KK hand; When can you trust the aces out there have folded?

[AdamL]

The ace shows up on the river and I check it down. Too passive? (I've seen guys call with ace high all the way to the river, so I was worried.)

Paradise Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Hero raises, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG+1 bets, MP3 calls, Hero raises, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls.

Turn: (6.75 BB) 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, UTG+1 calls, MP3 folds.

River: (8.75 BB) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 8.75 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 8.75 BB, between Hero and UTG+1.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Hero (8.75 BB).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
UTG+1 shows Qd 3d (one pair, queens).
Hero shows Ks Kd (one pair, kings).
Outcome: Hero wins 8.75 BB. </font>

[TRWIII]

I'd bet the river. Especially if you dont think your opponent is capable of checkraising the river and would call you with a worse pair (if he routinely shows ace high, this is likely).

Just my 2 cents,
TRWIII

[HajiShirazu]

This is a good way to miss a lot of bets when you are very likely to have the best hand and tons of worse hands would have called. Bets like this are very important to make. The guy could have an ace, but it's not particularly likely. There are a ton of worse cards that could come on the river that I would still bet, such as a queen, a flush card, or a straight card. Actually I would be tempted to check the river if a queen came off, but even that is probably a little weak.
When I have to make a bet despite a bad river card, I like to press the bet button, then close my eyes or bring up another window so I don't have to watch to see if I won the pot or not. If I get checkraised, I cry, but it hurts less somehow. Plus, I get the pleasant surprise of usually having won the pot when I bring the screen back up, while seeing that somebody with an unbelievably bad hand called. But this one, I wouldn't even be bringing up the other window, because the ace doesn't really worry me.

[nothumb]

Bet the river. He led out on the flop, which means he likely made a pair, possibly top pair. So there are a lot of hands that don't have an ace that are likely to be playing in his spot. If there were more players, I think checking would be better, but I think you need to bet here.

NT

[MoreWineII]

I agree with betting the river. There are more that enough hands that your opponent will call with that you can beat.

[AdamL]

Thanks for the help with this one guys. Considering I'll be against something other than an ace more than half of the time, this is +EV as long as I fold to any raises.

If a Q or a flush card hit, would it be a check-fold or check-call if he bets? What is the +EV action there?

[TRWIII]

I'd bet out a flush card and check-call a queen, although that might be a little passive. Just because he's calling down doesnt mean hes drawing to a flush, and it's likely hes not.

TRWIII