10-20 Hand: Well played or did I get lucky?

[Jeffage]

This 10-20 hand occurred online. Pretty good game. I have 44 in the big blind. Two people limp and the button raises. SB drops, I call, limpers call. 4 to the flop for $20 each. Flop comes 8-3-8r. Check to the button who bets, I raise. Limpers drop, button 3-bets. Button is a wild player who would push hard with overcards here. Of course, he could have a big hand. I call. Anyone 4-bet? Anyone fold? On the turn, an offsuit 9 drops (8-3-8-9). I check. The button checks. I HATE THIS PLAY. Anyone do a stop and go and lead out. I just feel like if I bet and the button raises, I have to fold, but he is capable of raising again with the AK and folding to a 3-bet. Yet, giving a free card may be a disaster for me. Anyway, the river comes another 3. Final board is 8-3-8-9-3. I bet bc he will pay off with an ace. He calls. My hand was good. Comments and flames appreciated, as I thought this hand was interesting =).

Jeff

[Jim Brier]

Gutsy, but well-played. The check-raise move on the flop was highly effective in protecting your hand when it happens to be best. But when you get 3-bet, all you can do is call and check the turn if a blank hits. You have to risk the free card since the vast majority of the time you will be beat in this sequence. But when your opponent fails to follow through with a bet on the turn, you know your hand can easily be good. I would have checked the river, hope to induce a bluff from a worse hand, and pay off a better hand. I don't think your hand is good enough to bet the river but it is good enough to call if he bets.

Overall, well-played.

[JTG51]

I'm going to say both. Well played and you got lucky. Of course, it's only a good play because you had a good read on the player.

I would have a really hard time 4 betting or folding on the flop, so I like just calling his 3 bet.

I don't like leading the turn for exactly the reason you said. You would have to fold if he raised. If you know he'd raise with overcards as well as a big hand, I think just checking is the right play.

You have an easy river bet once he checks behind on the flop.

[Inthacup]

I think the flop check-raise was great for hand protection. After he 3 bets the flop, you aren't going to get any more info on whether he has big pair or not by capping. Call is good. I would prefer giving the guy a free card on the turn, as opposed to simply calling on the flop. And I would rather risk getting checked behind on the turn, than raised by leading out. Even with his turn check, you can be fairly confident he'd call your river bet with overcards, due to pot size. No need to try to induce a bluff on river. Good flop play.