KTs from the Button...

[Harv72b]

BB is TA-N over ~200 hands. MP1 is unknown but hasn't done anything noteworthy over ~20 hands. UTG+1 is megaloose preflop but a solid postflop player.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is Button with T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif. CO posts a blind of $3.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP3 calls, CO (poster) checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP3 calls, CO folds.

Flop: (11.33 SB) Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP3 folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (7.16 BB) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, BB calls, MP1 calls.

River: (13.16 BB) Q/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero...?

BB's play has looked a lot like a flush draw, so he's probably not calling a river bet anyway. So is there value in a bet here?

Also interested in comments on the other streets. I'm trying to get more aggressive with hands like this preflop vs. many limpers, hence the PFR. On the flop it seemed like a better idea to call while closing the action &amp; raise a blank turn card...right thinking?

[Entity]

I would raise the flop. Turn is good. Bet the river.

[Jake (The Snake)]

I would agree. I'd like to punish drawin hands on the flop. Turn is fine. River, I would bet... I'm really not sure if I get raised though.

[Harv72b]

What worries me on the river is the Q pairing...I would think that if MP1 flopped TP, he would have raised to put the pressure on me; on the other hand, he'd just call with something like middle pair or a draw. On the river, middle pair just jumped ahead of me, and no draws came in, so I felt like this was one of those situations where a worse hand won't call, but a better hand will c/r (or maybe check/call with a hand like KJ).

On the flop, I'm thinking that if they are drawing, they'll just check/call the turn (unless another spade or a straight completing card comes); if I do get a blank turn card, I can charge them more with a turn raise. I just say this because I usually do raise the flop in this situation, but I've been looking harder at this line &amp; it seems like a better option?

[Entity]

[ QUOTE ]
if I do get a blank turn card, I can charge them more with a turn raise

[/ QUOTE ]

This is only true if/when they bet the turn, which they will do less frequently into several people on the turn.

Rob

[Shillx]

Me says bet the river. This is a straight forward value bet imo. It doesn't look like the BB will call but you never know. You will get paid by a worse hand from MP1 far more then you will get check/raised here.

Brad

[private joker]

Is this a standard PFR for everybody? I've been raising KJs here and ATs obviously, but KTs I often limp. Maybe this is why my PFR is so low.

[Harv72b]

I've seen PFR's like this mentioned in other threads by some of the more experienced players, and it does make sense to me--with that many limpers (4 + a poster in my case) and the blinds behind you, a hand like KTs should have a pretty good EV if you hit the flop (and you can easily fold to a bet if you don't). Basically the same as raising suited connectors here, but you're making up for the decreased straight potential with an increased chance of winning with TP.

Anyway, I checked through on the river. BB had As3s, while MP1 was holding Js5s. I'm as close to 100% sure as I can get that BB would've folded to a river bet, and I can't imagine MP1 calling with J high, so it probably didn't make a difference in this hand (although I did get a bit more action on my PFRs for a few orbits afterwards).

I guess I'm still having trouble seeing any worse hands that would call a river bet on this board, though, barring some spectacularly bad play by my opponents?

[BDP]

I think the preflop raise is fine. I question whether or not I would do it, but I don't fault anyone who would. I would raise the flop since I think I have the best hand and to charge the draws. The turn raise is fine, but like someone has said already, raising on the turn to really charge draws only works if a drawing hand bets before you. And even if they do call, they are not making a mistake by calling a raise when they already have 1 bet out there. I'd bet the river here for value. The third spade never came and I'd feel confident no one has a queen. Given the action I can't see how anyone with just middle pair stuck around. True, it's a little scary but I'm willing to take a chance by betting for value. Plus if no one calls you, you have the added bonus of not showing your hand.

I welcome any and all comments to my reasoning as I'm trying to improve my play just like everyone else!

[Nick C]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this a standard PFR for everybody? I've been raising KJs here and ATs obviously, but KTs I often limp. Maybe this is why my PFR is so low.

[/ QUOTE ]

Usually, I would raise JTs in this spot and also sometimes T9s (that would depend more on the table, though).

Anyway, I like the preflop raise.

[partygirluk]

For the river betters, what do you do if MP1 Checkraises?

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this a standard PFR for everybody? I've been raising KJs here and ATs obviously, but KTs I often limp. Maybe this is why my PFR is so low.

[/ QUOTE ]

I raise in this spot.

[BDP]

as much as I would want to fold, I'd probably call and hate myself in the process

[IndieMatty]

preflop raise is good. I personally raise the flop 65% of the time, the other I raise the turn and...

take the free showdown.

Why? You got the same amount of bets in had there been no betting into you, the Q scares the bejeesus out of me, and my T kicker sorta sucks. I expect to win this a lot, but not getting checkraised on the river produces many sanity points.

[IndieMatty]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess I'm still having trouble seeing any worse hands that would call a river bet on this board, though, barring some spectacularly bad play by my opponents?

[/ QUOTE ]



Harv, you played this really well.

[sthief09]

I like it as long as you don't check the river

[tetonpete]

aren't you supposed to have the best hand here 55% of the time you're called? I think you're ahead way more than that, but if you're called/cr'ed, i doubt it