Blind defense at Stars 2/4 6-max

[cmwck]

SB is loose, somewhat passive, and goes way too far with his hands (60% showdowns seen). He is sophisticated enough to know about raising from the small blind to steal the big blind though.

PokerStars 2/4 Hold'em (5 handed) (6-max)converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises</font>, Hero calls.

Flop: (4 SB) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero....?


What are some plans for this hand? That is a scary board if you have nothing, so I don't want to start raising right off the bat and make him drop a hand that's way behind.

On the other hand, since he's loose and bad, he may not fold if he has any piece of the board at all: an ace, a 3, a 2, or a heart (maybe even 4x or 5x).

I know I need to throw a raise in here somewhere, but where?

Raise the turn? Call the flop, turn, and raise/bet a non-heart river? What are my plans for a heart falling on the river vs. a non-heart falling on the river?

[Wynton]

I call the flop and raise the turn.

[Bluffoon]

I raise the flop. If he has a high heart he is in for the duration and you have to make him pay to draw out. I am trying to take this pot before another heart falls.

[Subby]

I think you get more mileage out of raising the flop here. You get better information and you do a better job of protecting a vulnerable hand.

[Isura]

[ QUOTE ]
I call the flop and raise the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this. We fold to heart turn if bet into again right?

[Benman]

If you think an opponent is in until the river with a draw, then the best way to make him pay is to get as much money in on the flop and turn combined. Raising the turn has the best chance of this because it could win 2 bets rather than 1.5. Plus, if he has something like a pair of nines, then raising the turn is much more profitable than raising the flop.

[Bluffoon]

[ QUOTE ]
If you think an opponent is in until the river with a draw, then the best way to make him pay is to get as much money in on the flop and turn combined. Raising the turn has the best chance of this because it could win 2 bets rather than 1.5. Plus, if he has something like a pair of nines, then raising the turn is much more profitable than raising the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

If he is on the heart draw he is going to check through the turn and you are not going to charge him anything.

[Benman]

I don't understand. Aren't you going to bet the turn behind if if he checks, and then won't he call? That would only win you one bet, versus 1.5 if you had raised the flop. But I look at it this way, raising the turn has the chance to win you either 2.0 or 1.0 bets, for a rough average of 1.5 bets won, exactly the same as raising the flop would accomplish, so it's kind of a wash against a draw. But, waiting to raise has the added advantage against a hand like a pocket pair, though, so I think it's the better course. I could be wrong, though.

[Bluffoon]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't understand. Aren't you going to bet the turn behind if if he checks, and then won't he call? That would only win you one bet, versus 1.5 if you had raised the flop. But I look at it this way, raising the turn has the chance to win you either 2.0 or 1.0 bets, for a rough average of 1.5 bets won, exactly the same as raising the flop would accomplish, so it's kind of a wash against a draw. But, waiting to raise has the added advantage against a hand like a pocket pair, though, so I think it's the better course. I could be wrong, though.

[/ QUOTE ]

My bad I thought the op was out of position. Your line has merit in this case.

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
so I don't want to start raising right off the bat and make him drop a hand that's way behind.

[/ QUOTE ]
Given your very loose postflop and somewhat passive read, it does not seem very likely that he will fold to a flop raise after taking such an aggressive stance. If he is really that far behind he may checkfold the turn anyway after you smoothcall. That's even worse than folding him out on the flop.

I would raise the flop because I'm not at all certain he will bet the turn when you want him to. Once again this comes back to your read. Your hand is not so great and continued aggression on his part calls your superiority into question.