Mis-use of a blocking bet?

[Matt R.]

Is my river bet here a bad application of a blocking bet? I don't think I could really bet any more due to my stack size, and I didn't want to be bluffed out of the pot once the 3rd club hit if he wasn't on the flush draw. Apparently I was getting bluffed out either way. Any ideas on how to play the hand differently?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (10 handed) converter

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

SB (t5185)
BB (t2955)
UTG (t10040)
UTG+1 (t1178)
Hero (t2225)
MP1 (t1250)
MP2 (t3940)
MP3 (t1595)
CO (t900)
Button (t685)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t150</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls t150, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, BB calls t100.

Flop: (t475) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t275</font>, MP2 calls t275, BB folds.

Turn: (t1025) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, MP2 checks.

River: (t1025) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t350</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 raises to t1200</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t2575

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
MP2 has Ac Td (one pair, sevens).
Outcome: MP2 wins t2575. </font>

[Jurollo]

I like to fire a second bullet on the turn there and check fold the river if a you don't hit anything, that is just me though.
~Justin

[Matt R.]

[ QUOTE ]
I like to fire a second bullet on the turn there and check fold the river if a you don't hit anything, that is just me though.
~Justin

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. That was the only other way I could think of to play the hand, and I think I like it much better than the line I used. Especially since he just flat called the flop bet. Thanks for the input.

[Stipe_fan]

I feel a blocking bet will work on a very weak-tight player. A good player will play back at you because he thinks you are weak leading with the smallish bet. So, therefore do the opposite versus the appropriate player.

Stipe

[Matt R.]

[ QUOTE ]
I feel a blocking bet will work on a very weak-tight player. A good player will play back at you because he thinks you are weak leading with the smallish bet. So, therefore do the opposite versus the appropriate player.

Stipe

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm curious; absent a read, which was the case in this hand as I was just moved to this table, is the default play here to check/fold the river to a decently sized bet? I've never been a fan of a blocking bet, but I think part of this is that I don't know how to properly use it. Would a bet of 400 or 450 work better here, even though it's a pretty good portion of my remaining stack? Looking at it again, I think an even 400 chips on the river might convey considerably more strength and would be enough to prevent villain from making this play.

[ligastar]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Would a bet of 400 or 450 work better here, even though it's a pretty good portion of my remaining stack? Looking at it again, I think an even 400 chips on the river might convey considerably more strength and would be enough to prevent villain from making this play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Matt - At the river you have t1800 behind. A bet of t450 represents a 1/4 of your stack and 44% of the pot...a value bet if I've ever seen one. Although it would have been only t100 more chips, villain might have thought twice about the bluff re-raise. My 2 cents.

Greg H.

[Martin Aigner]

Why not check the river and see what happens? If he bets, you think about calling. I don´t see to many players check top pair on the turn, so I think I would call a bet more often than not.

Martin Aigner