Play this better?

[toby]

The river broke my heart. Should I have bet the flop? I was pretty much planning on check-calling through.


Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, Hero checks.

Flop: (2.50 SB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero checks, MP3 checks.

Turn: (1.25 BB) Q/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero bets, MP3 calls.

River: (3.25 BB) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero checks, MP3 bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 5.25 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero shows 8c As (one pair, aces).
MP3 shows 9c Kd (straight, ace high).
Outcome: MP3 wins 5.25 BB. </font>

[Sarge85]

Heads up, I'd bet this flop

Sarge

[zuluking]

Not only bet the flop, but you should have raised pre-flop.

[stoxtrader]

I think your play is fine until the river. I think you can find a check/fold on the river. but some call me weak-tight. The flush draw hit. There is a one-card straight out there and four broadway cards on board. You are getting 2.25:1 on your call - I think you are beat by two pair, A9o, a flush or a straight more often than that.

It's close though.

[MaxPower]

Why would you check-call?

Here is a basic poker principle. When you have a hand that is likely the best hand, you should bet. Don't give any free cards.

Take a look at the way your oppoenent played his hand and try to learn something from that. He played terrible. He would have called your flop bet and your turn bet, with a huge underdog.

[StellarWind]

You flopped top pair heads up. That's totally fantastic. Bet the flop and maybe you don't have to worry about the rest of the hand. Checking is horribly passive. If you have any pair in this situation you probably have the best hand and need to bet.

BTW your kicker is usually good here. Most players won't openlimp from MP3 with a better ace. Not that I'm suggesting that heads up against a limper is an appropriate time to worry much about kickers.

If you were trying to checkraise the flop then your play is not so bad but maybe the limp from MP3 should warn you to look for a more aggressive opponent next time.

[LetsRock]

Betting the flop may have taken the pot down right away. Without a read on your oponent it'e hard to know, but the free turn card may have gave hime something to dream about.

Bet the turn and probably not a bad move to check/fold the river (unless he might lay down to a 3-bet on the flush scare card!) - you gotta know you're opponents.

Your opponent played this worse than you.