Bet or Check? Call, Raise or Fold?

[ElSapo]

Party Poker 2/4 (9 handed)
Hero has 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif and is BB

EP1 limps, MP3 limps, CO(poster) checks, SB limps, Hero checks

Flop(5 SB): J/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif

SB checks, Hero checks, EP1 checks, MP3 checks, CO checks

Turn(2.5 BB): 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif

SB checks, Hero checks, EP1 bets, MP3 folds, CO folds, SB calls, Hero folds

River(4.5 BB): 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif

SB checks, EP1 bets, SB calls

[lil']

Aw, c'mon. Take a shot at this.

[ElSapo]

Which street? Bet the flop or raise the turn?

[Guido]

I would bet out on the turn.

[crockpot]

raise the turn? how did this thought even enter your mind?

betting out on the turn is fine, as long as you know to fold to the raise that is probably forthcoming.

[Aces McGee]

I would bet the flop. I don't want to give stray kings or queens free looks at the turn, and since I'm not all that confident in my hand, I'd like to see where I'm at as early (and cheaply) as possible.

Aces McGee

[ElSapo]

Some thoughts on this hand -- b/c it comes up once in a while.

Frankly, any time I bet I'm looking to win it immediately., If I don't see a showdown with this hand, that's just fine by me.

I thought about betting the flop, but frankly I felt like there was a good chance I'd be called. And by what? Any Ace, obviously, and any Jack, along with the possibility of Qs and Ks to boot.

Assuming I got called, what do I do? Bet again and fold to a raise? Check-call this down? I've got second pair, no kicker. If I check after betting the flop, any jack bets, and any jack has me beat. If I bet again and get called again, I like it even less.

I think I played the hand horribly, that much is obvious. And simply by the fact that I posted it, it's obvious I folded a winner. But I think the problems remain.

Bet the flop, or bet the turn. Either option was better than what happened. I'm just unsure on how to proceed if I get called.

[Guido]

This is how I think about this. The SB might slowplay his ace or jack but I don't think the rest would. So I would check-fold the flop. When everybody checks, now I'm only worried about the SB. On the turn the SB checks again so I now think I have the best hand. There is another advantage of betting on the turn, now it is a BB. When you bet on the flop, someone with a K or Q might call. Also when you bet on the flop and you get called, you still have no idea where you stand. Now you do IMO.