AK UTG
 

Party Poker 0.5/1.

I'm UTG with A [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] I raise. So far so good.

Three cold-callers, SB folds BB calls. Oh great. 10 sb

Five players take the flop of 8 [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] K [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] .

BB checks, I bet out, all call. Just great. 15 sb. I was the pre-flop raiser and the flop did hit me so I'm obliged to bet here, right?

Turn comes 7 [img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] .

BB checks, I check, all check behind me. 7.5 bb. Should I have bet out here? At the time I think I was going for a check raise. The table was very passive and I'm pretty sure I remember thinking that I wasn't surprised to have it be checked around.

River comes 9 [img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] .

BB now bets out, I raise, all fold to BB who re-raises. I muck. I think that the operative thinking here should have been something like, 'how much do you want your raise to be called?' I think I butchered the river.

Was my check on the turn brain-dead?

Comments?

Rockfish

Re: AK UTG
 

Turn - Keep betting. Don't want to give a free card here. Plus you probably have best hand.

River - paired board with a 3 straight against my top pair? I'm probably beat but I'll call. Certainly not gonna raise that board. If that river 9 gave him trip 9s the non-bet on the turn is exemplified. You have to lead out on the turn here.

Re: AK UTG
 

I would bet the turn. If raised, call him down (depending upon how tricky the player is).

Re: AK UTG
 

On the turn, you have to keep betting.

On the river, call and go for the overcalls.

-- Homer

Re: AK UTG
 

If I follow you, the presumption is that I bet the turn and get a few callers. OK, I agree I should have bet the turn. Pretty sure I outplayed myself there.

You advise calling on the river. Do you mean, check and call, or bet and call the raise?

Rockfish

Hello,Rock! Bet/fold river if raised!n/m
 

Re: AK UTG
 

I agree, turn bet is a must. By checking the turn and raising the river you spent the same amount of money you would've had you bet the turn and called the BBs bet on the river. I you bet the turn and there were still 5 players in to the river, I would've check called the river as I can't see 5 players out there and no one being on the flush draw. Maybe I'm a bit weak though on the river.

Re: AK UTG
 

Sorry for not elaborating. What I meant to to say is:

1) You should have bet out on the turn, rather than checking with the intention of calling/raising

2) Given that you checked the turn, you should call BB's river bet and go for overcalls, rather than raising. If you raise, it is likely that everyone else will fold to the initial bettor, so you are essentially risking two bets to win two (or maybe even only one if he folds). By calling and going for overcalls, you are risking only one bet, and will win at least one if not three or four (depends on how many overcallers there are)

-- Homer

Re: AK UTG
 

I agree w/ betting the turn and (having missed that) calling the river. Just one point to make re: your thought process:

At the time I think I was going for a check raise. The table was very passive ...

You raised pre-flop. You bet a King-high flop. Now you check the turn? A very passive table is the wrong place to expect someone to bet for you in this scenario.

Re: AK UTG
 

You know this, but Bet the turn.

On the river, the Big blind bet, your options are call, fold, or raise.

The play here is to call, and hope that you get callers behind you. One caller behind you gets you the same money that raising and getting the big blind to call gets you with half the risk. Same money, less risk, = good. Especially when there are a lot of ways that your hand could be beat.