Bet or check-raise the river?

[Sooga]

PP 2/4 table. Fairly loose game, though it's tightened up a bit the last couple hands. I have Q /forums/images/icons/heart.gif T /forums/images/icons/heart.gif in EP and make a questionable play and open-limp. Two limpers to the button who raises. Now, the button is a 2/4 regular, and he's been raising fairly liberally up to now, so I'm not really putting him on a premium hand. He does seem to play fairly trickily postflop, so I'm gonna tread lightly. Blinds fold, I call, limpers call. Four to the flop:

*** FLOP *** : [ 4 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 7 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 5 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif ]

Checked to the button who bets, I checkraise, limpers fold, he calls. Heads up to the turn:

*** TURN *** : [ 4 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 7 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 5 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif ] [ Q /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif ]

I bet, he raises. AA, KK, AQ, maybe AdKd or possibly a slowplayed set is really all I can realistically put him on right now. I call. Heads up to the river:

*** RIVER *** : [ 4 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 7 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 5 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif Q /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif ] [ Q /forums/images/icons/spade.gif ]

Bet here, or try for the check raise? Results later...

[MarkD]

My first reaction to this hand is: ugh. To answer your question I think you should bet the river and if he raises again reraise him. I think if you check it, unless he has a queen chances are he is going to check it behind you and you lose at least a bet (I believe he will call you on the end and that he has AA, KK or AK suited in hearts or diamonds).

Preflop: Fold. I don't think it's horrible, but I think this is a hand that should be folded in EP.

Flop: Bet it or check / call. I think the check raise is simply horrible. I guess you clean up your overcard outs (if they are good at all), but if both those limpers come in behind you you are making profit on that simply by calling and investing the least amount of your money. It also gives you a good chance to check raise the turn which is a strong play most people respect.

Turn: Since you check / raised this is an obviousy bet and obvious call of the raise. I see little value in 3 betting him here although it's a consideration. If I had check / called the flop I would now check raise the turn.

River: As I described above.

[Sooga]

My thinking in check raising the flop was that if I could get it heads up, and if he has just overcards, I might be able to win the pot on the turn without making my hand. If I bet into the field or just check-call the flop, I will surely have to make my hand to win the pot...

[Clarkmeister]

Good post.

I think your open limp in that game can be OK on some nights, and poor in others. As tight as you play, open raising might be your best option if you decide to play it. For me its a "game texture at the moment" type of decision.

I like your flop checkraise unless he is the typical "I *will* show down my AK" PP player.

On the river its an easy checkraise. You slowed down when he raised the queen. He won't dream of checking behind. In PP 2-4 games he could still easily have a pocket pair between 88-AA, Any big ace, any two diamonds, or QJs, KQs, AQ. All of these hands are betting the river. Even the ace highs won't fold to your checkraise in this pot.

Checkraise.

[Sooga]

After some deliberation, I decided to bet. I really was leaning towards check-raising, but I just flipped a coin in my head and decided to bet. Coulda gone either way. He called, I showed, he mucked. I looked in the hand history and he had AA. I guess he did have a premium hand this time!