Making top pair on the river

[scooby]

I'm playing 5/5 and have about 600 in front of me. One limper in MP, I limp behind with J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], CO limps, Button limps.

Flop comes down 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] BB bets out 20, limper calls, I call, CO folds, button calls, SB folds.

Turn is 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Checked to me, I check, button checks.

River is J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Checked to me, I bet 100.

Standard all the way through?

[AZK]

As it stands I would have raised the flop, since you checked I would have bet the turn. Since you checked I like the river bet. So sure, I guess it's standard, I've been on an agression kick as of late hence my raise raise raise feelings.

[n1bd]

Can you (or the OP) explain the purpose of the river bet please? Get called by worse hands? Fold better hands? Integration with other holdings you play this way?

[AZK]

Slim value bet? Probably mostly integration with other holdings. It's probably a bet that a majority of the time won't get called.

[gomberg]

perfect bet that I would make a large majority of the time. It looks like you missed a flush draw and you're bluffing. You can easily get called here by a thinking player with A-high, or a middle pair. Sometimes a hand like AJ will call, but in the long run, this bet has a lot of value on the river in my experience. I'd also bet the nuts this way as well.

[freemoney]

yeah maybe i raise the flop to mix it up but not usually, i love the river bet because you can get called by weaker hands thinking you are trying to pick up the pot and face no danger of being raised by a worse hand, its a near impossible board to raise you without close to the nuts so there is little danger in the river bet, i like it