I was thinking, "win the most and lose the least"...

[blackaces13]

On the flop and beyond all I was thinking was that check calling with top pair heads up supposedly "wins the most and loses the least".

Then I realized that I don't really know when to apply that bit of wisdom and it doesn't apply when you play non-tricky players who go to far with their hands does it? Anyway on to the hand:

UTG was very loose

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is SB with J/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, BB calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (6 SB) A/images/graemlins/club.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">BB raises</font>, UTG folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (5 BB) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (7 BB) 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 9 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 9 BB, between Hero and BB.</font>

If anyone would like to go over the whole check-calling win most/lose least theory I'd love to hear it explained properly because I don't understand it and yet I constantly try to apply it. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[cold_cash]

I think the "lose the least, win the most" idea works a lot better when you're in position and the guy's betting into you, as oppossed to when you have to check/call. That way it's more difficult for him to get a free card by raising you. Also when you have position you don't have to worry about missing bets when you are ahead.

In the hand you mentioned I think playing it this way would be okay if you had position, but I would be tempted to either 3-bet the flop or lead the turn in case he was betting/raising a flush or straight draw.

If the flop had been less coordinated, making free cards less of a concern, I think your play would have been better.

[sfer]

Generally, it's a heads up concept for when your opponent is aggressive and can be tricky and has shown a lot of strength. For example, you raise UTG with AJo, TAG CO 3-bets and you take an Axx rainbow flop heads-up. Time to check-call. Or you have A7o in the BB, folded to the CO who raises but might be stealing. You call, the flop is heads-up Axx and check/call time again.

It's different multiway. For this hand I prefer 3-betting the flop because he could be raising for a freebie--not particularly likely because of the player to his left--or trying to protect a weak hand like AT/Ax from the 3rd player. In either case, I still think I'm ahead and I don't want to give a free river card.