Party 5/10, top pair v. flush board and steal raise

[ElSapo]

The cutoff is too loose, but hasn't stood out too much post-flop. How's the river bet? Or should I check-call again? And how to proceed if raised?

Party Poker 5/10 (10 handed)
Hero has A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif and is SB

CO raises, Button folds, Hero 3-bets, BB folds, CO calls

Flop(7 SB): 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Hero bets, CO raises, Hero calls

Turn(5 1/2 BB): 5/images/graemlins/club.gif

Hero checks, CO bets, Hero calls

River(7 1/2 BB): 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif

Hero bets...

[rloftin]

WHY

[ElSapo]

Why bet the river? To keep the CO from checking through a worse ace, or lower pair.

[aron]

I might be to passive, but no way I would bet the river. He might have flopped a set, a flush, twopair and it's not at all unlikely that he's playing AK or AJ.

[MoreWineII]

But chances are villian isn't going to raise with those hands with the nature of this board. And hero is going to call anyway.

[molawn2mo]

Preflop is standard.
Flop is good (protecting your hand vs. villain's singleton D). Villain could have a D, a J or an A for his raise.

Turn. Interesting! If checked through then villain confesses his weakness. If villain bets and you do not C/R then you signal weakness. You must expect a bet from him. If you are going to lead out on the river, why not C/R the turn. Did you check the turn with the intention of leading the river?

Damn interesting hand in its simplicity!

[Rubeskies]

I like check/raising the turn.

In blind steal situations many people will be attempting a steal with any ace or sometimes any decent king. The flop came down ace high and if he has Ax, he's probably going to raise you. Also, he might be raising you with the K or Q of /images/graemlins/diamond.gif as a semi-bluff.

Given this range of hands I would check/raise the turn because your equity is now much higher when the blank falls on turn. I'm folding to a 3-bet.

[ElSapo]

But can I fold to a raise?

[colgin]

[ QUOTE ]
But can I fold to a raise?

[/ QUOTE ]

I could not. The pot is way too big for you to fold for one more bet here, particularly in light of the fact that the stop-and-go nature of the way you played the hand may cause your opponent to not put you on an Ace and therefore raise with his worse Ace on the end.

[ElSapo]

Opponent showed Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, causing me to doubt the river bet, if I couldn't fold to a raise. But it sounds like you have to call the river, so... Ok, just one of those hands.

[mike_wzrd]

The only situation I can see where this strategy is correct would be if the villian has a big diamond and is betting the diamond draw, so you want to charge him an extra BB now. Most of the time you are either way ahead or way behind. If way ahead, he'll probably fold to a check raise. Way behind, then I want to get to a showdown cheap. If you check raise me when I'm way ahead, a good % of the time I'll just call and raise you on the river. I won't reraise on the turn for fear you might fold.

The river is interesting because
1) If he has nothing he might fold to a bet, but bluff again if you check. It's player dependent because a loose player will call with Ax.
2) If he is way ahead he'll check-raise and I don't know that I could fold in that situation.

[Sundevils21]

[ QUOTE ]
WHY

[/ QUOTE ]

I many not be the first to notice this but every single one of rloftin's posts have been the exact same. "WHY" in all caps. I guess I just have one thing to say to you rloftin...
WHY
(I won't be too rude as I suspect this might be another poster's "clone")

[bakku]

Why didn't you 3-bet the flop?

[JasonP530]

On most of these hands, I prefer to retain the initiative in case a diamond falls. If you just call the flop and a diamond comes, you should probably fold, although it could be the best hand by a lot. You should play it fast and see how your opponent reacts. If you decide to checkraise the turn and get 3 bet, I think you have to fold then and there.

[J.R.]

Flop(7 SB): 3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, J /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Hero bets, CO raises, Hero calls I shudder

Turn(5 1/2 BB): 5 /images/graemlins/club.gif

Hero checks My shudder intensifies


How about a flop 3-bet? Blind steal, you got owned if a he has a single diamond and an A will still see you to the river if you 3-bet. There are a lot of aces and lesser garbage your friend can have here seeing that he employs the too loose preflop strategy.

And 3-betting is fun stuff. It creates a don't f' with me image, and that's nice in a tight game where they will f' with you in steal spots otherwise. I vote for jack it up.

[J.R.]

"I like check/raising the turn...Also, he might be raising you with the K or Q of as a semi-bluff."

His opponent is loose but we have no mention of any over-aggressiveness. IMO this player checks the turn with these hands v. a TAG who 3-bet preflop and led the A high flop.