Two Hands To Think About

[Kei 0]

Both of these hands are from a shorthanded (3-4 people) live cash game. Blinds are $.50/$1.00. Just looking for insight on the way I played these hands.First handI'm sitting in the BB with $15 behind my blind. UTG raises to $5 total, button calls, SB calls, and I have AJo. UTG has been known to raise with any ace and other weaker holdings in any position. So his hand can basically rang from A5 through AK, or even stronger (AA, KK, etc). Although I think he typically raises less with stronger holdings to keep some action. Button is loose and will call with suited connectors, weak Ks, As, and Qs. SB is aggressive, but pretty loose as well. None of these guys are tight enough that I can definitively put them on a hand like AA, AK, AQ, KK, QQ, or JJ that has me in real trouble.The flop comes down Q-10-5 rainbow, and SB checks to me, and with only $11 left I decide the only way I can take down this pot is to push. So I bet $11 all in into a pot of $20. Button goes into the tank, shows me AQ before mucking (I'm a tight player so he later said he gave me credit for KK). Button folds, and SB calls pretty quickly and tables AK and I brick out on the turn and river.Second handNow it's down to only 3 of us, and I'm on the button with 10-10. I've bought back in for $20 and worked it up to about $46. SB (UTG in the last hand) folds, and BB (button in the last hand) calls. Being three-handed and his general looseness, his range of hands is extremely broad. The flop comes down 4-4-9 rainbow, and I bet out $5 (pot is $10.50). He reraises all in for his last $22. Now I have to go in the tank. I think my tens are good because he's likely to hold A-9, K-9, or even 9-10, 8-9 in this spot. It's also possible that he has a 4 (A-4, 4-5, 3-4). It's a big raise and about half my stack and I'm not quite sure if I'm beat here. On another hand when he tried a big bluff, he got real quiet and he's usually a talkative person. He was asking me what I had and he would tell me what to do. So then he asks if I have a pocket pair - "7s? 8s? Jacks?". I tell him I have 7s and he tells me I'm not ahead, and I say, "If I catch another one will I win?" and he says "Potentially." Now I'm pretty sure he has a 9. I don't really think he has a big pair, because he'd be more 'serious' on the hand with Ks, Qs, or As. Finally, I call, he tables Q-9 and bricks out and I win the pot.I'm looking for some comments on my thought processes, my moves, etc.

[vanman733 0]

In the first hand I am not sure I call. I am pretty sure I am beat by one of the two, meaning they have me out kicked. That means I have to hit my Jack and that still might not be good if the other has a higher PP.The second hand happened to me last night two times. QQ vs A9 and the flop came 99rag and 88 vs A5 and the flop came 55rag. In both of these situations I was OOP and it cost me. Iam glad this worked out for you. My feeling is if you have an overpair to the board and a pair on the board most of the time your golden.

[Kei 0]

In the first hand I am not sure I call. I am pretty sure I am beat by one of the two, meaning they have me out kicked. That means I have to hit my Jack and that still might not be good if the other has a higher PP.

My thinking was that I likely had UTG dominated (putting him on A4 through A9). Button could really have anything, but he gives me a lot of credit when I push so I could get him off a T or AK. SB would usually bet the flop if he had any sort of hand that I couldn't beat.

The second hand happened to me last night two times. QQ vs A9 and the flop came 99rag and 88 vs A5 and the flop came 55rag. In both of these situations I was OOP and it cost me. Iam glad this worked out for you. My feeling is if you have an overpair to the board and a pair on the board most of the time your golden.

I think talking to him before calling is what helped me make a decision. I felt more certain he had the 9 instead of the 4 and he genuinely believed he was ahead with the 9.

[crankin 0]

On the first hand, I don't think you can call. Granted, AJ is pretty big 4-handed, but there are already 3 people involved. And, more importantly, as was evident on the flop. You don't have enough in your stack to make a credible move at the pot.On the second hand, you'd have to have some kind of amazing read to lay down 10's in that situation.

[subsin 0]

cant believe the guy layed down A-Q while u were that shortstacked, shoulda left the A-j after the flop,i woulda called in an instant in the 2nd hand

[Lavitz 0]

Might as well push AJ if you feel your ahead. Not enough in your stack to call because your missing the majority of the time and AJ doesn't hold up well in a multiway pot. Just push and isolate or maybe even take it down p-flopAs for hand 2, can't lay it down unless youre both very deep stacked AND you have amazing read. You might have somewhat of a read but he has 22BB when he pushes, making any read mainly irrelevant on that board.

[trystero 0]

Why are you playing 4-handed poker, BB at $1, with $15 in front of you? And someone folded A-Q to a Q high flop in this situation? Very strange environment, this.