KJs Hand

[swolfe]

I'm not sure about raising KJ. How was my play with this?

Party Poker Pot-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB ($118.1)
UTG ($231.11)
UTG+1 ($89.79)
UTG+2 ($103.7)
MP1 ($85)
MP2 ($259.77)
Hero ($100)
CO ($276.97)
Button ($185.9)
SB ($42.8)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif. SB posts a blind of $1.
<font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $7</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, SB (poster) calls $6, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: ($16) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $15.2</font>, SB calls $15.20.

Turn: ($46.40) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: ($46.40) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $21</font>. SB calls $20.16, SB is all-In

Final Pot: $46.40

[tbach24]

I might opt to check behind on this flop. The river was play pretty standard.

[JaBlue]

You don't need to always make the pot sized bet. I would probably have bet 10$, taken the free card on the turn, and pushed the river. I think you played it fine though.

[soah]

I'm not sure how the full ring players play, but at six max at Party checking that flop could induce a turn bet from just about anything, which would be a minor disaster. I like betting that flop to prevent giving a free card to other no-pair hands, to give baby pocket pairs a chance to fold, to give yourself a chance to take a free river card, and to build the pot in case you do hit. If you get called on the flop by a small pair you're probably a favorite to win the hand so your flop bet cost nothing in terms of EV.

[TheWorstPlayer]

That is how I would have played it. I often make 2/3 pot bets though, whether I hit or not. It is enough to give incorrect odds to draw, makes bets cheaper when I have missed the flop, makes people sense a little weakness so I often get called down by people with TP crap kicker, etc. who don't like folding for 'small' bets (when of course I am out-kicking them). But your play looks fine. I think it is a style thing.

[tbach24]

The reason that I prefer checking here is that you get a free card. I think raising the turn depending on the card would be good if the other player bet out.

[soah]

If you have more than 50% pot equity then you don't need to see the turn for free. The time that you want to take a free card is when you miss on the turn and you lose half of your pot equity. Plus there is a reasonable chance that you either have the best hand on the flop, or that you can get your opponent to fold something like ace high.

[tbach24]

Good point. I was just being stubborn. TY for taking the time to explain it to me.

[TheWorstPlayer]

Exactly. It seems like a lot of people fire again on the turn in this situation. THAT is a bad play because you don't have much equity, you have the free card and you are fairly likely to get check/raised. This hand was played very well, in my opinion. Checking on the flop when you get a favorable flop heads up is very bad.

[jimdmcevoy]

As with most others who replied, with a flop like this I think you should bet just enough so you are very sure he won't bet the turn.

[Kaz The Original]

Preflop is sketchy but other than that perfectly played. Also the best river card for you.

[swolfe]

sketchy? the raise in general? or the amount?

he showed down K/images/graemlins/club.gif5/images/graemlins/club.gif and MHWG

[ohkanada]

I think you played it fine post-flop. I don't like raising with it. If you get called you can never be happy when you hit a pair because your opponents could have aj or ak.

Ken

[swolfe]

CO and Button were both playing pretty tight (and had weak-tight WtSD% of 15-20%/W$SD &gt; 60%). if they had called, i'd have played it more cautiously. SB and BB were a bit loose, SB more-so (obviously), so I figured it was a good enough hand to raise and steal the blinds or catch them playing crap.

thanks for the responses, guys.