[SoCalPat]

[ QUOTE ]
Do we really think we're good often enough here to bet?

[/ QUOTE ]

Betting here is the lesser of two evils.

This isn't an attractive board -- that much we can agree upon. But your opponent won't fold if you don't bet. Will he here? Tough to say. But you'll know for sure if you're beaten if you are raised, whereas you won't know if your hand is good if you check/call.

Betting here and being called by a better hand isn't a horrible play by any stretch. But you put yourself in a position of making a bad play (it's not an abominable play by any stretch given the size of the pot) by checking and then deciding whether or not to call. You put yourself in a position where you might fold the winner, and who wants that?

We're not betting here because we think we'll get paid off by a better hand. We're betting here so we don't second-guess ourselves after making an incorrect fold. For one BB, that's a small price to pay.