massive split pot

[nicky g]

i think i played this very poorly, i'd like some opinions on it.

playing at a very sweet online site in a full %73-seeing the-flop-game. so far very loose passive, though i've only been there 15 minutes or so. anyway i find pocket kings on the small blind. EP player raises, 5 call, I reraise, he caps, all call.

the flop is 8s 5h 2h. i bet out, hoping a raise from EP man will drop a few players. nope, he raises, but all call. i reraise, he caps, all call.

turn card is a nightmare - 8h, completing flushes and meaning i lose to anyone with an 8. I am also worryied about EP having AA, as he's not got out of line so far (though the general standard of play is poor enough to make this by no means particularly likely). i check - bad? EP bets, 5 calls. now i actually have pot odds to catch a king. i call, closing the betting, and thinking that i may be winning as a flush or an 8 probably raises.

river a 5. so now any 5, 8, flush or potential pocket aces beat me. I check, thinking it's impossible that none of the five limpers had neither a flush draw, nor top or middle pair. EP bets. all call to me. Now I seriosuly consider raising, because noone is going to be slowplaying at this stage. but like a wuss i call, fearing aces more than anything else. i turn over my kings, EP shows pocket jacks, folded round to an MP caller who shows pocket kings as well! split pot and i am a bit annoyed at splitting such a monster and missing lots of extra bets.

any thoughts? i think i had decent position relative to the raiser, and should have realised he was the only real threat. i wonder if the man i split with would have folded to capped rivers and turns; should i have been betting and raising to do all i could to win the large pot? the betting indicated i could well be winning (though a i said, most players were vv passive; eg other pocket kings guy who never put in a raise), but from a card holding point of view tht seemed impossible. anyway, this is my first experience of a truly crazy capped multiway pot where hardly anyone seems to have a clue what's going on, and i was wondering how i could have played better.

[Homer]

I think you played it fine. On the turn, there is a damn good chance you are behind to AA, a flush, or trip 8's, so a check is probably the best play. If there is a bet and a raise, you can safely fold, and if it is bet and called around to you, you have odds to catch a K (as you said). On the river, when there is a bet and 5 callers, there is no way your hand is worth a raise. I'm not even sure it is worth a call, but I suppose with the pot being enormous, these players being idiots, and your call closing the action, it is worth throwing in one last bet as a crying call. Keep in mind that just because no one raised on the river, your Kings aren't necessary good. Someone could easily have AA, a flush, or a 5. None of these hands would raise on the river, most likely.

-- Homer

[rigoletto]

I don't think you played it poorly, but if I'm going to call the turn anyway I would bet out instead: Betting into this board and the raiser is a show of strenght that might fold some draws and a hand like AA + other pocket pairs. If you're raised it's an easy fold, if you're called you know that your hand might actually be good. If called by more than one I would check the river unless a K falls.

[Homer]

It's not an easy fold if you bet and are raised on the turn. The pot is so large that you will be getting odds to call in the hopes of spiking a King on the river.

-- Homer

[polarbear]

What draws are going to fold with this big a pot? No clueless player is ever going to fold any draw with this pot. Maybe a gutshot str8, but I doubt it. Just remember, all those guys called the river with garbage. They all mucked to pocket jacks. What could they possibly have that couldnt beat JJ? Sure they all could have a pocket pair but I think they were clueless and had garbage.

[rigoletto]

Dammit Homer you're right /forums/images/icons/wink.gif