I almost gave a free card...

[jen]

AJs, 15-30. I hadn't been there in ages -- the game was great with a lot of people I've not seen before but also maddeningly slow.

I had A /forums/images/icons/club.gif A /forums/images/icons/heart.gif UTG. I limped. Five called. Button raised. SB called. BB folded. I re-raised. All called. 7-handed for 3-bets apiece. (The two best players were sitting out this hand.)

Flop: 9 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 5 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 2 /forums/images/icons/club.gif

I bet out. All called.

Turn: [9 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 5 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif 2 /forums/images/icons/club.gif ] J /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif

What's your action here? I checked. All checked to the button. Button bet. I raised. All folded, including the button. Solid pro to my right who folded pre-flop and was watching the action said "interesting" under his breath as he watched the button fold.

I figured I played this wrong as I almost gave a free card on the turn. There were so many people behind me that I wanted to see what action developed, and I didn't want to get bet out of the hand. But now, I'm thinking that was a mistake, particularly so in 15-30 where the aggression isn't like the higher limit games. But even if it were higher limit, I'm wondering if maybe I should've bet out as well. Any thoughts?

[elysium]

hi jen
you played it perfectly. what you might have done on the flop though was check-raise, then bet out on the turn. that would have been good too here. but i like your way just as well. that's how to do it.

[Tyler Durden]

I think your real problem was not raising preflop. You've got the nuts, get some money in there! A raise by you will get the button to fold T7s, or some other marginal idiot holding that will draw out on you.

[Homer]

She limp-reraised preflop. Seven-handed for three bets a piece...I'd say she got some money in there. I'm guessing you misread the post?

[Ulysses]

When the game is like that, a single turn bet is likely to start a call-a-thon w/ every singleton diamond, pair, or gutshot calling - you know, just in case. I think doing anything possible to take it down on the turn is the way to go. I'd definitely go for a checkraise.

[Softrock]

Hi Jen - my question to you is what were you hoping to have happen when you just checked the turn? I agree that you really don't want to give a free card here - worst is for someone with some lousy draw who backs in with a small diamond. The question is what's the best way to not allow all the weak draws. Bet and hope someone raises behind you and drives out others? Or go for a check-raise? I get the impression that when you checked you weren't thinking of a check-raise but were thinking something like "Oh [censored], someone must have made a flush". I would usually bet but if I suspected anything like what actually happened then I would have done what you did.

Additionally, "almost" doesn't count. You recovered and made a good play even if that's not how you'd thought it out to begin with. Happens to me all the time - I make a quick decision (fearing I've been drawn out on for instance) but by the time the action gets back to me I can see things more clearly and sometimes compensate correctly.

So, nothing wrong with how you actually played it - the only mistake may have been how you'd intended to play it but that really doesn't count.

[jen]

Softrock - I didn't necessarily fear a made flush when I checked the turn (after all, no one raised me on the flop). But since there were so many players, I wanted to see what action developed behind (I thought I could check-raise a single bet, consider my action for a double-bet, safely fold for three bets...). But I think I badly misjudged the character of the game -- at the time, I didn't think there was much of a chance for the turn to get checked around. In retrospect, I think I should've bet out in this type of game. I think in higher limits, maybe it's right to hope for a check-raise, but then that's probably not realistic -- when would seven players ever see the flop for three bets apiece in a 40-80?

[Tyler Durden]