[banditdad]

[ QUOTE ]
"I'm sorry but I don't give free cards to 3 other players on the flop with a board like this one. And neither should you."

You're not giving a free card, you're taking one. The continuation bet takes this pot down on the flop just about never. You more than likely do not have the best hand, equity-wise, at the moment. You need to improve to win. It is checked to you. Why on earth would betting be superior to taking the free card here?

[/ QUOTE ]

You are not trying to take the pot down. While it is not the exact scenario I would refer you to part 5 of SSHE. I could probably find the similar passage in ITH but I don't feel like looking.


If you really believe that by checking on the flop you are taking, not giving a free card you need to rethink your game. I really don't care how many 2+2ers post otherwise: This is a weak play guaranteed to allow someone to catch up.
I am only to happy to take the free card when I am on the draw and the raiser checks on the button. If I hit my out I am going to play it just like the villian here did. Call the turn and raise the river and you are toast. However, if you had bet out on the flop there is a good chance that, almost a certainty, that one player will fold and a good chance that 2 will fold. If I am on a gutshot or need one more club I may fold depending on the odds, And if I have paired my 4,5,6, (which I wouldn't have played to begin with but that's a different subject), I would consider a fold here and probably folded to the turn bet with an A on board if I have a weak pair with no redraw.

Yor are the raiser. You are not taking a free card by checking, you are giving free cards to 3 other players. You are allowing them to catch up.

BTW, just as an aside. The A9 should probably not have been played to begin with, but that's a different discussion.

Could all of you who would check the flop here please PM the sites you play at? I'd like to join your games.