Jacks played badly

[MRBAA]

4-8 live game, 2 loose aggressives, 3 loose passives, 4 loose players who are somewhere in between on the passive/aggressive scale. And me. I'm by far the tightest player at the table. I raise first in and get called by "any two" a loose aggressive player (that's really his table name), a newish calling station type who occaisonally gets aggressive for no apparent reason and the button, a loose aggressive but thinking player. Surprisingly, the blinds fold. Four to a flop of 10 7 3 with two spades.

Here's mistake #1 -- I check. I'm almost sure one of the others will bet, hopefully the button, and I can raise and maybe knock out underpairs and gutshots. With my preflop raise, there's $32 in the pot already, so I'm eager to improve my chances of winning it by thinning the field early.

To my surprise it's checked around. Now a king comes on the turn. Again I check, this time to avoid being checkraised by the loose aggressive player who does this alot and who I'll have to call. Again it's checked. Now the river, a 5s which completes the spade flush. I just give up at this point and check, it's checked around and my hand is good. I think I probably lost between $12 and $28 dollars by not betting the flop and turn. Ugh.

All comments welcome.

[Joe Tall]

In such loose games it is important to play your hands fast as a norm as the action behind you can become unpredictable. You know the answer is to bet the flop and react to resistance. You trapped yourself by not doing so.

Peace,
Joe Tall

[LivingLegend58]

Joe tall is right, a bet is necessary. You probably cost yourself the pot.

[MRBAA]

I won the pot. Why post if you have nothing to say?

[MRBAA]

You are on it like stink on a monkey, Joe. I played every hand fast unless someone else was on turbo-aggression. I played this one slow in part so that the players wouldn't think I always bet when I'm strong and check when I'm weak. But I think it was the wrong play with jacks in this game. I did trap myself, but should have bet the river.