Unavoidable and how to improve

[jjh]

Since leaving Betfair, I've started to build a bankroll on pokerstars.

Started with $40 at 0.05/0.10 4 days ago and am upto $146 so going well, will be playing 0.10/0.25 once I get up to $200.

This hand here, I am very dissapointed really but thought I'd post it because he played it tricky for a start and trapped me, but was I getting away from it anyway?

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Bircen [Qd Qs]
blackmoon888: calls $0.10
DaFace46: folds
artemis376 has timed out
artemis376: folds
artemis376 is sitting out
incubus1583: folds
Rienk333: raises $0.30 to $0.40
Bircen: raises $0.50 to $0.90
artemis376 has returned
chambeee: folds
Wintchell: folds
blackmoon888: folds
Rienk333: calls $0.50
*** FLOP *** [Tc Td 9s]
Rienk333: checks
Bircen: bets $1.20
Rienk333: raises $1.80 to $3
Bircen: raises $1.80 to $4.80
Rienk333: calls $1.80
*** TURN *** [Tc Td 9s] [2d]
Rienk333: checks
Bircen: bets $7.20
Rienk333: raises $6.80 to $14 and is all-in
Bircen: calls $0.15 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [Tc Td 9s 2d] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Rienk333: shows [Ac As] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
Bircen: shows [Qd Qs] (two pair, Queens and Tens)
Rienk333 collected $25.10 from pot

His range here meant a 10 in his hand was impossible because he was very tight (unless 10 10)

My pre flop re raise was weak and I'd normally raise it upto about 12BB or more here but it got it heads up which is usually the aim with QQ...

So was this bad play post flop, my thinking was he had JJ (extremely unlucky with 10 10 10 10) or AK. He'd raised pre flop to 4BB, then flat called my re raise so a hand like AK seemed to be the one.

Looking over the hand he played it very well.

He check raised the flop, alarm bells there but people play AK this way. He's trying to represent something by the re raise.

I made the decision to re raise it again and fold to a push but he only called my raise back at him. So at this point I've got him on JJ or AK so I decided to push (my stack was less than the pot and if he had JJ he'd be calling)...

Thoughts appreciated on this hand please

[PokerWoody]

I can't quite see what position you are both in, is this a full ring table?

[jjh]

I can't quite see what position you are both in, is this a full ring table?

Yes sorry, It was a full ring table, I was in the dealer button and he was just before me...

The way he slow played it I just can't see how I can fold to him. His check raise on the flop should have been a give away I guess, but, do you fold QQ there??

He is regarded by my poker tracker stats as simply TA (eagle)...

[jjh]

At those stakes you can't really get away from that. If I were you, I would raise preflop much more aggressivily since you can get away with it at 5c/10c.

Make your standard raise PF x5 and your standard re-raise like x4

Yes pre flop needed to be more aggressive but I guess the result was the same.

Would you get away from it at higher stakes, and more importantly, why? The thought process should really be the same as he is a solid TA player regardless of the stakes he plays at.

[PokerWoody]

A ten really should be in his range here. After that flop action I probably wouldn't want to stack off on that board, you only beat JJ and lose to everything else. I mean he check raises you then calls a 3 bet, that's pretty damn strong.

Your flop action is mental though, what the min 3 bet for? Are you trying to induce a push or something?

[jjh]

A ten really should be in his range here. After that flop action I probably wouldn't want to stack off on that board, you only beat JJ and lose to everything else. I mean he check raises you then calls a 3 bet, that's pretty damn strong.

Your flop action is mental though, what the min 3 bet for? Are you trying to induce a push or something?

I'd made a mistake pre flop as was going to raise more...

TA eagle, a 10 was not in his range anyday IMO...

The check raise should have rang the alarm bells but the question is, what to with to his check raise?? Given the fact he flat called my min raise pre flop...should I have folded QQ on the flop?

[jjh]

My 3 min bet was intended to see where I was.

If he had raised again or pushed, then I'd have known my QQ was toast...

But he only called, after being capable of re raising there with AK I decided to push on the turn hoping for JJ or AK...

[PokerWoody]

I'd made a mistake pre flop as was going to raise more...

TA eagle, a 10 was not in his range anyday IMO...

The check raise should have rang the alarm bells but the question is, what to with to his check raise?? Given the fact he flat called my min raise pre flop...should I have folded QQ on the flop?

He is opening from the CO, plenty of Tens should be in his range. What were his stats to make him a TA eagle? In fact, go to poker tracker view his stats and see what his PFR% is from the CO (in the posistion tab).

No, you shouldn't fold. Once you 3 bet the flop you will be getting 2.6-1 if he pushes and even a TAG at this level has the capacity to do very strange things, so I really wouldn't want to fold, I just wouldn't expect to be ahead much either.

[S6TAV]

IMO at these levels people will play anything even if you have lebelled them tag. Fairplay the guy had AA but I wouldn't have ruled out A,10 or even 9,10s or 10,Js

Im trying to get my head round it. You bet (to see where you was at) he raises it up. To be fair again it was only a small raise but if you wanted to see where you was at maybe that told you. You could like you did re-raise but when he calls alarm bells should be ringing. I would have probably just called his initial raise at this point to see his move on the turn which we know now would have been a check giving you a free look at the river.
He may have even checked it all the way trying to induce a shove from you. Fortunately for him he got it on the turn

I think you have to look at it from his perspective he knows after you re-raised the flop he is going to get more action out of you on turn/river. Calling your re-raise and then checking the turn was quite clever.

On another note though he didn't seem to have any regard that you may have been holding a 10

[Aidan77]

check behind him on the turn!!!!! then just call the river...