30 Dec 08 Hand Analysis: Using Your Image in High Risk Situations- Part I

I recently had someone e-mail me a question about a hand they were involved in; this hand really shows the importance of being aware of what your image is and what the other players on your table are doing. If you stay aware of the way that they play in hands you are not involved in, it can give you a lot of information about a hand you do tango with. The e-mail begins as follows:

I’m playing 5/10 NL Hold’em and the small blind is a professional player who is a regular at the casino I am playing at. He knows a lot of the players in the high limits, so it gives me the impression that he has been playing for a living for some time. He is tighter than most pros. I’ve seen him fold AQ suited, AQ off suit, and A10 suited in early position to a raise 2-2.5 times the BB. Middle Position is very loose. I’ve seen her raise 10 7 suited in early position and make similar loose plays.

In this hand middle position opens for $30, and I raise to $80 with 7s 7h. It folds around to the tight guy in the small blind and he makes it $180 to go. Middle position calls, I call. Flop is 5s 5c 2s. Small blind bets, middle position calls, what should I do?

The first clue on how to proceed with this hand is knowing that SB is a smart player who does not like to play hands out of position. This being the case, we can conclude that he has a big hand like a high pocket pair or AK which he is raising with in early position. The fact that he bets the flop lets us know he thinks he is ahead and/or he is trying to protect his hand from a flush draw. At this point, I would definitely put SB on an over pair. Since MP is known to play a big range of hands for a raise, and seems to like suited cards, it is important to make her pay for a flush draw, or to get information on what kind of hand she might be on.

pokerblog.com

Bookmark it: