Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

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i haven't played mike 1 but once he raises this river aren't you good approximately never?

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Yeah pretty much. What i failed to distinguish is that mike will mix in a river bluff raise, just not in this particular situation.

Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

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I think Mike played it really well.

On the river I just can't figure a worse hand than yours that Mike plays like this and that will call a river bet, other than maybe a weaker K. Since the odds are better that he has an A OR that he'll bluff bet the river if checked to, I think a river check/call is the way to go.

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I think mike played it well also. Turns out the 5 on the river made him 2 pair with A5. He said he was just calling the river if he didn't improve. I thought the hand would be interesting from his perspective if he had not improved and still raised the river. Anyone think that's a good idea?

Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

For his river check-raise to be right, you'd have to have a lone ace and be willing to abandon it for one more bet when you've already put in two. I don't see it as an expert play at all, given that you checked behind on the turn and then raised the river. When a player does that, 99 times out of 100 he either had a monster on the turn already, or improved on the river.

Couldn't your call or the flop and check behind on the turn have meant you had a king?

Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

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no it was for him to c/r the river. i would be forced to fold a lone A if he did that.

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Justin checking BOTH the turn and river would be so fricking weird that i'd never fold an A EVER. but i play bad.

Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

Interesting way to play the hand, after you check the turn I'm betting my ace. I don't like the idea of checking here to get a bet later since many worse hands then KQ can take this line. But with the way the hand turned out I couldn't see someone quit betting an ace on the turn after reraising preflop so I would raise you after checking behind on the turn. I personally think Mike checks behind any kind of hand at all and will bet any ace or better or rags.
Therefore, I like the bet/fold line here because your going to pay off his bet anyway but lose bets when he checks behind with worse hands that would call you like medium pairs. If he raises you I think your always behind here with the exception of a pure bluff, but that takes a lot of balls in limit. It basically comes down to... will Mike chase you HU with absolutely nothing post flop? If so I take the check/fold route. If not and he has something I like my choice in bet/fold because he's gonna cheap showdown when your ahead and bet when your losing.

Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

Andy and PokerBob,

There's some confusion here that's my fault. What I meant is that I think the best line may have been to bet both the flop and turn, and then CR the river. I agree that CRing the river after checking the turn is a spew.

Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

anyway this is only a good play against me in particular. almost anyone else will just randomly call you with anything they were willing to bet the river with that wasnt a bluff.

Re: KQo and i\'m first to act
 

Nice post Justin and nice play Mike. I liked reading about the defensive check strategy.