$109: Folded to the blinds

I'm posting this hand backwards because I think it's more interesting.

bad_egg has 1025 chips
HERO has 975 chips

bad_egg posts small blind (25 chips)
HERO post big blind (50 chips)

Dealt to Hero Qh Jd

folded all around to bad_egg who completes
Hero checks

Flop: Ks Jh 3c
bad_egg checks
Hero bets 50, bad_egg calls

Turn: Ad
bad_egg checks, Hero bets 50, bad_egg calls

River: Qs
Pot has 300 chips in it.
bad_egg checks, Hero bets 50, bad_egg raises 350 to 400.

You have two pair, queens and jacks. What do you do?

[adanthar]

You guys both played it very very badly regardless of your hand.

Also, with a read of 'decent', while I wouldn't have bet the river, I am calling this.

Assuming your read of "decent":

What if I led out for 300 chips (the pot) on the river?

Are you calling a checkraise for any amount up to 350 chips? Is there an amount you wouldn't call for?

[jedinite]

Why bet 50 on the river? Trying to fake a value bet?

I usually check behind here, as you're not usually going to get called by a worse hand and with a small bet like 50 you seem to be opening yourself to getting outplayed.

Unless you're convinced you've got the best hand, are faking a value bet / weakness to draw out a bluff, in which case you certainly have to call the river.

I'm going to call this most of the time baring any reads on him being a rock, now that we're in this situation, but I really don't like it.

Leading for 300 is better than leading for 50 in my opinion, but now you've got to give consideration to what are you going to do if your opponent pushes. Better to lead for 300 than lead for 50 and call another 300 though.

[helpmeout]

The extra 50 you get from a rare call by a weaker 2 pair is insignificant in comparison to the number of times you will be bluffed off this pot.

Without a read I'd fold the river but a good player would more likely bet into you with a straight as most players would check behind, so its likely he is bluffing a good % of the time.

I think there's some confusion, because I posted the hand backwards.

If bad_egg leads on the river for 300 chips, what do you do as the Hero with QJ?

I agree that the Hero's bet of 50 on the river was bad-- he should have checked behind. Does everyone really call the check-raise though, after making this mistake?

[adanthar]

The way this hand works is like this: "Hero" is obviously a donkey, but on the river, you do not have a ten (you'd have bet that, because you're sure not checkraising it), and you don't have two pair because you'd be value calling, value betting, whatever. The only thing a checkraise says is "I have Ax (maybe Jx) and screwed up PF, flop and turn so why not one more street?"

BTW, when he minbets this river again, what do you put him on that you beat? Because if you are *just* bluffing - which you almost certainly are - you're basically asking a donkey to fold a good hand. I hope you realize how often this happens.