Shorthanded opportunity or wasted bets?

I'm at a live short handed $4-$8 game. This is the last hand before it is broken up but I do not know this before the hand starts. A person has left the table since the last hand so there is 1 SB and 2 BBs posted. I am UTG (or cutoff +1, however you want to think of it).


With $10 sitting on the table, I figure this to be a good opportunity to raise with more hands than I normally would. I estimate a 20% chance that everyone will fold to my raise, so I am not going to raise with any 2 cards, but probably with anything playable.


I get dealt Q8d. This goes straight into the muck at a full table UTG, but I raise. Cutoff calls, button reraises, SB blind calls, BB folds. That worked well. Floorman anounces that this is the last hand. I call, cutoff decides to build a big pot for the last hand, rest call, 17 SBs to the flop.


Flop: Kd 6d 5c. I bet, everyone calls.


Turn: 9s [Kd 6d 5c]. I bet, everyone calls.


River: 3s [9s Kd 6d 5c]. I bet, 2 call.


I believe the river bet is horrible. This knee jerk kind of bet is my biggest downfall. My question is mainly regarding the preflop play at a shorthanded table (with players who do not normally play or enjoy playing shorthanded).


For those of you dying to know, cutoff had K2s and takes down the pot with top pair, no kicker. Button had pocket Ts.

If you really want to make a play for this pot, you would have to check raise the turn as a semi bluff.

i love shorthanded.


by the preflop plays, your beat before the flop. at most id just call into the flop. you dont have a shorthanded raising hand. but it did tell ya you needed help from the flop. which you ignored. but there was a draw out there, and the button screwed up his hand not raising the flop. so it may look like someones drawing. but in shorthanded, its rare that THAT many people will be calling with a draw. someone HAS something and is calling down.


one thing to watch is 'how' theyre calling. sometimes you can tell if theyre in 'call it down' mode, or 'drawing mode'. and if ya get those reads, its alot easier to pick your spots.


tough to bluff into 3 players the whole way. but it does have benefits if they get to see your hand at showdown.


b

Three blinds and me with q8s. I think I might raise pre-flop as well.


Not much experience with B&M poker, but have with BJ. Die-hard gamblers who are there till last hand. Once last hand is announced you know you're getting called by bottom pair even if the flush comes up on the board. Heck, you'll even get called by an A high hand.


So, why not check-raise the flop for a free card. With all that action pre-flop you know you'll get an opportunity. Now, a re-raise comes back to you and I might call to see if I hit the turn flush. But if a re-raise doesn't come back, you can go for a free card.