Protect the Hand?

[BigMikey]

6-12 full table pretty good game. Im in ML with QJ /images/graemlins/spade.gif two limps so i limp call fold button raise, small blind folds big blind calls, two limpers call, i call. 5 to the flop
10 /images/graemlins/heart.gif8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif9 /images/graemlins/club.gif
first limper(UTG actually) bets out, raise, i three bet, button caps it. UTG calls, Call, I obviously call.
Turn: 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif
UTG bets out, call, here is the thing...i had the feeling that nobody was on hearts, just had it, i call hoping to bang the turn. button calls and the river comes

Ill give the results, I know it was dumb but I felt like i knew the table. Lets hear it.

[Mike Gallo]

i call hoping to bang the turn.

do you mean the river?

I would have gone to war on the turn.

[Tosh]

This pot is huge, you have the nuts. I think you raise the turn and let the button do what he wants. Obviously proceed with extreme caution on the river should the board pair or get a 3rd heart.

[Louie Landale]

You have the nuts in a big pot on the turn. Routinely raise until the cows come home. You need an EXCELLENT reason NOT to raise.

Once such reason is that the opponent is sure to bet the river regardless what he has but if a bad card gets there you don't have enough to raise but must call. This usually means he's bluffing far too often. Even then calling, hehehe, isn't worth much more than raising.

Reasons NOT to raise are [1] There is more than one opponent [2] There is already 2 players in and only 1 player left who potentially will call 1 bet (drawing dead) but not two. [3] The opponents can EASILY have draws that will NOT invest even 1 bet on the river unless they get there. Flush draw is obvious, but so is a stiff J or stiff Q; or worse yet KJ or KQ. [4] Nobody with any hope is going to fold. [5] You can realistically cap it on the turn, and that's worth a LOT.

"Cute" is for small pots when you can induce the opponents into making a mistake later. None of that applies here. This one is not even worth considering. Raise.

- Louie

[BigMikey]

i meant the river. well river was K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif and it went bet, raise, i three bet, button cold calls, UTG calls, original raiser calls. it was a nice pot. nobody was on hearts. first two had J7 and the button mucked so i assume he wasnt on hearts. I just felt nobody was on that draw and was correct. I know raising was the play but i feel that I got about 8 extra big bets as a result.

[happyjaypee]

The only reason not to raise the turn that I can see is if you know the button will raise if u call, so you can call-reraise.

You are not macking a flush draw fold here anyway so you better get as much in as possible right, before the river, since they will not pay you there... or they'll charge you if they hit.


-Happy /images/graemlins/laugh.gif