Another hand for discussion. QJ of hearts in SB

[Justaloser]

two limpers to me(UTG & MP). I complete, BB checks. (should I have bet?)

Flop is T /images/graemlins/club.gif 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif.

I've got a DBBSD.

I check, and it's checked all around. Do you bet if you're first to act here?

Turn is 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

Now I've got a flush draw too.
I check, BB checks, UTG bets, MP and BB fold, I call. (raise or fold?)

River is 7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif /images/graemlins/mad.gif

I check, he bets, I fold.

[Ed Miller]

Generally, you should be showing a little more aggression than you did in this hand. You had three strong opportunities to be aggressive, and you tanked on all three.

You shouldn't always be raising QJs preflop from the SB, but you should also be raising it sometimes. You should prefer to raise more as the limpers get looser and as the BB gets tighter.

I would have bet this flop. You may well take it down, and you will often have 14 outs to the best hand when you are called.

I definitely would have taken a shot at this pot on the turn. Nobody has shown any interest so far, and you now have a huge draw.

[Max Weinberg]

I'd bet the flop here almost all the time. Assuming I checked the flop and turn as you did, I'd check-raise the turn and bet the river regardless of the card that showed up. This table seems fairly weak according to the description of events, so some tempered aggression on your draw could've probably taken it down.

[Justaloser]

Generally, you should be showing a little more aggression than you did in this hand.

Often I do. Don't really know why I didn't here.

You had three strong opportunities to be aggressive, and you tanked on all three.

As I was typing this up, I realized how weak/tight I played it.

I definitely would have taken a shot at this pot on the turn. Nobody has shown any interest so far, and you now have a huge draw.

Is this where I should raise or fold? I realize that raising is better than folding, but wouldn't either have been better than calling?

[Justaloser]

This table seems fairly weak according to the description of events, so some tempered aggression on your draw could've probably taken it down.

You're probably right, but I have trouble when I start bluffing (or when my semibluffs miss).

[Ed Miller]

Is this where I should raise or fold? I realize that raising is better than folding, but wouldn't either have been better than calling?

No, calling is much better than folding. In fact, I think once I check the turn, I'd probably just call. I generally don't like turn checkraise semibluffs, especially when it looks like a bluff (which it does here).

You have a huge draw. Folding is out of the question. I would have just bet the turn.

[Max Weinberg]

[ QUOTE ]
In fact, I think once I check the turn, I'd probably just call. I generally don't like turn checkraise semibluffs, especially when it looks like a bluff (which it does here).

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, on the turn he's probably not going anywhere if he's holding a ten and will call you down regardless. It's probably better to just show some aggression on flop and try to pressure him out with another bet on the turn.

[chesspain]

Majorkong,

Say the hero bets out on the flop, it gets raised, and it's then folded back to him. He's now isolated against a likely pair without the pot odds to continue. Is that a risk one just takes, and if so, in my scenario, should the hero just fold to the raise?

[Ed Miller]

Say the hero bets out on the flop, it gets raised, and it's then folded back to him. He's now isolated against a likely pair without the pot odds to continue. Is that a risk one just takes, and if so, in my scenario, should the hero just fold to the raise?

Huh? Hero has an open-ended straight draw. There will be no folding prior to the dealing of the river card.

[chesspain]

I guess you're right. I now realize that in my scenario, hero is getting 7 to 1 pot odds to call the flop raise. And once he's in for the turn, even if a rag hits, assuming he checks and calls he will then be getting 9 to 1 odds to hit the straight on the river.

Aye, aye, Major!

[Ed Miller]

Don't forget the bet doubles on the turn. But ya, he's calling all the way.