Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

BB (t6697)
UTG (t7650)
UTG+1 (t13365)
MP1 (t3162)
MP2 (t16748)
MP3 (t6250)
CO (t6150)
Button (t4830)
Hero (t5505)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to t600</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls t500, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: (t1400) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, CO checks.

Turn: (t1400) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t400</font>, Hero ???

I'm trying to figure out where I can open up my game with more aggression. Does this seem like a reasonable spot to reraise him, representing the best straight? I still have outs to make the boat if he calls. I checked the flop looking to c/r, then the T had me worried. His open raise didn't seem like much more than a steal.

If he has the ignorant end of the straight, I'm thinking I could get him to fold with a reraise.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

i highly doubt he folds a straight of any description. Thats a fold *I* might make, and probally not in a blind steal situation.
I might try to keep the pot small here. I'm pretty sure i'm going to showdown, but i really don't want to get myself stacked here. Weak/tight maybe.. but that's how i'd play it. So i'd call the turn and the river.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

if he raised preflop there's almost no way he has the weak end of the straight, unless he's the type of player to raise with 8-8. You're just going to lose more chips with a raise when you don't fill up on the river.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

I had his open raise pegged as a steal, so I was thinking he didn't have AK... though some other A, or maybe Kx. I thought he might cbet the flop with AK.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

I think your biggest problem here is not betting the flop. With that board, I'd like to see a 2/3 pot to pot bet. Just take it down there. It would help you define your villains hand a bit better, too.

And to answer your question, I think you can call to see if you fill up on the river.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

[ QUOTE ]
if he raised preflop there's almost no way he has the weak end of the straight, unless he's the type of player to raise with 8-8. You're just going to lose more chips with a raise when you don't fill up on the river.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who wouldn't raise 88 in this spot? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

To the original poster: You need to bet this flop hard.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

get your money in on the flop, it makes the turn and river easier to play.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

I see now it would have been much easier to bet the flop and (hopefully) take it down right there, but I missed that looking for a check/raise.

I did call the turn bet of 400, then we both checked the rag river. He had A8o for the bottom straight, getting the t2200 pot.

I wondered if raising his weak turn bet might have chased him off, but didn't want to risk the chips.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

"i have a set, im going to check raise because thats the default play."


come on look at this board... check raising here is horrible IMO. He's not C-betting with a LOT of hands here, smaller pairs, AK might take free card a lot of the time, and you dont want a king, 8 or a T, to take free card,

I'm leading out on this flop every time, and you'll be amazed how often people raise you with absolutely nothing.

Re: Set vs straight? Take advantage, or play weak?
 

I was being greedy... looking for more chips. At the time I thought betting the flop might take it down, but I hoped for a continuation bet first. Bad move and it cost me t400 more and the pot.