Was not betting this flop a mistake?

[akvsaq]

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, CO calls, Button calls, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (6 SB) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP2 checks, CO checks, Button checks.

Turn: (3 BB) 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls.

River: (5 BB) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero calls.

Final Pot: 6 BB

I checked because I wanted to attempt a check-raise w/ my TPNK or fold depending on the betting action and my chances of thinning the field. My question is should I usually lead in this multi-way pot or usually attempt a check-raise. What if it was a smaller top pair? Thank you in advance for your help guys.

[ihardlyknowher]

[ QUOTE ]
I checked because I wanted to attempt a check-raise w/ my TPNK or fold depending on the betting action and my chances of thinning the field.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who do you expect to bet so you can c/r?

[damaniac]

Normally with a large field its a decent bet that someone will bet, however with the flop this raggedy about the only thing you may see bet is A5, overcards (maybe), a pp &gt;5, or a T, and all of those won't even bet. Given this, I don't think it gets bet all that often, so I'd just bet out.

[akvsaq]

Ihardly, my thinking was... to take a chance and wait and see how the action develops, if a late position bet so I can isolation raise or if it gets bet early with a lot of callers I drop. However, in this case it didn't get bet and got checked around and I let someone beat me with a runner-runner flush.

[ihardlyknowher]

Unless you have a specific read that a player in late position is aggressive, you should bet here. On a flop this dry, top pair could very likely be the winner at SD. Don't give all those overcards out there a free card.

[speirs]

Bet the flop. What happened on the river?

[akvsaq]

Well speirs, somebody caught a flush draw on turn, and made the flush on river. My bet would have probably made him fold the flop.

[mdeck]

The flop is raggedy, and odds are everyone else missed. They won't bet for you, and you have a vulnerable hand. I believe you must bet the flop.

[crunchy1]

[ QUOTE ]
Was not betting this flop a mistake?

[/ QUOTE ]
No. You're thinking is fine. Do not let your unfavorable results put doubt into your mind - this is the road to becoming weak tight.

You played the hand fine. Thinking on the flop was good (assuming you had a good read that the late postion folks would be betting when checked to a decent percentage of the time). Leading the turn was good. Depending on the read of SB I'm probably raising on the river and calling a 3-bet (unless I have a very solid LP read - in which case I'd probably just call).

Realize this. Chances are very good that even if someone in LP had bet the flop, SB was still going to call that one bet. Then you check-raise to narrow the field and SB calls that raise as well. You've just tied him to the pot - and he's going to catch his flush anyways. If he's the kind of player that is going to call flops with runner/runner draws - there's nothing you can do about it.

If there were a few less players (like &lt;= 4) - I would be leading that flop 100% of the time. I'd also be leading if the late position guys in this hand were passive - you need to get at least one bet in on the flop there.

[Grease]

[ QUOTE ]
this is the road to becoming weak tight.


[/ QUOTE ]

To the Dark Side, this leads.

But really, I agree with what crunchy says here. I thought that checking the flop and going for the c/r was the superior move due to the large number of people in the hand. The reverse implied odds are against you here (right?, or am I wrong), and it's worth it to try to clear out the field with a c/r. I liked the turn, and i hope you raised the river when the SB led out.

[27offsooot]

checking TPNK out of the blinds with a large field is standard. nice hand.

[thejameser]

your thinking is good, but your read was bad. i wouldn't check that unless i was very, very confident that someone would bet LP. it is a textbook c/r situation, don't get me wrong; the problem you run into in small stakes is the passivity/weakness of many players that will check with nothing as readily as they will call with nothing. this is where you missed the bet. the books take into account a "typical" game with "typical" players which to them is mid-limit players with a little more of a clue than your average donk. you played it well outside of missing the flop. also, i may have raised the river, based on reads.

[brettbrettr]

Yes, but on the other hand I'm more likely to lead a ten high flop than a king high one. I think the distinction here is important.

[crunchy1]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, but on the other hand I'm more likely to lead a ten high flop than a king high one. I think the distinction here is important.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure I understand you here. Are you saying that you're more likely to lead this 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gifT/images/graemlins/spade.gif5/images/graemlins/heart.gif flop with T/images/graemlins/heart.gif7/images/graemlins/spade.gif against 4 opponents than you are to lead a 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gifK/images/graemlins/spade.gif5/images/graemlins/heart.gif flop with K/images/graemlins/heart.gif7/images/graemlins/spade.gif against 4 opponents?

Because I'm leading both of these flops around 100% of the time.

[brettbrettr]

I'm leading both too. What I meant to get across is that I suspect Hero's has a higher liklihood of being ahead on the ten-high flop than the king-high one. I think there's more room for the c/r iso move with a king-high flop, though I'm probably not making that play anyways.

[QTip]

[ QUOTE ]
checking TPNK out of the blinds with a large field is standard. nice hand.

[/ QUOTE ]