Line Costs Me The Pot or Can't Win?

[Jeffage]

6 max 10-20. I have 8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif in BB. Folded to unknown MP who raises (seems reasonable). I'm the only caller and we see a flop of 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gifA /images/graemlins/diamond.gif10 /images/graemlins/club.gif. I check, he bets, I raise and he calls. Turn is the 2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif giving me more outs. I bet, he calls. River is the 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. I bet, he calls. He shows JJ and I puke.

Ok, so...thoughts are I could checkraise the turn but then again he checks behind and pays off with a hand like this most likely and if he is strong, I may get 3-bet and charge myself to hit. If I donk the turn, maybe he folds this, but he could also think I picked up a flush draw and just call and call again.

So, is there anyway I can play this better than I did? What's a better alternative line? Or does it not really matter?

Thanks,
Jeff

[StellarWind]

I think this is good. If you go for the turn checkraise you may find him checking behind with the very hands you could successfully bluff.

I don't really feel you deserve this pot. The board is draw heavy with two cards in the playing zone that he can beat. Overall there are roughly a zillion popular blind defense hands that either hit the T9 directly or constitute a straight draw on this flop. Nothing came on the turn or river that could touch him, so I don't blame him for calling down.

The river bet seems wishful. If he's reasonable KJ/KQ usually won't make the river in this small pot. There's QJ... A pair that made it past the turn won't fold.

I know I'd probably check/call and play hit and miss if he raised from UTG. I think I could make a similar case for MP. Against a button / CO raise I'd c/r the flop when his range is much wider.

[flawless_victory]

u cant win, but your line is fine.

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
The river bet seems wishful. If he's reasonable KJ/KQ usually won't make the river in this small pot. There's QJ... A pair that made it past the turn won't fold.

[/ QUOTE ]
Assuming that OP knows most of the regular players, the odds are that an unknown player will not be very good or reasonable enough to fold a gutshot with useful pairing potential. Or his KQ/KJ could be hearts. So there is substantial scope for Villain to have a foldable hand on the river.

But I think I agree that the 6-1 odds on the river bluff are not there due to a plethora of other hands that will call. I am reminded that I made a very similar river mistake earlier tonight. That I overlooked the same thing in analyzing this hand an hour later does not please me. Maybe I have a leak.

[ALL1N]

I check call and will sometimes try to take the pot away on a blank turn card. Depends on what's been going on, though, and I'm relying on the player folding KQ/KJ/QJ, which I'm not sure is right at 10/20. I'm not a fan of CR'ing the flop though. Your equity against his range is pretty poor and I don't think the extra SB going in gives you much if any added fold equity. I have no problems with checking and calling on both streets (or checkfolding a turned K/Q).