This one felt strange
 

Party 15 game.

AcQh in the bb. EP TAG raises. LP unknown coldcalls. sb unknown calls. I call.

Flop: KhQd8d.

I bet and only the sb calls.

Tun: Ts

We both check.

River: Kd

Sb checks. I bet. He pauses for about 6 to 8 seconds and raises.

What do these pauses generally signify in this situation?

In any event, I called.

Comment on all streets if you will.

Re: This one felt strange
 

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What do these pauses generally signify in this situation?

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FWIW from my experience, powerhouse.

Re: This one felt strange
 

Is it just me or is the turn check really bad?

Don't read much into pauses. It's as often a reverse tell as a tell.

Re: This one felt strange
 

No it's not just you that check is really bad.

-Pete

Re: This one felt strange
 

I strongly disagree that "it's really bad" but it is a debatable street. Why do you say that it is really bad?

Re: This one felt strange
 

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I strongly disagree that "it's really bad" but it is a debatable street. Why do you say that it is really bad?

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He'd have raised if he had top pair. Draw heavy board. Free card.

Re: This one felt strange
 

I probably bet the turn and check the river. or, check check if I'm really feeling weak. Or, play it as you did. Muck to the raise? mostly. call down sometimes, too.

as for the pause, I'm not sure. If I had been your opponent, it could have meant that sportscenter was showing a cool highlight, that one of my other tables had popped up and I had to act there, that my wife stopped in to ask a question, that I was just finishing the whip-finish on another fly, or a myriad of other things. Things like that are tough to interpret except on a case by case basis. One person may pause to really consider a decision (one of my problems is that I act too quickly sometimes). Another may pause for Hollywood effect (or reverse-Hollywood, in the case of a bluffer). Others, like me, may just be doing too much multi-tasking.

In this case, without further player info, I'd be inclined to muck since the board paired and the flush got there.

Re: This one felt strange
 

It usually means a very strong hand, but he may be taking a stab at you. He can't put you on a K if you check the turn behind. He may be trying to raise you out of the pot with a lesser hand than a pair of queens, but I doubt it.

Re: This one felt strange
 

That's one side of the equation. But what about these factors:

1. The small pot size

2. You only have one opponent which makes it less imperative for you to protect your vulnerable hand with a bet.

2. The possibility that the Ts on the turn is one that may have vaulted your opponent into the lead given that he called (and only called) your flop bet.

3. The fact that you would hate to be checkraised when you have some (but not many outs) to the nuts and some (but not many) outs to an otherwise strong hand.

4. The fact that your opponent's draw may get there which means that you save a bet if you check the turn and just call the river bet. This by itself is not a reason to check the turn but it is a reason when you dovetail with that the very real possibility that if his draw doesn't get there, you may induce a bluff or curiosity call on the river thereby recouping the lost bet on the turn.

The one counter to this factor which favors a turn bet is that the turn card may have given your opponent a hand/draw combination (eg. he has JT) with which he might call both the turn and river.

There are lots of considerations worth delving into further. IMO, one of the biggest mistakes online players make is "betting to avoid giving a free card". Yes, it's a factor to take into account but it is just a factor. It should not be the all consuming motive that trumps all other considerations. The biggest factor, as always, is pot size.

Re: This one felt strange
 

Yeah, I guess I hadn't really considered the possibility that the dude might just have been distracted by one thing or the other...heh. But if he had been distracted, you would think that it more likely would have occurred before his river check as opposed to after his initial check but before his response to my bet. That is, if he had a monster and was intending to checkraise, he would probably ensure that he wouldn't be distracted after he checked. He would eagerly be looking to see if I took the bait and bet.