AA at the river with 3 stubborn callers

[MRBAA]

I've got the aces and raise them preflop from the button into the blinds and two limpers. One is pretty loose, one is pretty solid but also a little loose in starting requirements. Both call, along with the BB, another loose player and pretty fishy.

Four to the flop which comes down:
J-8-5 rainbow. Checked to me, I bet all call.

Turn comes 3, puts a two flush on board. Checked to me, I
bet all call.

River comes a 7, no flush possible. Checked to me, I show my aces and they are good.

My thinking was that it was possible for someone to have a very strange straight (either the bb or the very loose player were capable of calling along with 4-6 or 6-9 suited). Or, more likely, a lousy two pair, like J-7 (s) or the like. And a busted flush draw won't call.

On the other hand, a lone Jack or even an 8 or 7 would probably call the river.

Against one caller, I would definitely bet here, against two, it would depend on the players. Against three, I felt there was too good of a chance my one pair was beat. Should I just have gritted my teeth, bet out and folded to a raise (I don't think these players were tricky or aggressive enough to bluff raise the river).

[Ian M.]

This is a very easy bet on the river. I would probably even make this bet if the river was the flush card. You will be beaten sometimes, but most of the time you will have the best hand and be called by worse. If checkraised you would make the call, as the pot has become quite large at this point.

[rjc199]

I think you should have bet the river. Nobody has the straight or two-pair or they would have bet into you. If somebody hit the straight they would probably have bet it out rather than wait to check-raise. Consider yourself best until somebody says so.

[elysium]

hi mrb
you can bet in this spot and maybe get a little ev out of it; it looks ok to bet against this field with the action shown. i would bet often here, like.....often. but i can identify the win here. i see the win. i know that two pair just isn't out there.

if you don't have the experience or are unsure, and being unsure here is saying that you don't have the experience, then do not bet. you are exposed to very hefty swings anyway at this stage of your hold em career. and you should instinctively avoid areas with large swings until you build a good bank-roll.

this bet here does not represent a heavy swing area, but it does resemble one. and if you bet here, you may also bet in its more risky look a like that does have ev with heavy swing. so basically, stay away from all areas that are dicey like this when betting only increases the size of the pot, and not your opportunity to win that pot, especially early on while building a bank-roll.

when you get into the higher limits, the ev gained by this bet is then worth the risk, but then again you will have the experience to bet here and check-down a very similar looking type situation, but one that poses greater risk.

if, however, you clearly see that you have this thing won, then bet. any doubt, check it down. you need experience to make this bet here, because you need experience to stay away from similar type bets and need to know the difference between them. not easy.

[lil']

This is an easy value bet on the end. You have no reason to think your aces are no good. Worse hands will call, especially big jacks.

Your opponents are loose and like to call, don't deprive them of the chance to do so!

[ccwhoelse?]

[ QUOTE ]
If somebody hit the straight they would probably have bet it out rather than wait to check-raise.

[/ QUOTE ]

it would depend on the straights position but why wouldn't anyone want to bet out when they could check-raise instead, like someone who had 9T or something.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
why wouldn't anyone want to bet out when they could check-raise instead

[/ QUOTE ]

Betting the river with a straight is what I would usually do because AA river checking Nancy-girls are all over the place.

Anytime you are asking yourself "Should I bet the river here?", the answer should be yes more than 90% of the time. If you do it all the time, you'll lose some bets when better hands call, not raise, just call you. But, you'll win far more bets and show a profit on your river bets for sure.

[Ian M.]

Would you guys still bet the river if it was the third flush card? I'm thinking I still would. I may be a little overaggressive with my value betting on the river though.

[Bob T.]

If they are really stubborn callers, you might get as much as three to one on your river bet. Do you think you will win this hand as often as 25% of the time? Do you have any other questions?

[MRBAA]

Yep, I missed a bet. Dynasty, you sound like Bill Parcells with that "Nancy-girl" remark.

The key to this for me is that in this game (4-8, NYC club) there are a lot of tricky players who love to c/r. But none of the three callers here were among them. All were very straightforward and I could have folded to a raise.

Against one of the tricky players, who would c/r bluff, I'd call a raise which would make me more hesitant to bet, although it probably shouldn't.