Top pair good kicker

[scott2130]

I don't have a hand converter. I am in a down swing but I don't think it is my play.

Part .5/1 ( 8 players )

HERO is in the small blind with Kd Js

Everyone Calls to see the Flop

Flop is ( 5h, 8s, Kc )

Hero bets, BB Folds, UTG Calls, MP1 Calls MP2 Calls, LP Folds, Button Folds

Turn is ( Th )

Now I have top pair with a good kicker, no straight, no flush so I bet. Anything wrong with that?

Hero Bets, UTG Folds, MP1 Raises, MP2 Folds, Hero Calls

Now I could have re-raised but I thought with my luck running so bad maybe he picked up two pair and if I just called I could catch the river. If he was just trying to scare me I could call him done for the same price.

River ( 2s )

Hero Checks, MP Bets
Hero ?

I have top pair with a good kicker so what do I do?

[GrunchCan]

Welcome to the forums.

PF: Raise.
Flop: good.
Turn: raise.
River: bet-call

Now I could have re-raised but I thought with my luck running so bad maybe he picked up two pair

You are on tilt. Right now, I would bet that this is your biggest leak.

Keep posting hands.

[CWsports]

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to the forums.

PF: Raise.
Flop: good.
Turn: raise.
River: bet-call

Now I could have re-raised but I thought with my luck running so bad maybe he picked up two pair

You are on tilt. Right now, I would bet that this is your biggest leak.

Keep posting hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not about to raise preflop with KJo in the small blind.

[scott2130]

I called the Villain down and he showed me a set of eights. I was right to slow and not re-raise but should I have called him down? Last night on a 2+2 table I was tracked as a "Calling Station" (god forgive me).

As I thought about my play I have been calling alot of flush draws and openended strates. How do you know when to call, give credit to the other guy, or just say its not worth it? If you do call, do you call one small bet to see the turn or go all the way to the river?

[gvibes]

pre-flop: I wouldn't raise it. I don't even raise kqo from the blinds.
flop: good
turn: I probably 3-bet. If capped, I check-call. If just called, I lead on the river.

Not to be harsh, but unless you have an astonishingly good read on someone, it would be idiotic to fold this at any point.

If you don't think you are betting your flush and straight draws enough, I think the discussion on playing flush draws will be enlightening.

EDIT: Don't base your evaluation of your decision not to raise on the fact that he turned over a set of eights. That is being "results-oriented," and you'll never learn how to play poker well if you are results-oriented.

[detruncate]

I don't think you played it badly. I doubt I'd 3-bet the turn against an unknown opponent, and I'm not going to fold. Calling down in fine.

As for the rest of your questions... Ajax's thread on flushdraws should answer some of them, and this thread might be of help wrt pot equity.

Whether to call down a hand that you're not sure is ahead comes down to an estimate of how likely you are to win vs the amount of money in the pot. Experience helps a lot. Post some hands in which you called down and don't think you should have, or didn't and think you were wrong to muck.