Overpair w/ paired board

[SlyAK]

Hi all,

This type of hand gives me fits, I am always afraid that my opponent has trips, even if he shouldnt have called a preflop raise with any hand that would give him trips. Please analyze my play, any and all feedback appreciated.

TGC 1/2 blinds- 200 NL. I have 297 dollars at the table and have the table covered except for UTG+2. SB, who is the main opponent in the hand has about 180. I am UTG and dealt Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif I raise to $8, and UTG+1, UTG+2 and SB call. All others fold, $36 in the pot, (there was an MP who posted and folded as well).

The flop comes down 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

SB leads out and bets $10, I raise him to $35. The other players fold, and SB calls. $106 in the pot

Turn 10 /images/graemlins/club.gif SB checks, and I check behind.

River 5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif SB bets $20 and I call.

How did I do on each street?? Results to follow.

Sly

[tewall]

I like the way you played it. The raise on the flop got rid of 2 opponents. The check on the turn induced him to bluff the river if he's behind you. If he's ahead of you, you minimized your loss.

Your hands not strong enough to take a lot of action, so slowing things down makes sense.

[kerpowski]

I would bet more on the flop. By only raising $25 you give a flush draw odds to call (he has around 3:1 pot odds + his implied odds). With him betting 1/3 the pot on the flop this seems like either a flush draw or trying to get money out of you with trips.

With his $10 the pot is $46 to you. I'd raise it to $55, maybe a little more. If he has the trips or the flush draw you'll know right away. Notice that you put $55 in the pot which would have lost to slowplayed trips anyway. This loses you as much when he has trips and less when he hits his draw or makes a big bluff to push you out. It also gains you a little the times where he (or the other two people in the hand) doesn't pay attention to the preflop action and folds his AA or KK.

Since you didn't bet the pot on the flop you need to either do it on the turn (gonna cost you much more if you're wrong now) or revert to check/call and fold to a big bet.

What would you do if he makes a $20 bet on the turn and a $25 bet on the river? What is your threshold of pain where you fold instead of call on the turn and river and more importantly why?

[SlyAK]

I had my opponent beat and he mucked. Overall I thought I played the hand pretty well, although maybe more of a raise on the flop would be better. (I really didnt mind having one caller though, and it was 3:1 for the flush draw).

I really dont know what I would have done if a diamond had fallen on the turn and my opponent bet into me, probably folded if the bet was anything above $40 or so. I briefly thought above raising the river, but what hands would he call with that I had beaten?? Maybe pocket Jacks, not much else. This is something I have been working on, not raising when I wont be called by a hand that I can beat. Thanks for the replies.

Sly