Common situation -- betting draws OOP

[private joker]

A situation that crops up a lot and I've been waffling on the best way to deal with it. Assume a typical loose low-limit table.

You flop a good draw in early position (say you had 87o in the BB and flopped 96x; or you completed K9s from the SB and flopped two of your suit), and bet out into a field of limpers for value.

The turn brings a crappy card -- either an overcard to your OESD (say a Q in the first example) or a rainbow rag to your flush draw. Furthermore, a couple people folded on the flop, reducing the odds so a turn bet wouldn't be for value. Do you keep betting into the field on a semi-bluff? Do you check, hoping it gets checked around? Do you check-call?

[gaming_mouse]

Depends on the field, for me.

If I think there is any decent chance of winning right there, I'll usually bet out. Against true calling stations I will just check/call because, if you know you have no bluff equity, you would prefer not to have pay for this card -- and you always have some small amount of check-around equity.

gm

[captZEEbo1]

a LOT of players will call the flop bet no matter what, so a lot of the time, you'll have to bet the turn. It really depends on HOW many people saw the flop, WHO called, and what the flop was, and what the turn was.

in the 9 hi flop, if the sb folds, and only 2 or 3 guys call turn, you have fold equitiy. If the sb calls, he is likely calling you down. If it's a non-rainbow flop, it might be worth betting flop turn AND river, in case someone is on a flush draw, get them to fold an A hi hand if you miss. But you should NOT be betting a straight draw if it was like A96 (you have 87o) if it's two suited, you are VERY likely to get raised by a top pair, two pair, or flush draw hand.

If there is an A on the flop of your K9s, you can possibly be facing a flop or turn raise, and should probably check-call (or check-raise to juice the pot, depending on who bets and how many callers there are, and the likelihood of getting 3-bet). If it's a raggedy flop, you should likely bet the turn too, seeing as you have a lot of outs, and possibly might win it on the turn.

[private joker]

Right on, brutha. Work it.