Wondering about my checks on various streets.

[the_rookie]

Hand #1

Paradise Poker 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif. MP3 posts a blind of $0.02.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 (poster) checks, CO calls, Button folds, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (7 SB) 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(7 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB folds, UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO calls.

Turn: (5.50 BB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG checks, MP2 checks, CO checks.

River: (5.50 BB) 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG folds, MP2 checks, <font color="CC3333">CO bets</font>, Hero calls, MP2 folds.

Final Pot: 7.50 BB

Did I go into check-call mode a little too soon?

Hand #2

Paradise Poker 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (7 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG calls, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, CO folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB folds, BB calls, UTG calls, MP1 calls.

Flop: (8.50 SB) Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG checks, MP1 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB folds, UTG calls, MP1 folds.

Turn: (5.25 BB) 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
UTG checks, Hero checks.

River: (5.25 BB) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 7.25 BB

With two overcards i thought there was a good possibility my opponent was holding one. Is checking on the turn correct to avoid a check raise or a little weak?

[davelin]

Hand 1 - I'd check the first time through on the flop.
Hand 2 - Bet turn, fold to any aggression, take free showdown.

[srt19170]

Hand #1: Your choice is to play aggressively until someone shows some strength or play passively assuming you're beat and hoping to hit the set.

I probably play it aggressively and bet out on the turn and the river until someone raises me back. Probably most if not all of your opponents are playing overcards, so you don't want to give them free cards. If you bet out on the turn, for instance, CO might have folded his A2.

Hand #2: I hate JJ with overcards on the flop. I think most people here recommend playing it aggressively as above. Personally, I think with 3 opponents there's a good chance that someone has a Q or K with a weak kicker. If you bet they're going to call you but not raise; if you check they'll probably check as well. Right now I tend to check-fold this. I hope someone has a better answer!

-- Scott

[the_rookie]

srt - I thought about hand #1 and felt I should've just bet out and folded to any aggresion. Like you said, dont let anyone get free cards. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

For hand #2 I was last to act so i didn't have the option to check first. Just feared the checkraise so i checked behind him. Hoping he sensed my weakness and would bluff at the river which I would then call. But yeah I agree those jacks aren't easy to play with /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Aaron W.]

I would have checked hand 1 on the flop. Wait and see what happens. You've got a weak and vulernable holding out of position with an overcard and a large field. If it gets checked around, maybe take a stab on the turn (in this case, since the 5 paired, it would be a credible stab). I don't subscribe to the blind agression play.

Once you're heads up on the turn, you should bet it. Why are you afriad of the check-raise? If he check-raises, you fold. By checking with the plan of check-calling the river, you're basically reducing yourself to praying for a bluff. You've got one chance to fold out a better hand (say a queen), and it's the same price as letting the better hand stay in and make you pay (checking the turn will let a queen know his hand is probably good). Which one do you pick?

[the_rookie]

Hey Aaron, did you mean to bet the turn and check behind on the river? Or bet out on the river to try make him fold again?

[Aaron W.]

Bet the turn, check behind on the river. If he check-raises you, or bets the river, get out. That turn bet is the one chance to make him fold a better hand.

The other option, which is a bit weak, is to check behind the turn and fold the river. But if you're going to call that river bet, you might as well put your money in on the turn, when you still have a chance of making a difference.

[srt19170]

[ QUOTE ]

I would have checked hand 1 on the flop.


[/ QUOTE ]

What do you do if someone bets?

-- Scott

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
What do you do if someone bets?

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on who bets and from where and what other players' tendencies are. It's really hard for me to make generalities.

Agressive game, I fold. There are better spots than this one. I'm not putting in lots of money into the pot out of position.

Passive game, EP bet, lots of callers, I fold.

LP bet from a player who likes to take stabs at ragged flops, I check-raise.

No reads, I'll just wait for the next one. There are too many factors working against me in this one (position, number of opponents, weak hand, vulnerable hand if it happens to be best, no backdoor draws, lack of reads...)