My Set brings a straight board, headsup

[rharless]

Suits are unimportant in this hand. Colorado $2-$5.

I am in the CO+1. The last two orbits I have raised preflop in LP and then folded on the flop.

There are three limpers to me in the CO+1 and I have pocket 99. I just call. Button calls behind me, blind checks. $12 / six players to the flop.

Flop: T 8 7

Check to me, I bet $5, the button calls and everyone else folds. By his facial expression, I feel I have the current best hand.

Turn: [T 8 7] 3

I bet, he now confidently raises. I call.

River: [T 8 7 3] 9

Your plan?

[slavic]

If your tell is right I think you have to check, call.

If you bet he folds to a straight, or he reraises and you have to fold.

[Prufrock]

If your tell is good and he "confidently raises" when the 3 shows
then he either has TT or the straight or a set of 3's.
I would checkcall the river with this player. If I
know this player well I may even check raise him.

[rharless]

Not sure why I didn't include this description the first time, as it is important to the hand. Button is playing with his wife who is sitting between us, so I can hear all that he is telling her. He is teaching her how to play but giving just awful advice ("when you flop top pair, check the flop and see what happens on the turn, so you'll know if your top pair has a good chance to hold up").

He constantly will call $10 cold on the flop with a pocket pair, and then be shocked to lose. E.g. holding TT, flop AJx, call $10 cold on the flop and then call $5 on the turn and river. Other person shows A and he smiles, shake his head, and says "I was afraid of that; man, you always have it!"

Other than affection for pocket pairs and playing any two preflop, other than that he seems reasonable. He has not shown too much aggression. Although he is a tourist, he can definitely read the board; he just seems unable to apply the information and judge the strength of his holding.

[Clarkmeister]

If you think he'll bet the river when checked to despite the scare card, checkraise. He won't 3-bet without the nut and he can't have the nut based on the way he played the hand. I think this is most likely to win you 2 bets on the river. Betting wins you 1 bet sometimes, and I believe you are less likely to win if you call a raise from him as opposed to doing the raising yourself.

[Mike]

I don't see how you can make a wrong play on the turn no matter what you do. Check - call is your best bet in saving a few chips but you give up a bet if you win. I would guess he was holding TT, that's the best hand that makes sense for him to hold.

I wouldn't put much faith in facial expressions in the future, unless you know for a fact the player doesn't know you are looking at him/her.

[Homer]

Well, you almost definitely have the best hand. You are only behind if your opponent has J9 or 96 for a straight (would need the case 9 for this) or TT for a bigger set. There's a much greater chance that he has a smaller set, two-pair, or just top-pair (given the advice he gave to his wife). If you think he will bet despite the scare board you should check-raise. If you think he won't bet once the scare card comes, bet yourself.

-- Homer

[Prufrock]

Given your description, I would check raise the river.
My read from your description is he will bet to the check
then raise. If he has TT then smile, tell him he played
a good hand and nail him next time.

[rharless]

you almost definitely have the best hand

... And this is exactly what I thought at the table. I was afraid he would check the river so I bet. To my surprise, he raised. I called in confusion, to be shown his 65 for the bottom straight.

He then mumbled to his wife about how he had to raise the turn because there are three cards to help him. I really don't know how he finds three outs (versus eight outs or "two" outs, for those players who count a single card rank as one out even though there's four cards).

I wish I had thought of Clarkmeister's check-raise line of play. I think I would still have bet out b/c I would have been worried he would check, however, I would have liked to have the presence of mind to consider it as an option at the river. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img] I bet b/c I was afraid of his check, but if I had checked and he bet, I think I would have wimped into merely calling.

Luckily, my chips were just on a temporary loan to him; he returned them later, with interest. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]