another tricky situation

[luckystraights]

I seem to be running into tricky situations more and more recently which is good because of the experience its giving me, but now and then I'd like to avoid them and build my bankroll a littlle...

anyways, here's a hand from my last game, where I lost to a flopped straight and I'd appreciate some input. I think I played it really well, or incredibly dumb... thoughts ?

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1708522

my opponents all-in shocked me, but she had just called an all-in pre-flop with KTo and blew 50% of her stack so I reasoned she was getting carried away with AJ or similar.

I didn't factor a made straight into my reasoning here, because they happen so infrequently that I think folding to a possibility of one would be a mistake, was I wrong ?

thanks again xxx

[Martini]

Well at least you didn't go broke with one pair, as the saying goes. You are losing to some hands but you are also ahead of a ton of hands that may be shoving there.

Losing to:
AK - Pot is usually raised with AK but gets limped a bunch too.
QJ - Possible.
K9 - As was the case here.
89 - For the sucker end of the straight.
QQ, JJ, TT - Limped? Doubt it. QQ and TT much less likely due to you having QT.

Ahead of:
Ax of Spades or any two Spades - For a flush draw with some fold equity
Pair and a straight draw - Any of the flop cards plus K or 9
JT - Lower two pair
AA, KK - Probably not checking the BB with those cards

Since you just saw a questionable play and given the wide range of hands that you were beating, I don't mind the play since you are beating more hands than you are losing too. Sucks to lose with two pair but that was a very coordinated board and with blinds at 75/150 and your stack at 2483 you needed to mix it up at some point.

I think that was just another one of those good second best hands and unfortunately it didn't improve for you on the turn or river.

[LuckyDog Poker Art]

Another way to look at it is playing marginal cards in the first place.  Q10 suited isn't bad, it's just not great.  And, depending on the flop, marginal cards can get you into trouble.  You were committed to $375 before the opponent goes all-in.  You have good reason, after the flop, to believe you had the better hand but, in hindsight, you didn't and it cost you.

This is just my opinion and I know others will disagree, but I would experiment one entire game by playing better opening hands and becoming disciplined enough to toss away a losing hand if you feel you are beat.  No matter what the reason.  You're mind is sharp and it seems you have a good understanding of the game but I think better habits might serve you really, really well.

Good luck!

[NotFadeAway]

Hands like Q-10 (or K-J, Q-J, A-10, etc.) are the ones that will get you into all kinds of trouble.  These big card hands will get you stacked often, but will rarely win large pots.  I play a lot of hands myself, but the extra hands I'll play are ones like 8-7 (or similar hands) instead of K-J (unless the blinds are very large.)  Dropping these big card hands will help you avoid tricky postflop spots that can get very expensive.

Edit:  In this spot, it's not a mistake to enter the pot (as the small blind), but the play postflop doesn't look ideal.  You should bet less than 300 (maybe 200), and then find out where you're at from the reaction of your opponent.  Your top and bottom pair is strong, but not great.  Don't automatically stack off with a hand like this, unless your opponent is an idiot (in which case he likely doesn't have you beat.)  Anyway, this hand is tough and it looks like you played it alright, but a couple of decisions could have been a little different.

[luckystraights]

This is just my opinion and I know others will disagree, but I would experiment one entire game by playing better opening hands and becoming disciplined enough to toss away a losing hand if you feel you are beat.  No matter what the reason.  You're mind is sharp and it seems you have a good understanding of the game but I think better habits might serve you really, really well.

Good luck!

I wouldn't not usually play QT suited or otherwise, I hate gapped connectors and hardly every play them, I probably had a run of 20 or 30 hands that where far worse and felt like seeing a flop with this one.

EDITED = I meant to say I would not usually play QT :-)

[luckystraights]

Hands like Q-10 (or K-J, Q-J, A-10, etc.) are the ones that will get you into all kinds of trouble.  These big card hands will get you stacked often, but will rarely win large pots.  I play a lot of hands myself, but the extra hands I'll play are ones like 8-7 (or similar hands) instead of K-J (unless the blinds are very large.)  Dropping these big card hands will help you avoid tricky postflop spots that can get very expensive.

when the cards are short, I'll play suited connectors now and then like 78 in position to add deception to my game and often 56s is the best hand I've gotten in a game of 70 hands or more so I'm simply forced to play them

[LuckyDog Poker Art]

Okay.  Just trying to help.  I think we all fall victim to decent cards, especially after long dry spells. But is the discipline you learn along the way to know how best to play them. I once was involved in a hand where I folded pocket Qs and my friend folded pocket Ks on a board that came up something like 79J. I bet, followed by a reraise by my friend with Ks, followed by an all-in by my other friend. 

Tough laydowns but worth it when he showed us pocket aces.

[Martini]

I would agree with others that QT definitely falls into the trap hand category. Tough to throw away two suited blackjack cards for half price though. And when you hit two pair there's really nothing you could do at that point. Even if Villain had played it slow, the Turn gave you a flush draw also to dig you in deeper. Just one of those hands.

Okay.  Just trying to help.  I think we all fall victim to decent cards, especially after long dry spells. But is the discipline you learn along the way to know how best to play them. I once was involved in a hand where I folded pocket Qs and my friend folded pocket Ks on a board that came up something like 79J. I bet, followed by a reraise by my friend with Ks, followed by an all-in by my other friend. 

Tough laydowns but worth it when he showed us pocket aces.

Interesting that a flop was even seen in a QQ vs KK vs AA three way. Even if one of the hands flat calls, perhaps to trap, getting the third person to flat call also seems remarkable.

[TwoToGo-Grave]

PF-You have to pay half price with a hand as good as QTs.  I don't see how folding here could be a good play.
Flop-You bet out for three reasons, I'm assuming:  for value, to see where you were at, and to protect your hand.  When raised, you found out where you were at, it seems.  With only top and bottom pair, not only could you very well be beat, but anything that you are ahead of, such as KQ or KJ, you are only a slight favorite.  Therefore, you are either way behind or slightly ahead, making this a clear fold.
Of course, it's a lot easier to say that when seeing the cards.

[hockeygoon]

I might have seen the flop, and maybe bet out with that, but there is no way you should have called an all-in.  The way I see it, if someone pushes all-in, they probably have something pretty close to the nuts, unless it's early in a freeroll and people are just being donks.  Either way, I don't call a bet that pushes me all-in or would cripple me if I lose unless I have the nuts or I'm about to be blinded out anyway.

[luckystraights]

I might have seen the flop, and maybe bet out with that, but there is no way you should have called an all-in.  The way I see it, if someone pushes all-in, they probably have something pretty close to the nuts, unless it's early in a freeroll and people are just being donks.  Either way, I don't call a bet that pushes me all-in or would cripple me if I lose unless I have the nuts or I'm about to be blinded out anyway.

Thats my normal MO, I've been off my game lately, lacked some discipline and patience and it cost me big here. Trying to regain my mental abilities for the game at the moment

[sharkyspoker]

big pot=big hand, especially online.....I see alot of people make the overbet all in to look like a bluff and get paid off, I'll admit I did pay off some of those in the past.

Sharky