Is this a good micro play or FPS?

[partygirluk]

You have only been sitting for a couple of orbits and have no real reads. Typical $.5/$1 game.

You raise an early limper with AK from the button. For a change there are only 2 to a flop.

Flop is K72 rainbow. Limper checks. You check behind.

[pointcount]

I would bet straight out

[shadow29]

You have to bet.

[namkap]

Checking is a terrible play there. You have top pair with high kicker, and there are no straight or flush possibilities on the board yet.

Betting gets you information - if you get check-raised you know that your opponent could possibly have two pair or a set of 7s. If he's aggressive then he could also possibly have another K, which would turn out nicely for you since you have the best kicker.

Betting also helps force him out if he's got 3 to a straight or 3 to a flush.

As it is, if he bets the turn, you have no clue what he has. You don't know if the flop was a failed check-raise on his part, if the turn made his hand, or if he's trying to bluff you out.

In short, never give free cards when you feel like you're ahead in the hand. This is especially true in micro-limit, where you've got to lean on people hard to get them to fold drawing hands.

[aron]

It's been said before but I'd just want to emphasise this:
Bet

[helpmeout]

The main problem with checking is that he could have a pair or a PP and hit 2 pair or a set on the turn. He might call with these hands anyway but you fail to charge him giving him a free chance to beat you.

[partygirluk]

Why should I be scared of giving out free cards? It doesn't seem like a big concern. If someone has a pocket pair then they are getting a 22~1 shot. If they have a three flush then it is roughly 3~1 that they will pick up a flush draw on the turn, and even then they won't have the odds to chase it.

My thinking for the play is that if I bet I am likely to take the pot uncontested. As I raised he probably has me pegged on AK or a high pocket. If I check then I might induce a turn bluff or let him catch his pair if he has something like QJs which he is then likely to chase down to the river. Bear in mind that the average $.5/$1 player is mega fishy.

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
Betting gets you information - if you get check-raised you know that your opponent could possibly have two pair or a set of 7s. If he's aggressive then he could also possibly have another K, which would turn out nicely for you since you have the best kicker.

[/ QUOTE ]

In a heads up match, one of the LAST things I worry about is two pair or a set when I get check-raised. You're not betting for information here, you're betting for value! TPTK is going to be good a HUGE amount of the times in this situation, so you want to make money off of it.

[ QUOTE ]
In short, never give free cards when you feel like you're ahead in the hand. This is especially true in micro-limit, where you've got to lean on people hard to get them to fold drawing hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not why you bet into drawing hands, because they're not folding and they are very often right to chase it down. And this hand isn't even a drawing hand sort of board! So a lecture on giving away free cards to drawing hands isn't even on the map. (Not that I'm in favor of giving free cards.)

[Aaron W.]

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My thinking for the play is that if I bet I am likely to take the pot uncontested. As I raised he probably has me pegged on AK or a high pocket.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why? Because you raised preflop? If your opponents could put you on that because of your raise, you're not raising enough.

In blunt terms, if you think your opponents are able to figure out your play because your raises only mean strong hands, this means that you are not agressive enough. Why would you want to put in *LESS* money with made hands? I'd rather get every cent I can into the pot when I'm darn certain I'm ahead. So to mask that, I play more agressively in spots where I'm only partially sure I've got the best hand or where I'm drawing to the best hand.

Many times, he'll just fold. That's fine - it happens. Sometimes he's going to call down with A2 or 79, just in case you were overagressively playing something like AQs. But I'd rather give myself a chance to win money by giving him the chance to put it in with me.

(BTW - this is because you have no read. If you had a read, then you can play to it. But against a generic player, betting out is much better.)

[ QUOTE ]
Bear in mind that the average $.5/$1 player is mega fishy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another reason to bet it. If he's fishy, he'll call even more often with even weaker hands.

[Ed Miller]

Why should I be scared of giving out free cards? It doesn't seem like a big concern.

You shouldn't, and it isn't. I might check behind here sometimes. Really the question is, how will the hand proceed with you betting vs. you checking? That depends 100% on your opponent... particularly his calling and folding frequency in this spot.

Like if this particular opponent will fold roughly 2/3 of the time (he's got a non-pocket pair and missed the flop), then checking behind is fine... you are hoping that he either catches something on the turn or decides to take a shot at the pot.

But don't do this against someone who will usually call your flop bet with those two unpaired cards. You need to get that flop bet from him now, because he is a big favorite to brick again on the turn (and he probably won't call a turn bet to take one off... unless maybe he has ace-high).

Also, be careful about doing this against an observant player (i.e., someone like me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]). After making an "isolating" play (which is what your raise will look like to him), betting a K72 rainbow board should be basically an "automatic" play. So checking would set off huge warning bells. Like if I had, say, A7s in his position, I might be planning a flop check-raise. But if you checked behind, you'd get very little action from me because I'd suspect a big hand. But it would look weird only to a subset of players.

Finally, plays like this are generally unnecessary at microlimits. Or rather, they are generally not the best play. There are two (related) reasons:

1. You often don't know your opponent's playing tendencies to make the judgement I talked about earlier.
2. Many microlimit players tend to be of the "take one off on the flop with any unpaired cards" kind. It really sucks to miss that flop bet against them.

So in a micro game, I'd tend to "play the percentages," assume my opponent is a loose goon, and keep betting. But, for instance, in the weak-tight Mirage $10-$20 and $20-$40 games, I make plays like this with some frequency. It's all I can do to get them not to fold their damn middle pairs. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

P.S. Online, there is another factor. That is the "Hey, the raise button is right next to the fold button... maybe I'll cold bluff this hand for kicks" factor. Your opponent could decide to give you massive action with zilch.. check-raising you, capping, etc. Live that just doesn't happen, but it does online. It would REALLY suck to miss out on four flop bets of cold bluff action by being cute and checking behind.