Limit Questions

This was a post on fulltiltforum.com that I liked because I thought it gave some good examples of tough situations you can run into in limit where a player has the potential to gain or lose a good deal of bets. Special thanks to Steeler247 of fulltiltforum.com. My responses are in Red

"comments please. i'm trying to get back in limit poker. i decided to play a 6 seater and the play is soooo bad that its laughable. I can't believe they will play any ace all the way down to the river. every time....
HAND #1 - SHOULD I HAVE PLAYED THIS HAND FROM THE BB?
Full Tilt Poker Game #395820030: Table Beretta (6 max) - $2/$4 - Limit Hold'em - 21:09:35 steeler247 posts the small blind of $1
Okla-Bandit posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to steeler247 [Kd 9h]
NemoRailBird folds
effin doit raises to $4
Heaterly folds
steeler247 calls $3
Okla-Bandit calls $2
*** FLOP *** [2d 4c 9s]
steeler247 bets $2
Okla-Bandit calls $2
effin doit calls $2
*** TURN *** [2d 4c 9s] [8h]
steeler247 checks
Okla-Bandit bets $4
effin doit calls $4
steeler247 raises to $8
Okla-Bandit folds
effin doit calls $4
*** RIVER *** [2d 4c 9s 8h] [Qc]
steeler247 bets $4
effin doit raises to $8
steeler247 calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
effin doit shows [Th Jc] (a straight, Queen high)
steeler247 mucks
effin doit wins the pot ($52) with a straight, Queen high

You should not have play that hand from the BB In my opinion. If they initial raiser preflop was on the button, yeah I prolly would have played it. The other thing is I don't like the checkraise on the turn. The purpose of the check raise it to maximize your profit on hands where you have a stranglehold and are almost a lock to win the hand. This was not the case with this hand, a lot of other hands could've been out there that could've had you beat.

HAND #2 - IS THERE EVER A TIME WHERE I CHECK THIS HAND TO RERAISE OR IS THIS PLAYED OPTIMALLY
Full Tilt Poker Game #395822308: Table Beretta (6 max) - $2/$4 - Limit Hold'em - 21:10:53 ET - 2006/01/21
NemoRailBird posts the small blind of $
1effin doit posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to steeler247 [Ts Td]
Heaterly folds
steeler247 raises to $4
Okla-Bandit calls $4
NemoRailBird folds
effin doit folds
*** FLOP *** [2s 7s 4d]
steeler247 bets $2
Okla-Bandit calls $2
*** TURN *** [2s 7s 4d] [9d]
steeler247 bets $4
Okla-Bandit calls $4
*** RIVER *** [2s 7s 4d 9d] [5d]
steeler247 bets $4
Okla-Bandit calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
steeler247 shows [Ts Td] (a pair of Tens)
Okla-Bandit mucks
steeler247 wins the pot ($30) with a pair of Tens

This is a tough one. Really the only way I see you squezzing another bet out of this hand is by checking the flop, your opponent leading out at the turn because of this, flat calling and then check raising on the river, but the chances of that happening are slim. Plus with a lower overpair like that you really want to apply constant pressure to hopefully get players who have overcards to you from sticking around to hit.

HAND #3 - WHEN PLAYING SHORTHANDED, SHOULD I RAISE THIS HAND PREFLOP? AND WHEN SHOULD I HAVE LET THIS HAND GO?
Full Tilt Poker Game #395823708: Table Beretta (6 max) - $2/$4 - Limit Hold'em - 21:11:42 ET - 2006/01/21
effin doit posts the small blind of $1
Heaterly posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to steeler247 [Kd Qc]
steeler247 calls $2
Okla-Bandit folds
NemoRailBird calls $2
effin doit calls $1
Heaterly checks
*** FLOP *** [6c Kh 6d]
effin doit checks
Heaterly checks
steeler247 bets $2
NemoRailBird folds
effin doit raises to $4
Heaterly folds
steeler247 calls $2
*** TURN *** [6c Kh 6d] [Td]
effin doit bets $4
steeler247 calls $4
*** RIVER *** [6c Kh 6d Td] [9s]
effin doit bets $4
steeler247 calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***effin doit shows [6h 2h] (three of a kind, Sixes)
steeler247 muckseffin doit wins the pot ($31) with three of a kind, Sixes

Also tough, usually I raise with KQs but limp with KQos. However, if I'm coming in in early position, especially shorthanded, I usually like to raise, so I probably would have come in for a raise. The only problem with this is that the villain is the sb so he very well may call anyway. In so far as letting this hand go, so long as you never have to pay two big bets one betting round, you probably should take this hand to showdown.

HAND #4 - DO YOU FOLD ANY ACE PREFLOP SHORTHANDED? ACE HIGH WON THIS POT AND I FOLDED PREFLOP.
Full Tilt Poker Game #395828796: Table Beretta (6 max) - $2/$4 - Limit Hold'em - 21:14:41 ET - 2006/01/21
NemoRailBird posts the small blind of $1
Sinker posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to steeler247 [As 3c]
effin doit calls $2
Heaterly folds
steeler247 folds
Okla-Bandit folds
NemoRailBird folds
Sinker has 15 seconds left to act
Sinker checks
*** FLOP *** [Ks 2c 3d]
Sinker checks
effin doit bets $
2Sinker calls $2
*** TURN *** [Ks 2c 3d] [8s]
Sinker checks
effin doit bets $4
Sinker calls $4
*** RIVER *** [Ks 2c 3d 8s] [4c]Sinker checks
effin doit bets $4
Sinker calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
effin doit shows [Tc 7c] (King Ten high)
Sinker shows [Ad Qh] (Ace King high)Sinker wins the pot ($24) with Ace King high

Good fold, the chance of you having the only A even shorthanded is rare. Plus the problem with playing that hand is that the only real rationalization to playing it is if you think you have the only A, so if you do hit and you're wrong, it's gonna cost you a lot of money. Now, if that hand was suited and I could play it for only one bet preflop, I would, but I'm trying to make AT LEAST two pair, more going for a flush. Shorthanded I really vary my play but at a full table, usually the lowest offsuit ace I will play in EP is AT, and only for one bet, MP to LP A9 once again for one bet, LP-Button A-8 for one bet.

HAND #5 - SAVING BETS. I FOLDED THE WINNER AT THE RIVER BECAUSE I FELT I WAS BEAT WITH THE 2 OVERS. DO I HAVE TO MAKE THIS CALL? THE WHOLE TIME I'M THINKING I NEED TO SAVE A BET.
Full Tilt Poker Game #395836783: Table Beretta (6 max) - $2/$4 - Limit Hold'em - 21:19:31 ET - 2006/01/21
NemoRailBird posts the small blind of $1
Sinker posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to steeler247 [Js Jd]
effin doit raises to $4
Heaterly raises to $6
steeler247 raises to $8
DarkAngelKiller folds
NemoRailBird folds
Sinker folds
effin doit calls $4
Heaterly calls $2
*** FLOP *** [6c 8s Kd]effin doit checks
Heaterly bets $2
steeler247 calls $2
effin doit calls $2
*** TURN *** [6c 8s Kd] [8d]
effin doit checks
Heaterly checks
steeler247 checks
*** RIVER *** [6c 8s Kd 8d] [Qc]effin doit checks
Heaterly bets $4
steeler247 folds
effin doit calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Heaterly shows [As Ts] (a pair of Eights)
effin doit shows [Jc Ac] (a pair of Eights)
effin doit ties for the pot ($19.50) with a pair of Eights
Heaterly ties for the pot ($19.50) with a pair of Eights

This is one of the reasons everyone who plays limit needs to read Small Stakes Hold 'Em: Winning Big with Expert Play. You should almost never fold on the river because you think the river may have beaten you without an EXTREMELY strong read, unless maybe it double pairs the board or something. Let's look at it in terms of money. If you would've called here and lost, it cost you $4, because you didn't call here it cost you $40. Sure you might pay more people off, but if one time you fold to save the $4, especially in limit, if you fold wrongly it will easy cost you 10 times that. Now if the pot was only say 15 bucks I'd say yeah, fold, but not when you're getting 10 to 1 on your money.

HAND #6... THIS SUCKED
Full Tilt Poker Game #395849022: Table Beretta (6 max) - $2/$4 - Limit Hold'em - 21:26:56 ET - 2006/01/21
effin doit posts the small blind of $1
Heaterly posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to steeler247 [As 5s]
steeler247 raises to $4
DarkAngelKiller calls $4
NemoRailBird folds
effin doit folds
Heaterly calls $2
*** FLOP *** [6s 8h 7d]
Heaterly checks
steeler247 checks
DarkAngelKiller bets $2
Heaterly calls $2
steeler247 calls $2
*** TURN *** [6s 8h 7d] [4d]
Heaterly checks
steeler247 bets $4
DarkAngelKiller calls $4
Heaterly calls $4
*** RIVER *** [6s 8h 7d 4d] [9c]
Heaterly bets $4
steeler247 calls $4
DarkAngelKiller folds
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Heaterly shows [Ad Tc] (a straight, Ten high)
steeler247 mucks
Heaterly wins the pot ($38) with a straight, Ten high
steeler247: "lol"
steeler247: "nice catch. what the heck did you think i had?"
Heaterly: "i knew you had the str8 but i had outs."

You could've prolly gone for a check-raise on the turn here, which may have worked, but judging by the chat at the bottom, basically the guy is a donk and deserves to burn in hell.

- Huck