[Gildersneeze]

Just to add a little emphasis, always remember that if your kicker is an Ace to the top pair on the board, it's not just an overcard, it's THE overcard. A King kicker would be "just" an overcard.

Especially on what's known as a "Zero Board," where the flop is three suits, and no two pocket cards can make anyone a straight. This is the reason that it's good to either bet it out strongly, or checkraise, as jdl said. To further clarify the danger with the checkraise: with the board as heinously uncoordinated as it is, it's likely that you're the only one with a hand, period. It may check around, and the only thing that can do is give someone their winning card/drawing card for free.

Example:

You hold: AQo
Villain one holds: 89d
Villain two holds: Jd Jc
Villain three holds: A3h

Flop Q 7 2 (rainbow, same suits as your example)

Right now, you're way out in front. You check in first position, hoping to trail TPTK around to someone else. But lo and behold, it checks around behind you.

Turn: Jh

Now you're in the worst of it. Currently, Villain Two has the lead with a set of Jacks, a Ten gives Villain One the sucker straight to the Queen (which in this example's case, would be golden, unless it's the Ten of hearts), and Villain Three just picked up the draw to the nut flush.

You're still in second place, but you're drawing to two outs to beat three Jacks, those being the other Queens out there. This is all because you let a free card fall on fourth when you had what's likely the best hand.

Now granted, this won't always be the situation. For instance, say there's a complete "any two will do" sucker in the hand who stayed with 72o. He had you beat from the flop. Those are the situations where you just have to tell yourself "that's poker," and tell him "nice hand," while mentally choking his f***ing head. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

However, if you start to worry about that all the time, you'll start playing scared poker, and that's DEFINITELY no good.

All that elaboration done, I totally agree with jdl. Bet that mother unless you KNOW there's someone behind you who will do it for you (god bless those consistent positional stealers). Ross from my home game, I'm looking DEAD AT you. May you never stop betting my monsters for me.