55 UTG

[Brian]

Party 5/10. Table is loose and moderately aggressive. I am dealt 55 UTG and limp. EP, a pretty loose opponent whom I don't have much of a read on regarding her post-Flop play, limps as well. It's folded around to the BB who checks. 3 to the Flop, 3sb.

Flop: 994r

BB checks, I bet, EP calls, BB folds.

Turn: 9

I check, EP bets, I call.

River: 4

I check, EP bets, I call. Results later.

-Brian

[J.R.]

I don't want to give a free card on the turn to a known loose opponent who may have 7 outs against my hand. Being opponent is loose preflop, I quess he/she is loose postflop as well, so I bet because they may incorrectly call drawing to overcards yet you don't know if they will bet if you check.

It seems like a reverse implied odds spot where you may only get called on the river (assuming the turn gets checked thru) by a better hand on the river (if the board doesn't pair).

In short fives are too vulnerable and your opponent too unknown to check this turn.

[Brian]

Hi J.R.,

I agree that I should have bet the Turn, and at my normal 3/6 games I would. I've recently moved back up to 5/10 after having a dry spell of about 30k hands that left me about break even, and it is much more aggressive than I remember it. Essentially, just about every player I have run into bets when checked to, loves to check-raise the pre-Flop raiser with any pair or as a bluff, and are constantly testing my hand with bets and raises.

Anyways, my reasoning for checking was that I figured this player, like 90% of other 5/10 players, bets when checked to, and might bluff raise me on the Turn. And with this hand, I really didn't want to be raised on the Turn. In retrospect, I am ahead of just too many hands and my hand is just too vulnerable not to bet there, even though I would hate to be calling down a raise.

She had 66.

-Brian

[Luke]

Brian,

I had a hand similar to yours last night where I had sixes in the BB and the flop came 999 and turn was a 4. I bet out on the flop and turn. Then went check, call on the river against my one opponent when a 5 hit.

I like that line a little better than giving possible over cards a free card on the turn. I think this is the way to get the max out of semi-reasonable players in this situation.

Luke

[Louie Landale]

Its a small pot so you WANT her investing a bet with overcards; although your hand does not warrent giving a free card to them. This is actually a classic will she bet with more hands than she'll call with? So with your analysis (that she'll bet 90% of time) then checking is correct; but then you should raise unless you think its very likely she'll bluff the river.

I would like to point out that you need to be pretty darn sure before you pull this.

- Louie

[Brian]

Hi Louie,

Obviously, if I knew she had overcards, I would bet. At the time, I checked because I did not want her to steal the pot away from me with a raise.

As far as the "Will she bet with more hands than she will call with" analysis, that only applies to River situations.

-Brian