Slowplaying Top Pair Nut Flush Draw

[AliasMrJones]

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: AliasMrJones is CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="666666">6 folds</font>, <font color="CC3333">AliasMrJones raises</font>, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, BB calls,

Flop: (4.33 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, AliasMrJones calls.

Turn: (3.16 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">AliasMrJones raises</font>, BB calls.

River: (7.16 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets</font>, AliasMrJones calls.

Final Pot: 9.16 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 9.16 BB, between BB and AliasMrJones.</font>
The pot was not Big(tm) and I thought my hand was strong enough on the flop to wait for the turn to raise. He bet out at me on the river after the raise so I got timid and just called. Thoughts on the slowplay? Anybody raise the river?

[Victor]

I love waiting until the turn to raise this hand heads up. The pot is small, you are heads up and there are very few cards that will hurt you. You might as well let him keep bluffing and make him pay when the bets are more expensive.

River: this sucks, I really hate when people bet into my raises on the river. Did he hit 2 pair? Does he have just a Q? Against unknown/normal opponents I just call at the low stakes. If your opp is a clear lag/maniac then go ahead and raise. I think, without a read, it is fine to just call here.

[jrobb83]

I don't mind the slowplay, the pot is small, there are not that many outs against you, and even when they hit, you have a boatload of redraws. If you think you can make him put more money in by sloplaying, go for it. Many aggressive opponents go berserk when heads up against a possible steal, though. I may raise part of the time pretending I'm following up my blind steal.

The problem with raising the river is the reverse implied odds of the raise. If you are right, he will be forced to pay off one bet to see your hand. But if you are wrong he will 3-bet and you are the one forced to put in another bet to see his hand. So obviously a raise here is correct only when you are very certain you have the best hand. Which I do not think is the case here. Well played.

[MoreWineII]

I agree, my action on the river is pretty read-dependent.

I'd pop it if he pulled tricky moves like this often. I think you're probably ahead here a lot of the time.

[J.R.]

I don't like waiting for the turn (at least without a specific reason based on your opponent's expected actions) because you are the pfr and are expected to bet/raise this flop (especially in a heads'up blind confrontation where posturing and overplaying are common and expected and middle pair is often a big hand), so I think you miss a chance to get more bets in on the flop or turn by just calling here. I often interpret the heads'up bet (as opposed to the check-raise) as a more action seeking hand that might be willing to spew some chips, which you should be quite willing to do here, and in the odd event you are behind your flop bets and raises have more value than there turn counterparts.

I think serious consideration should be given to raising the river as your turn raise looks like a free-showdown semi-bluff type move, especially when your oppoent stop n' gos. Although a river 3-bet is not fun, the strength you show in waiting to pop your opponent twice on the big bets streets might dissuade your opponent from 3-betting some 2 pair hands.

[JTG51]

The pot was not Big(tm) and I thought my hand was strong enough on the flop to wait for the turn to raise.

True, but if you raise the flop you'll often get 3-bet by a worse hand. By waiting till the turn you give up almost any chance of that happening. Raise the flop and hope to go to war with a worse Q or a draw.

Of course, if you're playing observant opponents there's nothing wrong with waiting some of the time to give cover to the times you just call the flop with a weak hand.

[AliasMrJones]

BB had 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] for the rivered set and MHING.