Vulnerable TP in Unraised 8-Handed Pot

This was one of the loosest tables I've ever played on. I saw people calling down on the river with crap like Q-high even!

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/club.gif. MP3 posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+2 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls, MP3 (poster) checks, CO calls, Button calls, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (8 SB) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(8 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, MP2 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Button checks.

Turn: (4 BB) 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(8 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG folds, UTG+2 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls.

River: (6 BB) A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB folds.

Final Pot: 7 BB


FLOP: I checked for a few reasons-

1) My hand wasn't that strong. I wanted to see how much action there was before me. If only a LP player bet, I'd raise it to try to thin the field.

2) My hand was extremely vulnerable. Overcards, gutshots, middle or bottom pair, OESDs, random pocket pairs, etc. all could be out there in an 8-handed pot.

3) The pot was big (by SSHE standards). Leading out would give people 9:1 or better odds.

I was surprised NO ONE bet that flop. I figured my top-pair was best so far.

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TURN: Now's my opportunity to protect my hand. Betting only gives them 5:1 odds with one card to come. The only hands that worry me here would be 52 and 75 and I wanted to know sooner rather than later whether my hand would hold up.

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RIVER: I still thought my hand was best.

Anyone think I should have played it differently?

[MrWookie47]

I think this is great.

[milesdyson]

nice hand

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not confident about my turn play. I wasn't sure whether checking to see the action was good, or if I should bet and then see who raised me and how many players called.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you want to check? Didn't the flop check-check-check-check-check-check-check-check give you all the information you need? How many hands do you seriously imagine improved over yours when the 4 fell? MAYBE one of the two straights came in. MAYBE somebody has two pair now. However, it's far more likely that everyone still has crap and your hand needs to be protected from overcards.

You just gave the reasons why I bet. You're right, I shouldn't fear the worst.

I take it everyone agrees checking TP on that flop was the right play? (With the intent of check-raising, of course.)

[SlantNGo]

Yup, betting gives everyone else at least 9:1 to call and you can't feel good to a raise.