[Nick C]

Wow. I haven't played 8-handed pots online in some time. Good table selection.

Preflop: Fine, in my opinion. I'd probably raise from the CO or on the button.

Flop: I want to raise, but I'm not sure what good it would do. Yeah, folding a stray 7 would have its benefits, so long as no one has a queen. Getting rid of an 8 would be nice, so long as no one already has 87 or KQ. And then with this pot size, driving out something like 22 could be good. Hmm. Actually, I think a raise would be best. But I can see why you waited for the turn.

Turn: I like the bet. You got your apparent blank, though, so I think it's time to 3-bet when the action gets back to you. You can't protect your hand, really, but I think the 3-bet is for value.

River: UTG's checkraise is an unwelcome development. I call and hope for the best, but I expect to be shown something like J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

Edit: Actually, at a table where 8 people are seeing the flop, I doubt a flop raise will fold much of anything that might go on to beat you. But you might have a value raise, all the same. On the other hand, you could end up in a four-way pot against the only other three hands that legitmately threaten yours and sacrifice some dead money that otherwise may have gone in. Plus, as actually happened, someone else may raise behind you. I haven't played a pot quite like this in awhile, and even if I had, I still probably wouldn't really know what's best on the flop. 3-bet when the action gets back to you, maybe? You do still have three opponents, there's a good chance you're currently best, and with four cards that improve you to a boat and two cards to come, you will go on to make a boat about 16.5 percent of the time (although the action does indicate that one or more of the jacks or tens you're hoping for could very well be in other players' hands).