A River Check/Raise

[Subfallen]

BB seems straightforward here, 42.9/19.6/1.2 over a meaningful 50 hands. My thoughts were that his play looked very much like an A or a draw. If it's a draw, he doesn't call a river bet, so might as well try to induce a bluff. If it's an A, he almost certainly value bets it.

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (6 max, 3 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Loser is SB with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Loser raises</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (4 SB) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Loser bets</font>, BB calls.

Turn: (3 BB) 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Loser bets</font>, BB calls.

River: (5 BB) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Loser checks, <font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Loser raises</font>, BB calls.

Final Pot: 9 BB

[mperich]

I might river checkraise as much or more than any1 on this forum, but I dont like it here. If he is passive enough to play his draw like this he will check behind on the river a pretty large amount of the time. Also, why would you say he has either an A or a draw? I expect an ace to put in a raise somewhere. I would be more inclined to put him on an 8 or a 9, which will probably take a free showdown.

-Mike

[Subfallen]

[ QUOTE ]
If he is passive enough to play his draw like this he will check behind on the river a pretty large amount of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good point, pushes this towards value betting the river.

I'm curious however: on which street do you expect to see an average player raise with his A? IMO people frequently opt for a WA/WB line, just making sure that one bet goes in on every street.

[mperich]

I find the WA/WB line is used a lot less by a) bad players and b) players who are in a battle of the blinds, since any pair is probably calling down anyways. I rarely use WA/WB if I was the BB in this hand.

-Mike

[Subfallen]

Then you raise the turn here with A5 in BB's shoes?

[mperich]

Flop most likely. Turn is pushing it a bit, but depending on the SB maybe. Sometimes river. Sometimes not at all. Depends on what will shut them down if they have a worse hand. Sorry that was kind of confusing, in short, "it depends"

-Mike