critique my play!

[Jon34]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

CO ($230.15)
<font color="#C00000">Hero ($297.10)</font>
SB ($228.40)
BB ($122.25)
UTG ($198)
UTG+1 ($189)
<font color="#C00000">MP1 ($80)</font>
MP2 ($194)
MP3 ($117.95)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif. MP1 posts a blind of $2.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP1 (poster) checks, MP2 calls $2, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, CO calls $2, Hero calls $2, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($12) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 bets $10</font>, MP2 folds, CO folds, Hero calls $10, SB folds, BB folds.

Turn: ($32) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">MP1 bets $20</font>, Hero calls $20.

River: ($72) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">MP1 bets $34</font>, Hero calls $34.

Final Pot: $140

Ok here we go.

Preflop, I often raise here, JJ OTB, but decided not to this time. I've won a few good pots, and don't need to be seen as more of a bully. I think this is fine as a mix it up play, but I usually prefer to raise JJ after just limpers in LP.

Of course I like this flop. I generally don't slowplay anything at all, and the flush and straight draws are not exactly thrilling. At the same time, I think a raise here kills my action completely. A risky slowplay, but I had position and felt it was the most +EV play.

Turn is brutal. If the bettor has a draw it likely just hit. Of course I still have redraws.

Do you call this river? Do you raise? My thinking at the time was that if he was bluffing, the raise is pointless, and I only get called by made hands. In retrospect two pair, a set, etc.. is a possibility on this board as well, and he bet a bit hard on the turn for having made his draw. Many players in his spot check the made flush (or gutshot?), so it might not be his holding enough of the time to make raising worth it.
Also, the bettor only has $14 left after the river bet, so he isn't going to fold anything except a bluff.

In sum: Do you raise the flop? The turn? The river?
I played it a bit weak (though preflop was intentional), but at the time it seemed right.

Thanks in advance for the help.

P.S. That vegas report is coming at some point soon I swear.



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"always should happen" does not equal "should always happen"

[Kaz The Original]

A set... two of a suit. Yep. I raise.

[Jon34]

I usually do too...guess I couldn't help myself this time. What do you think of the river play?

[Sephus]

doesnt he have $14 left? i raise the river, figuring im still ahead more than 50% of the time.

[TheWorstPlayer]

If everyone folds to any raise on the flop, raise every flop. And yes, you should be raising this flop.

[Biff M.]

I don't think limping with jacks on the button is the right time to be "mixing it up", but that's not a big thing. What I would like to do here on the flop, is make a raise that ties him to the pot. That would be $30-35.

If he had A /images/graemlins/spade.gifQ /images/graemlins/spade.gif I would say he played it just like I would, not saying that that is the right play, but I can't see why he didn't go all-in on the river.

[Jon34]

Bettor shows Qh9h and I take it down.
This is one of those hands I know I didn't play perfectly. I usually do raise with sets, but in this case I thought a slow play wasn't so terrible. In retrospect, raising the flop is the smarter play, but knowing his holding it probably wasn't.
The turn I flat called because I thought there was a good chance I was drawing, figuring I was either way ahead or behind and drawing to fill.
I think the river is where I went wrong, and should have raised. His bet seemed a little weird, so I only called, and it was a mistake.

[Biff M.]

He was committed, so raising wouldn't have done any good in this case, and I guess you mean QT for the gut shot straight. You allowed him to put his money in on a semi bluff, and hit his card for free. Of course it was a long shot, but I still think you should have raised. Had he missed he would very likely check-folded the turn not giving you anything. I definitely believe raising is the correct play here.

[GimmeDaWatch]

Well, if you knew he was a chronic bluffer, obviously the correct play is to call on all streets. Unintentionally Well Done!

[Jon34]

Hence the reason I posted the hand. The results were good, as I got 66 of his 80 dollars. That said, against the field, I didn't like my play. It worked out this time, but I was wondering how often I will be beat here, and/or if a turn or river raise would have been better.
Thanks for the help,

Jon