4 to a straight on river, check through?

[Mister Z]

BB is 67/4/1 (vpip, pfr, pf aggro). A real mullet...

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (4.50 SB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

Turn: (3.25 BB) T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB calls.

River: (5.25 BB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks.

The way he had called me down on every street seemed very check-raise-a-licious. Is this a possible value bet given the read on opponent? The small pot makes me lean toward checking...

Final Pot: 5.25 BB

[MrWookie47]

While I very frequently advocate betting the river, here looks like one where you can check behind. You want to show down your hand, but there an awful lot of ways for you lose on that board. Plus, you'd have to fold to a check/raise in this small pot. Check behind, and definitely make note if he missed his check/raise.

[Mister Z]

Now that I look this over again, this seems like a no-brainer check-behind.

[einbert]

The thing about being afraid of a checkraise is that if you're afraid the reaction to the checkraise will be difficult, it's a reason for you not to bet. If you can easily fold to the checkraise (as you can here), then the possibility of a checkraise is not a consideration. Your only consideration should be what percentage of the time you have the best hand when your opponent calls.

[cmwck]

When deciding to value bet on the end, pot size has nothing to do with it ; you are always risking one bet to win one bet.
It would help to know his went to SD number, but a value bet is probably very close. He started with a slightly better than random hand, but you have to decide whether he's willing to call the river with nothing.

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
When deciding to value bet on the end, pot size has nothing to do with it ; you are always risking one bet to win one bet.
It would help to know his went to SD number, but a value bet is probably very close. He started with a slightly better than random hand, but you have to decide whether he's willing to call the river with nothing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to say that, but it's not true. In a big pot, the other players will call with weaker hands because they are getting good odds to call. The corollary of that is that in small pots, make value bets less often because you expect to be called less (unless you're playing loose players, in which case "less" is still much much more than reasonable players should call).

[einbert]

This concept only applies against reasonable thinking players. I think that's an important distinction.