What to do when every card appears to kill you?

Weird situation:

10-20 at El Cid's

I have QsQc in mid position and raise one limper.

One guy calls 20 cold and both the blinds complete their bets.

Flop 6c-7c-9h

sb bets out, bb raises, I call, cold caller calls and then sb re-raises and bb caps, all call.

Note: The blinds are average players at best!

Turn is 2h

sb checks, bb bets, I raise, cold caller calls, sb calls and bb calls.

River 10s giving the board 6c-7c-9h-2h-10s.

bb bets out, I muck, cold caller calls and sb mucks showing 10c-Jc


bb shows Ac-8c for the straight and cold caller shows 10d-10h for trips.


My Question:


Should I be in on the turn, betting, or should I assume that over half the deck can kill me and my only out might be the off-color Qd?


I really thought that I had the lead on the turn, but figured that a non-flushing 2 or 3 might be my only other saving cards. I assumed everything else was doom!!


Tell me about what my thought process should have been on the turn

Your thought process, at all times until the river card slices you into ribbons, should be "Thank God for these people in my game." Let them push their nut draws to the max when you have the best hand at all times until the end.


I remember something Tommy posted a few months ago. If the hand had been played face up, would you have done anything any differently? And if you could have played differently face up(e.g., playing the turn more aggressively to push TT or other presumed lesser draws out of the hand), with the odds being what they were and the monstrosity of the draw, were you ever going to get the A8cl out of that hand? Barring the imposition of a Cruise missile into the game?


Don't second guess, there are just hands out there where you have to take your medicine and move on.

I think you played the hand fine. The turn card helped you in that it is very unlikely to have helped any of your opponents. I don't think you should assume that half of the deck kills you; and even if it did with 2 or 3 callers you would be getting well compensated for that possibility. If you are drawing dead or close to it, you will likely get reraised on the turn, and then you can make a decision as to whether you should continue.


I assume that the alternative action you considered on the turn was a call and then call on the river (barring lots of action ahead of you on the river) which would cost you two big bets. This route doesn't cost you any more as long as you think you can safely fold if reraised on the turn.


I also don't think there was inherently anything wrong with just calling on the flop. It gives you a chance to wait until the turn to decide whether you want to get very aggressive with this dangerous board. Reasonable people can certainly differ on that point, but I don't think waiting until the turn was clearly inferior to 3-betting on the flop with this board.