Protecting KK

[ElAnimal]

I'm just a 2+2 newcomer, so please help me out if there's a standard approach here.

This is a hypothetical $3-$6 hand. Assume you have no reads.

Preflop: Hero has K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif K/images/graemlins/club.gif in the SB.
MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls, Hero raises, BB calls, limpers all call.

Flop: J/images/graemlins/spade.gif 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif 10/images/graemlins/spade.gif

Which of these apporaches would you choose? If neither, why?

1. Bet out for value, knowing it doesn't protect your hand against any gutshots, Aces (except A6 and lower) and mid/bottom pairs. I really hope no one tells me they would bet to “charge” the flush draws/OESDs.

2. Check, hoping to raise a late position bettor to protect your hand against those weak draws or, if it's checked through, lead the turn on a blank now that those draws won't have the odds to continue.)


I bet for value virtually every time, but after re-reading the chapter on protecting your hand in SSHE, I'm second-guessing myself. Please talk slow and use little words.

Thanks.

[toss]

I'd just bet it out. I don't really like going for a checkraise and I don't having it checked trhough either.

[garion888]

Lead it...

[callydrias]

Bet. You don't know where a bet might come from so you don't even know if a checkraise would be effective. A bet from your immediate left would have just about the same effect on the field as a bet from you, except it spoils your checkraise plan because everyone who has stayed would only have to call one additional bet in a huge pot. Having it checked through would be very bad.

The advantage of early position is that you can use an opponent's aggression against them with a checkraise. Since nobody else has shown aggression, you're just left with bad position - and KK, which could definitely be worse /images/graemlins/smile.gif