[ThePortuguee]

Seems pretty standard to me. A play I learned recently that's also relatively standard but that a lot of people don't see the value in is the play of overpairs and TPTK on safe boards. Here's an example:

You have A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and raise preflop from position, getting two callers.

The flop is: 5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

This is a good flop for you. It's checked to you and you fire about pot. One fold, one caller. What's your read?

The best read here is probably a hand like
JQ-AJs, maybe QQ, or maybe even some hand like 66-TT who just doesnt think you have it. Of course, 46 is possible, and importantly, so are hands like JJ, 55, and 22.

The turn comes down: 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] And you do what?
Most people here would bet. However, a better play is actually to check, imo. Why? Well, you caller has to have a hand like 46 for you to worry about giving a free card, and betting three streets with a single pair isn't usually a good idea. You want to get two solid bets out of your opponent. If you fire here again, and he raises, you have to strongly consider the possibility that he has 55 or JJ, in which case you're stuck calling not just this bet, but another big on on river. By checking you protect yourself not just from slow-played sets but also from weird two pair type monsters.

Also, with your turn check, on the river your villain might decide to get frisky and make a reasonable bet with a J, a pocket pair that's missed the board, or just some sort of weird bluff, thinking you dont have the goods when you check the turn. You can safely call that bet, and the money you lose to a set or two pair in this situation is much less than if you inflated pot by firing turn.

Finally, a hand like JT or 77 is goign to be much more likely to call a solid river bet then they would be to call your second barrel on the turn, since you showed weakness on the turn by checking. Now they might think you're just making a desperation buy attempt on river with AQ or AK.

The idea, here, is that your turn check allows you to get more value from marginal hands, while at the same time keeping the pot manageable with a hard hand to play postflop, and finally allowing you to lose the least money from flopped monsters like sets or two pair.

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