new player choice
 

First I'd like to say this forum is fantastic, I'm a relatively new player looking to improve and this place has become my new home.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, God folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Here based on the fact CO and SB had simply called, and the fact I had a possible inside straight draw/trips/2 pair probability i decided to bet on and see if I could either push them out..

Flop: (3 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls, SB calls.

was i supposed to fold now? i went on to check

Turn: (3 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, CO checks.

River: (3 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, CO folds, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 9 BB

There's probably a lot of errors in my play here... ppls thoughts? Sorry if it's just horrible poker to watch [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Re: new player choice
 

Welcome to the forum.
First, examine the situation. Check the texture of the board; what possible draws are out there? Well, a three straight flopped including two suited cards giving the possibility that the others have an open ended straight draw and/or a flush draw. The turn card was an uber-scare cards as it completed a possible flush AND the OESD. This is your oppertunity to steal the pot. By being aggressive and betting into a scary board, weak opponents who don't have anything might fold thinking YOU have made your hand. This is especially true b/c you showed strength on the flop. If you are raised on the turn, you can safely fold right there and save your bets (you were going to call a bet anyway, right?) Despite this, it seems to me that SB made something and was planning to check-raise if you bet the turn, but since it was checked through, he will now bet the river. This is a very bad spot to raise as you most likely have made the second best hand. Good luck on future rounds.

Re: new player choice
 

Just my two cents...

i decided to bet on and see if I could either push them out..

Semi-bluff betting to push players off their hands rarely works on passive tables, unless you are heads up. You should instead semi-bluff to put more money into the pot so that when you hit your hand (and it ends up scaring your opponents), you've already gotton your extra money into the pot.

Also, with the flush and straight draw possibilities on this combinated board, I would play with caution on the river. It may be that the SB caught his straight on the turn, but didn't like the look of the possible flush on the board.

The river isn't a scare card for you, but I would have called his bet, rather than raised it, IF the pot was big enough.

However, for just a 3 BB pot at the river (4 BB when you include his bet), I would be looking more for reasons to fold than to call.

Remember, there is another player waiting to act behind you, and you could find yourself in the middle of an all out raising war on the river, if they were both drawing.