush draw. Your bet is unlikely to get through all 3 players. If you get raised you have to fold. Other than an off-suit ace or queen, which are only 4 cards, no turn card is really good for you. And even if you hit one of those cards you, especially when hitting the queen, cannot be so sure you are ahead. You should check and give up on this hand.

Turn:

You hit the perfect card. Keep in mind, this happens 4.5% of the time. At this point I think you should keep firing. I agree with you, you are likely ahead at this point. However $50 is too small. You are giving your opponent 3:1, which means that he only need 25% equity to continue. Given that you also have $40 behind he is also getting some implied odds. You are giving him the right price with any good draw. Since you have less than pot behind, shoving here is not crazy. If you had made it $30 on the flop, shoving here would be more comfortable. It is important to plan ahead.

River:

With so much in the pot and so little behind it is getting a bit silly. I do think you should be good here most of the time. Villain can have missed flush draws, missed staight draws, a weaker ace, or maybe a hand like KQ. I guess you should bet and get the last $40 from your opponent. I don't think he is folding any decent holding and I doubt he is bluffing with his missed draws, since you are unlikely to fold.

Answer 2

Pre:

AQo is not a premium hand. 5 bb behind 3 limps is not that big of a raise. A limper is getting over 2:1 to call and after the first call they are getting an even better odds. You need to bet more to put real pressure them and AQo not a premium hand. Might be a better spot to just limp. If you do hit your ace not as likely for them to put you on an ace.

Flop:

That is not a great flop for you. That could have hit a lot of limp call. There is flush and straight draw you don't have a piece of. KJ, AJ, QJ, QT, JTs, or 9Ts could limp call pre. Ad or Qd are bad cards for you. Any queen could be bad for you. You only have 2 aces to improve. I know you don't want to give up on the hand here but you are not likely to have the best hand at show down. Bet 1/2 the pot is enough to take a way immediate pot odds for a flush draw but not if they also have a straight draw. Even a flush draw would call with implied odds. I think you need more equity like AJ, KJ, QJ, or QT to put more money in the pot here. With AQo have the Ad.

If you had just called pre you can more rep hitting that flop and you can bet 2/3 the pot with a smaller bet.

Turn

You hit a two outer. Yes you should have jammed here. But villain had a hand to call with.

River

In that spot you have enough invested you are pot committed. If you had played it slower you might have gotten away. It is not likely the 4 helped the villain so you could call a pot sized bet on a smaller pot.

General

Not bad play. That 4 was a cooler. Knowing the outcome it is easy to say you could have played it slower.

Answer 3

Preflop:

Definetely raise for value and isolation. Something between $12 and $16, depending on table dynamics. The average "rule" when in position would be 3BBs + 1BB x number_of_limpers. Still, $10 looks fine, since you are not playing super-deep and an argument can be made for keeping the pot low and put pressure in later streets.

Flop:

I personally like the c-bet in this spot (turning your hand into a bluff), against 3 players your hand looks super strong, and you might easily get folds from hands like 9-8, T-9, 7-7, gutshots, etc. Also, you have 2 overcards and runner-runner straight draws to continue pressure, in case someone calls with a flush-draw or a jack. Again that's a decision depending on your playing style and the OPs, but on average I would consider it a +EV for micro-mid stakes.

Turn:

Now thats a tricky spot. You hit your ace, but you already have one caller. You need to evaluate the range of hands the OP has called you with. Flush-draws, open-ended draws and J-x type of hands are viable, also overpairs like slow-played Q-Q and potentially something like A-9 or a slow-played monster like a set (smaller chance). You are way ahead of the OP range, so you can easily bet for value again (which would actually be a shove-pot-size-bet). However, looking deeper into dynamics, you need to understand that betting here, after you are the initial aggressor, c-betted against 3 and jammed on the turn looks super-super strong. If you get called, you are probably against a monster-draw (straight-flush draws), a slow-played monster or something like two-low-pairs, which all have you either crushed or they have many outs against you. By checking here, on the other hand, you can safely go to the river with a good showdown value and also induce some bluffs. For that reason, I would prefer checking for pot control and call almost any river (even make a small value bet if checked) OR in some cases shove to get value-calls from callie-opponents.

River:

The way the hand went, you are pot-commited against any river. Folding here is -EV, unless you have a really really good read.

Overall:

Your play was not -EV overall, you gained value in every street and the river call was a committement-call. In the end, it always comes round to the type of players you are up against and how well you can evaluate them (there is not a definite right or wrong move). You just got unlucky in the end and lost the hand. Though, you got info that your OP is more or less a callie and you can exploit that if you play again together.