Bet the river? Call the river? Fold the river?

[BugsBunny]

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed) converter (http://www.stompandcrush.com/cgi-bin/hhparser.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (3 SB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero bets, MP1 calls, SB calls.
<font color="green">I got a small piece, only 2 opponents, I bet and try to take it down right here. I may bet this flop even if I don't have a piece (in this situation)</font>

Turn: (3 BB) K/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks.
<font color="green">Should I have bet this turn? I was actually in check/fold mode here. If only 1 opponent had stayed I may have bet out here instead</font>

River: (3 BB) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero ???
<font color="green">Your move - Bet and fold to a raise, check and call 1 player, check and call both players (I definitely fold if I check and it comes back 2 bets), check and fold

Results to follow
</font>

[Barry]

I'm not a big fan of betting the flop here, but if I thought that I had a good chance of winning right here I might do it on occasion.

When the SB checks the turn, I would fire another shot since one of them might have picked up a flush draw to go with their overcards and you might get another small /images/graemlins/heart.gif to fold.

OK on the river the flush gets there and you have the worst one and you didn't bet the turn. Will SB and MP call the river with any /images/graemlins/heart.gif? Probably so I would check here. If MP bets and the SB calls you fold. If MP bets and SB folds, I would call only if I thought that the MP was likely to bluff the river with no /images/graemlins/heart.gif

[Ed Miller]

I bet pair and nut flush draw on turn. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[fluff]

ummmmm.....nut flush draw?

[BugsBunny]

So your saying you would have bet the turn? And the river I take it?

I hope so, because in reviewing my play I'm *really* not happy with it. I'm normally more aggressive in these situations (only 2 opponents) and not sure why I wasn't here.

Anyway I'll wait a little longer before posting the results. Want to see if anyone else weighs in.

[BugsBunny]

I guess you didn't see the smiley

[chesspain]

I would check the river through. In a non-HU pot, most players, especially out of position (i.e. SB), will check through a low one card flush but will call if it is bet. In addition, with the pot so tiny, it is difficult seeing anyone calling this without a flush. Consequently, I think that the last person to act (i.e. MP) is more likely to bet as a bluff or with a pair than he is to call if he does not have at least a flush (re: Gap concept!?).

Or are my assumptions just wrong here?

[novamob]

I check/fold here. MP may try to bluff and if he does, good for him, he can have the 3 BB.

[BugsBunny]

Here's the entire hand. Some thoughts/comments follow

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed) converter (http://www.stompandcrush.com/cgi-bin/hhparser.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (3 SB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero bets, MP1 calls, SB calls.

Turn: (3 BB) K/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks.

River: (3 BB) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets, SB calls, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 5 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 5 BB, between SB and MP1.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by SB (5 BB).</font>

Results:
MP1 shows Tc 9s (one pair, nines).
SB shows 5s 6s (straight, six high).
Outcome: SB wins 5 BB.


I normally play a hand like this more aggressively. In most cases I would bet both the turn and river (against only 2 opponents). My initial bet represented (possibly) a flush draw. On the turn I should have bet out representing a made flush. As things went on the river I should have at least called - with me having the flush there's a 45% chance that neither opponent has one. Especially with the bet coming from the last player to act. So is my hand good here at least 20% of the time? I think so. And betting both the turn and river could get a better (but still small) flush to fold. Betting just the river is unlikely to do this though.

As to why I chickened out here - I had made up my mind that I would check/call one player on the river, but not 2. The small pot was one consideration. The other is that I've been playing just slightly weak-tight lately because I just started playing 3/6, so I'm still a bit hesitant. It's going well so far, although I'm still not comfortable with the blind structure (I'm folding/[not defending] a *lot* more out of the SB. Maybe too much, but we'll see and adjust that as needed.)

[Ed Miller]

I definitely bet the turn.

You show an immediate profit if your opponents fold 25% of the time. That alone doesn't make a bet correct, but you have potentially lots of outs if behind, have a decent chance to pick up the pot, and might well still have the best hand. I'd have bet the turn for sure.

As for the river play... that changes a lot if you bet the turn. Checking the turn, and then checking and folding on the river probably is not the best way to play the hand, though. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[el_grande]

I couldn't bring myself to lay down any flush with so little action.