AA -- River CR...?

[El Dukie]

Live 15-30, I've only been at the table a short time, but I've seen several of these players before, and I ain't impressed....

I'm in the SB this hand. UTG+1 and UTG+2 both limp, it's folded around to me, and I look down to find A /images/graemlins/heart.gif A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. I resist the urge to sing out "...And the Rockets' red glare!", but I'm still feeling mighty jingoistic as I raise. BB and the two limpers all call. Four to the flop for 8sb.

Flop is J /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif 3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. Beautiful flop for Aces. Nice and raggedy. I bet out, and all three call. (Not the tightest game in the world, obviously.)

Turn is 6 /images/graemlins/club.gif, killing my backdoor flush draw and putting another potential draw out there, but I'm not real concerned. I bet out again, and this time only UTG+1 calls. I'm not really certain what he has, but some sort of second pair or weak Jack seems likely. Then again, he could just be a bad player....

River is T /images/graemlins/spade.gif. Junk. The only hand I might have reason to worry about is JT. (I don't expect him to have called the turn with a gutshot.) I check, hoping to induce a bet and try for a Mikel-style checkraise. He checks behind. /images/graemlins/mad.gif MHIG. (Duh!)

So, was this a case of Fancy Play Syndrome getting the better of me, or was it an appropriate spot to try for a river CR? Though he wasn't hyperaggressive, he wasn't the most passive player at the table, either. I thought he might put me on AK/AQ and bet the river if I checked. Since there weren't a lot of obvious draws out there (unless he had diamonds on the flop), I figured he had some kind of made hand and reasoned that he might bet the river if he thought I missed. Or is it just too obvious that you've got a big pair when you raise in the blind? (FWIW, against two fairly weak limpers, I raise here with AK and several big suited hands, too, not just big pairs.)

Comments?

[Senor Choppy]

River CR + Live 15-30 is about all I needed to read before thinking this is a bad idea.

I'd want some kind of read on the guy before trying this, preferably that he's at least moderately aggressive or figures to have a J here.

[andyfox]

His action thus far was limp, call, call. Now an undercard to the top board card comes. Not an ideal situation to expect him to come to life now when you check.

[elysium]

hi el duke

on the flop, you are slightly better off check-raising if ayour pre-flop raise wouldn't scare one or the other out of betting after you check. i don't think it would here. you could also check-call, but that would be the least desirable option.

the idea behind check-raising is that you want your turn betout to driveout. when you betout, you aren't necessarily interested in driving out on the turn. things get a little complicated once you have established a betting pattern in this area, and by the way, this is an area that the better opposition will take notes on about your betting habits, so you need to be aware that at some point, you will be betting out in this spot for that reason, rather than betting out because you want to check-raise or reraise the turn. against this type opposition, check-raising the flop and betting out on the turn is the way to go.

the river's fine.

[Nightwish]

What exactly are you putting him on? I'd say the guy has a 7, a diamond draw, or perhaps something like 56 (gutshot on the flop, paired his 6 on the turn). None of those hands are likely to bet the river when checked to, so I don't see a river check-raise being good here.

[steveyz]

I'd be more inclined to try a check-raise on the flop or turn. Most opponents will check through on a river with a lot of mediocre hands that they would have called a bet with.

[mike l.]

"So, was this a case of Fancy Play Syndrome"

i didnt really read the post i just looked at the board and think i get the gist. and the answer to your question is no, you did great, that was a great time for a river c/r.

[El Dukie]

I'm not sure that many of those hands (7, diamond draw, 6) would call a bet on the river, either. Certainly not the diamond draw. I did think I might induce a bet/bluff from a hand that would otherwise fold to a river bet. (Though a checkraise won't get paid off in that case, obviously)