I Love it When I Learn From Mistakes

It's always sweet when you make a dumb play once, remember it, and then make a better play in the same spot later on. It certainly isn't always the case. How many times do I have to pay off sets with overpairs before I figure it out? Probably still several more. Anyway, here's the first hand, from a couple of weeks ago:

Seat 7: MP1 ($279.50)
Seat 8: HERO (MP2) ($200)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HERO [Qs Ac]
MP1 raises to $7
HERO raises to $24
MP1 calls $17

*** FLOP *** [Js 8h Kh]
MP1 checks
HERO bets $40
MP1 raises to $255.50

I don't mind the 3-bet pre-flop that much. Calling would be OK too. But really when you 3-bet AQo and you get this flop...I think you gotta check behind. A bet will fold out TT and 99, but this player, whom I have at 33/9 over 500 hands, might not have raised 99 preflop. I think he would be limping 77 and under as well. And this flop does hit hard many of the hands that he would be raise-calling preflop with, in particular JJ and AK. Slowplayed AA or KK is always a possibility too. AhQh isn't going anywhere. Also, I'm rarely going to be getting a call in this situation. It's pretty much  always fold or shove. So by betting, I guarantee that I won't see the turn card. Since there are a lot of strong hands in his range, I think it's best to just check behind and try to hit the gutterball. So today I found myself in a similar situation and decided to put that plan into action:

Seat 1: SB ($779.45)
Seat 2: HERO (BB) ($203)
Seat 4: UTG+1 ($262.45)
Seat 9: Button ($295.45)
UTG+1 posts a dead small blind of $1
UTG+1 posts $2 (donk alert!!!)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HERO [Ad Qh]
UTG+1 checks
button calls $2
SB raises to $8
HERO raises to $30 (This is more aggressively than I would usually play the hand, but with the poster UTG and a weak player limping the button, I thought there was a good chance the SB was just trying to buy the pot preflop. I had seen him do this a couple of times before. Looking back on it now, I think he would probably bet a little bigger if that was his intention. In any case, I decided to repop him and hope to take it down. I didn't really want to just call and be out of position deep in a 4-way pot with a troublesome hand.)
UTG+1 folds
Button folds
SB calls $22

*** FLOP *** [Kc Jh 2h]
SB checks
HERO checks (This is again a similar situation as the earlier hand. When he calls my pretty hefty 3-bet, I don't think he's just fooling around anymore. He might have been kind of playing it safe to just call with QQ and a bet here would get rid of him but...I have a Q in my hand, so that's less likely. TT not sure he would call my 3-bet preflop, as I am really repping a monster hand. AA, AK, KK, JJ are all definitely in his range and he will be shoving with them if I bet. I decided to just check behind and try to stack one of those hands if a T hits. The fact I have the Qh in my hand helps a little too.)

*** TURN *** [Kc Jh 2h] [Th] (BOOOOOOOMM!!!)
SB bets $42
HERO raises to $173, and is all in (No reason to slowplay or be worried about hearts, as he'd need exactly AhKh to have me beat, and there are many hands he's calling with that I do beat. Just shove for value.)
SB calls $131
HERO shows [Ad Qh]
SB shows [As Ac] (drawing dead to a split)

*** RIVER *** [Kc Jh 2h Th] [5c]
HERO wins the pot ($408) with a straight, Ace high

It's easy to say now looking back on it, but I think his call is a losing one. QQ is the only hand I could have that he can beat. I'm pretty sure I'd be betting AK on the flop almost every time. KK or JJ I'd be more likely to check behind, as well as TT. Against a range of KK-TT and AQ he's not doing so great, with only 26% equity.

Reviewing each session afterwards and thinking about what mistakes you made and why is a crucial part of improving as a player, in my opinion. I spend a lot of time on this. Another part is remembering those mistakes and making a better play later. I think I'm not as good at this, as it often takes me making the same mistake a few times before I figure it out. Of course, everybody is a genius when they nail the gutterball on the turn ROR!!!

-BRUECHIPS