Is this an easy river fold?

[Glurfle]

Party 10-handed 2/4. Nothing particularly unusual about this lineup, as far as I know.

EP1, EP2, and SB limp, I check in the BB with 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.

Flop: 5/images/graemlins/club.gif 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif
I bet, all call.

Turn: 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif [5/images/graemlins/club.gif 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif]
I bet, all call.

River: 7/images/graemlins/club.gif [7/images/graemlins/spade.gif 5/images/graemlins/club.gif 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif]
I check, intending to fold to a bet. Sound reasonable? Sometimes I call a bet on the end here, but I really don't think I catch enough bluffs in this situation to make it worthwhile. I definitely fold rather than overcall, but occasionally will call if I'm going to be the only caller.


It gets checked around, and surprisingly to me I take it down. Hand history shows opponents with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, and J/images/graemlins/club.gif T/images/graemlins/spade.gif. Hmm. Maybe I'm giving my opponents too much credit.

[tj00]

I would actually check fold the turn after they all called my flop bet. I think check folding the the river is reasonalbe after they all called your turn bet.

[rigoletto]

He has two pair!!!!

[pilamsolo]

I think that you have the right idea. I'm pretty amazed that you took it down myself!

[Mike28a]

In my limited experience at Party and Poker Stars, at the 1/2 and 2/4 levels you can always count on people playing their aces to the river. Only the better players know the odds. The third guy was playing his open-end draw, so no surprise there. Betting is the way with these cards.

[lil']

I gotta tell ya, your opponents have not given you any indication they have anything at any point. I would not fold the river for one bet.

[Glurfle]

In retrospect, maybe I should call one more bet on the river hoping to chop with someone with a 9 or maybe even beating some guy who can't let go of their little pocket pair. But with 3 people calling all the way, it's hard for me to put them all on draws. I'm still not fond of the idea of overcalling here, though.

[rkiray]

I think you are seeing monsters under the bed. Not only would I not fold for 1 bet on the river, I'd bet and call one raise.

[ThingDo]

Hi rkiray,


While I agree with betting out on the river, I think calling a raise will only cost you money in the long run. What hands do you see yourself beating often enough to call a raise on the river?

[tj00]

Did not see the 2 pair. Doh. I change my answer. You have to call the river.

[Big Jon]

I understand your caution, but I actually think you're being a bit weak-tight. At least, in my humble opinion. Considering the ragged nature of the flop and the lack of a raise, indicating that no made top pair, I would have bet every street as well until a reasonably scary card hit. There aren't any straight possibilities on the board. Unless the table is loose enough to limp with 8-6. Of course, you likely would have heard about that with a turn raise. And there aren't any flush possibilities.

The only hand I would expect to see betting out or raising you on the river is A-7 or A-9. I really think that a bet would have been justified. The pot was certainly large enough. And even a call to a raise. It is just too apparent that you are boss.

[crockpot]

now wait a minute. you saw he had nines and sevens on the river before, and you recommended a fold, and now you're recommending a call with the same hand?

i would check-fold here every time, unless i am against a complete moron who habitually bluffs into four-way pots on the river. who is going to bet something worse than a 9 with no kicker for value?

[Glurfle]

I'm not nearly as confident as you are that no one made top pair here. My impression of the usual Party 2/4 players is that they'll check-call top pair/weak kicker all the way through the river, and sometimes even TPTK. Maybe I've just bet KQ into AQ too many times without being raised, but I think there are very few hands that will call my hand on the river that don't beat me.