Deconstructing a Stud Hand

[xDiamond_CutteRx]

This hand came up last night playing $5/$10 Stud, and I think it was a great example of what to do and also what not to do, although what-not-to-do ended up winning.

I'm in Seat 8 of an 8-handed 7-Card Stud High table.

Seat 1 brings in for $2 with the 2 .
Seat 2 raises to $5 with the K .
Seat 3 calls with the Q
Seat 4 calls with the 9
Seat 5 folds.
Seat 6 calls with the 6
Seat 7 folds.
Hero has J Q in the hole, A up, and calls.
Seat 1 calls $3.
Pot on 3rd Street: $32.

Fourth Street:
Seat 1 has 2 K
Seat 2 has K K
Seat 3 has Q 6
Seat 4 has 9 A
Seat 6 has 6 7
Hero has [J Q ] A K

Seat 2 double-bets $10.
Seat 3 calls $10.
Seat 4 calls $10.
Seat 6 calls $10.
Hero raises to $20.
My raise here has 3 reasons. First, it was a raise for value based on pot equity. With all 4 Kings accounted for, the best Seat 2 could have is Aces-up, for which he would need the case 2 Aces. With no other diamonds out and with my having a Royal Flush draw, I am probably a favorite in this hand. Second, it has the possibility of buying a free card on 5th street. Third, Seat 2's action will give me a clue as to his hand.
Seat 1 folds.
Seat 2 raises to $30.
At this point, his most likely holding is AAKK (which he cannot fill up), or KKQQ, which has one out at most to fill up. I'm not thrilled this raise may kill further action though, as it's obvious he wants to protect his hand.
Seat 3 calls $20. Curious.
Seat 4 folds.
Seat 6 calls $20. Also curious, but he is getting great odds.
Hero caps at $40. Given the action and my equity, capping here is a pretty obvious play.
Seat 2 calls $10.
Seat 3 calls $10.
Seat 6 calls $10.

Pot on 4th Street: $202

Fifth Street:
Seat 2 has K K 3
Seat 3 has Q 6 5
Seat 6 has 6 7 Q
Hero has [J Q ] A K 4:heart:

Seat 2 bets $10.
Seat 3 calls $10.
Seat 6 calls $10.
Hero calls $10. Now I want to make my flush or straight before betting more.

Pot on 5th Street: $242


Sixth Street:
Seat 2 has K K 3 7
Seat 3 has Q 6 5 2
Seat 6 has 6 7 Q 10
Hero has [J Q ] A K 4:heart: 8:club:
Still no more diamonds, which is good, and only one less 10.

Seat 2 bets $10.
Seat 3 raises all-in to $12.
Seat 6 calls $12.
Hero calls $12.
Seat 2 calls $2.

Pot on 6th Street: $290

River:
Seat 2 has K K 3 7
Seat 3 has Q 6 5 2
Seat 6 has 6 7 Q 10
Hero has [J Q ] A K 4:heart: 8:club: [4 ].
Bingo. Made my flush and I'm about to treat myself to a nice pot it looks like.

Seat 2 bets $10.
Seat 6 folds. Clearly he missed whatever draw he was on.
Hero raises to $20.
Seat 2 re-raises to $30.
It's extremely unlikely he has a full house with all the Aces and Kings accounted for and many board card duplicated, so capping is obvious since he cannot re-raise again.
Hero caps at $40.
Seat 2 calls $10.

Side pot: $80.

Seat 2 shows A A K K 3 7
I win the side pot with my flush.
Seat 3 shows Q 2 Q 6 5 2 2:spade: to win the main pot with a full house, deuces full of Queens.

... wtf? ...

Both Seat 2 and 3 played the hand horribly. I have no clue why Seat 2 was so insistent on re-raising on the river when it was so clear I had Aces-up beat. And I even even less of a clue why Seat 3 would continue past 4th street when another player has paired Kings to beat your split Queens. As it turned out, on sixth street he was drawing to only one out, assuming of course I didn't make my Royal Flush. What a horrible play on his part, but it got paid off.

Just thought I would share that with you guys. Not a bad beat post per se, but a semi-analysis of what goes into a Stud hand. Seat 6 got trapped in the pot with huge odds but a draw that was probably not that great, and Seat 2 tried to protect a hand that had almost zero chance of improving (since he knew no more Aces or Kings could come).

[Xamzax]

Excellent hand and well done on your play of it. I know from what I've read in the past, you are taking great comfort in knowing that the split queens guy will be funding your future.

Sometimes people just go on tilt and hate to lose when they're losing... a sucker would say it's implied odds in that situation... but you and I know those split queens out there are most welcome to their lucky share.

Hey, see if that guy wants to start playing om/8!

[flafishy]

You got me confused, Diamond ... I think an error in transcription on 6th street, where you have Seat 3 has Q 6 5 7 .

But on the river, his 7 is switched with the other guy's 2.

I studied that for two or three minutes before I figured out what the problem was.

Anyway, I'll argue that it is a bad beat. It's nice to say that he'll pay you off eventually, but it's still heartbreaking to lose a hand like that.

[xDiamond_CutteRx]

Seat 3 had the 2, Seat 2 had the 7... didn't have the HH, so I had to remember who had what, and I think I got a little scrambled. The nuts and bolts though were I had the AKQJ4 vs AAKK vs 222QQ.

Edit: fixed it. Thanks fishy.

[wEbMaStEr]

Ugh! The only explanation for seat 3's play was that he was packing up and getting ready to leave for the night, that is such a horrible beat and i just did not see that coming at all.

I do like the way you played it altho i think i would have raised again on 5th because you were getting such good odds to make your hand. I'm not saying that would have made seat 3 fold, or have stopped you losing such a big pot, it's just an observation on what i would have done differently.

I am a sucky stud player tho

[JewishPete]

I can't believe Seat 3 is playing at 5/10. Maybe I need to play stud online if people are making playslike that

I may have laid your hand down on 5th street. However with so many outs I probably would have played it identically and maybe even thrown at raise in after your first miss.

I think you played the hand very very well. Seat 2 played it pretty bad but not as bad as donk 3, especially with all the given information. Im not sure if he really believed his top 2 pair would hold up.

Though you can't discredit him that much. I realize that you weren't showing much, if any of a drawing hand up to 6th street, so he may have believed his AAKK was good. But another part of him had to look at the AK and realize that you obviously werent sitting around waiting for another A or K. That was his main mistake. He definitely did not think his decisions through that well.
Seat 3....well, don't get me started on him

[Hurricane Ham]

I'm assuming this was Pokerstars...if it's not forget it. But what was Seat 3's name, if you remember? I'm curious if it's the same donk I ran into a bunch of times.

I did some 5/10 there for a little while before I imploded, there were some REALLY crappy players there.