[Xhad]

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So I should risk an extra BB with TPTK hoping that none of these LP players hit a freak two pair or whatever and may want to raise / checkraise me?

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One, I specifically said if they really are calling stations they don't checkraise much. Two, yes, you should risk that bet if you are going to get called in several places by worse hands.

Think about it, you said yourself you can't bluff them. Why can't you bluff them? Because they call river bets with bottom pair, underpairs, sometimes ace high or even less. With that in mind, you can often bet TPTK or overpairs into four players, get called by ALL of them, and still win the showdown.

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It's bad enough getting rivered without paying extra for it. Maybe I'm just too mentally scarred by having that happen to me over and over and over.

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Luckily for me I'm able to carry fond memories of betting unimproved AA in a seven handed pot, being called by EVERYONE and taking down the pot. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Even if you will lose more than half the time betting can be correct. If you bet into five people, and get called by all of them, and your hand is only good 30% of the time, your river bet was still profitable. Do you see why?

EDIT: One final point, many calling stations will bet mediocre to good hands but almost never raise them. Against these players betting is necessary from early positions because you don't get a bet from them when they have middle pair, but they still gain a bet from you when they bet bottom two pair and you call.