A hand I thought I played well

[Gravy (Gravy Smoothie)]

Comments welcome, as always. Party .5/1.

Hero is BB and dealt A /images/graemlins/club.gifK /images/graemlins/heart.gif. UTG+1 limps, MP1 limps, MP limps, LP limps, CO limps, button and SB fold, I raise, all call. Five to the flop for 5.25BB.

Flop: Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif6 /images/graemlins/heart.gifJ /images/graemlins/spade.gif

I lead out, UTG+1 folds, MP calls, LP calls, CO calls.

Turn: T /images/graemlins/spade.gif

I bet, MP calls, LP raises, CO folds, I smoothcall, MP folds (damn).

River: 4 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

I check, LP bets, I checkraise.

How'd I do?

[John Deere]

I hate early position, and it's because of having to make tought decisions like that. I figure this: if he is raising on the turn and it is heads up, he's probably going to see the hand through. I would 3-bet the turn and lead out on the river. I think the chances of him folding to one of these bets is less than the chances of him checking the river through.

Also, I think that there is the added chance that he might cap the turn if you 3-bet. Firstly, the check-raise on the river shows great strength on your part, so he is likely to cower and although won't drop, certainly won't re-raise like he may have on the turn. Secondly, the time it takes between the last turn bet and the first river bet, although it might not seem like a lot, might be just enough for him to put two and two together to realize that you could have him beaten.

[Lost Wages]

I think you should take the sure think and 3 bet the turn and then lead the river. At this level, MP is as likely to call 2 raises as 1. Would you think you had played it well if LP had checked behind on the river?

Lost Wages

[josie_wales]

I too feel that 3-betting the turn is in order. It may well get capped, at which point you can check-raise the river if he capped it, or just lead out depnding on your read of the player. Could've maybe picked up 1-2BB's more perhaps.

[Sarge85]

I don't like the check-raise on the river. At that point I think you just bet out, and hope LP raises so you can three-bet.

[ecooke]

Preflop and flop are fine, but it seems like a mistake to allow up to 3BB (granted MP folded regardless) slip through your fingers on the turn. Same thoughts apply on the river: if LP checks through you've just let the nuts go unpaid, and that never feels good.

[zoobird]

Just out of curiousity, what does everyone think LP was holding? I'm thinking QT or JT.

[PokerNoob]

Its always problematical whether you can get somebody behind to stay in. When its just one player, go ahead and reraise instead. He could cap both turn and river with his set of tens. I think the check on the brick after just calling the turn raise was a good play. It might have also worked if you had reraised the turn too, but I would have bet out in that case.