Poker hand, did I misplay?

[Mac]

I consider myself a good poker player (ie. win on regular basis.)
Here is a situation I got into with a not so good player.
I was small blind with 8,7, he was big blind with J,7.
Flop came 8,7,J (note no flush draw)
I bet $8 he called.
Next card came 9, I checked he bet $8, I re-raised $20. (I did this to semi-bluff the straight and figured he would fold if he did not have the straight.)
HE CALLS, HE MUST HAVE A STRAIGHT RIGHT?????
River card came 7, I push all in, he calls he wins.
I lose the $500 pot.
That hand hurt.
What are your opinions on how I played it.
Thanks.

 

[Woody0]

I don't play NL so consider that with my comments.

From your description I picked up on your observation that you were heads up against a poor player. In my experience that is just the kind of player you can't trust to lay down his hand and so your presumption that he must have a straight is then misguided.

BTW going all-in with 25X your turn bet does look like you didn't want to be called. Maybe a smaller bet would have been more appropriate.

 

[sammythesage]

you answered your own question.
HE CALLS, HE MUST HAVE A STRAIGHT RIGHT?????
At that point, your two pair were beat. So why stay and why go all in???

Even though he did not have the straight, he still had you beat. Makes no difference if was a poor/good player as he called your raise stone cold, no matter the fact you were representing a stronger hand than you already had. You should have never seen the river card. The fact that you did and caught lucky/unlucky; might want to make youself look in the mirror.

 

[theswami]

definite misplay. frankly, i think your "semi-bluff" with only 4 assumed outs was where you went wrong. when you play with "bad" players you have to take the good with the bad. in this case you got sort of unlucky. you tried to "fancy play" the guy and you got caught. pretty simple.

 

[hartattack]

Am I missing something here? I think that ANYONE that calls from ANY POSITION with a 7-8 offsuit gets whatever hideous beat comes his way. 7-8 offsuit?? Which player was the "weak" one? And you shoved all in with a 4 card straight on the board?

 

[theswami]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hart attack:
Am I missing something here? I think that ANYONE that calls from ANY POSITION with a 7-8 offsuit gets whatever hideous beat comes his way. 7-8 offsuit?? Which player was the "weak" one? And you shoved all in with a 4 card straight on the board?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hart-

I read the post as a situation where he was heads-up in the small blind with a player in the big blind who he read as being a "not so good" player.

If you assume his read was correct I think raising here preflop to capture the big blind was not such a bad play in a heads-up situation. Granted, his post flop play was not very good and your weakest link reference is probably accurate.

Would you ever play 87 off suit in the small blind against the big blind if you were the only two in the pot? If not, what are your minimum starting requirements for that situation? What do you do (call or raise) when dealt that hand?

 

[raiders72001]

Poker isn't my thing so take this for what it's worth. I wouldn't play 7-8 offsuit even in this situation of having the SB against the BB only. I rarely even play 7-8 suited. The only time I like to play 7-8 suited is if a lot of people are in ahead of me because it gives me a good chance of catching a monster hand when the pot is huge.

 

[BIGTOAD]

Yes,I think you did,in the frist place 7-8 off is NOT a hand to get involed with,no matter your blind or pos - unless you can get in cheap with great pot odds.However once you did,if you are going to bluff--BLUFF.you should have gone "all-in" on 4th street.This is just my way of play. BIG TOAD

 

[areeff]

He goes allin with nothing and probably slow plays his nuts.

This not how you play poker. There is a time and place for this but its only when you've become predictable

 

[Dutchman]

The fact that you are playing 78 off suit calling the BB means to me you were playing regardless. I would have dropped myself and let him keep the small pot. But if you absolutely felt compelled to play, I probably would have pressed him with a pre-flop raise. Everybody drops around the table he's got to think somebody can beat his J7. That hand is as weak as yours. He probably drops and you come out ahead on a bad hand. At the very least you got him thinking.
As far as the flop on goes, I think you did what you could with what you had. You were no longer in bluff mode once the flop came. The only fear I would have had is that he was slow playing the straight. But you said he was weak and weak players usually pull the trigger early on a sure winner. He doesn't have the straight and there are only three hands that can beat you. Unfortunately he had one them.
Again, scare him a little on the front and you probably keep your stack.

 

[anfonee1]

You guys all missed it making me think you are all poker newbies. The poster rivered 7s full of 8s, the other guy rivered 7s full of jacks. The only misplay is that you didnt put in a big enough raise on the turn to get a man with 2 pair out. He was getting 4-1 on his call and if he wasnt winning he definately had outs. honestly you should have check folded on the turn. Getting in the hand form the small blind isnt the worst move in the world like some people are making it seem. Tough beat thats all

 

[Dutchman]

Mr. "Near Expert",

You say check fold on the turn and I say push him on his BB. Unless the BB enjoys throwing his money away, my way nets a win (a very modest win I admit). Why would you want the other guy to see cards when you have a hand that poor yourself? I completely agree that it was a bad beat, but one he brought on himself.

 

[areeff]

You're getting 3:1 on your money and most of them will let you see a flop for nothing and will fold if you bet the flop no matter what falls.

With that said don't try to checkraise a gutshot. Noone ever believes you. It's a fish move like someone in early position try to bluff you out when the board pairs 3s. Who is playing a 3 in early position? You got bottom fullhouse and you overplayed the hand. When you go allin what is he going to call with? A BETTER HAND. Unless of course he's going to use his top pair as a bluff catcher. If you had a straight there you went allin INTO a paired board with a possible full house combo? He's certainly going to call with ANY full house. You should have VALUE BET IT but not gone "ALLIN". There was no need for it in my opinion. But then again i play mostly tournament poker.

 

[areeff]

Why is he checkraising as a straight with 2 pair if he hasn't even put his opponent on a bigger hand? If you had him on QJ he'd fold anyways if you had him on JT you'd be losing. What did you hope to accomplish?

You were only going to get a call with a hand better than yours.. He called most likely even if you did have a straight because if he boated up on the river he though he could break you. for 12$ more. He was getting fair value as his chances of boating were about 3.5:1 and his implied odds were huge (obviously you put the rest of your money in)

You put yourself on a straight and he had a full. The hand sort of played itself for him.

Otherwise i honestly don't see you getting away from this hand at all.

 

[sometech]

If you got a straight but there is a pair on the table, you have to remember that the boat could be waiting to sink ya.

NL HOLDEM - THE ONLY TRUE POKER GAME!

 

[topspinelite]

Just a few thing.

Generally you dont buy pots from new players. To them giving up a pot for free is the worst.

Secondly, two pairs with an overcard on the table is not a hand that should be slowplayed.

Money can be won or lost very quickly in NL hold em

 

[woody13]

either im reading this wrong or everyone else is didnt u wait to push untill u filled up

 

[davidmac]

you played the hand correctly.
First I like the call on the small blind 8-9 off.
Novice players have a tendency to smell bluff when you call when a multiplayer table is down to 2 players. I have won mucho money straight up with top pair in this situation.
Once the flop happened you were were screwed- but in a 2 player game- both players getting 2 pairs is very unusual.
I actually liked your play on the 4th card- I would have read the hand as the player not having a straight.
On the 5th card you have a full house- you have to play this strong and most players would end up in the same situation.
Compare your hand to Phil Ivey against Chris Moneymake. Phil has 9-9 Money M A-Q. Flop QQ. Phil stays in the hand maybe incorrectly.
But next card is a 9- and Phil goes all in correclty. Last card A and he is out of the tourney. It happens to the best.
But 98 out of a 100 times you make good money in the same situation.
So in the long run- you played the hand correctly.