SB Hand... think I played poorly...

[elysium]

hi golfer

you played it well. i think you may have had him on QT as well as KT, but anyway....oh, did the lose limper fold or was he in there too when you check-raised? that can be important.

if the loose limper was still in there when the turn bet got to you, then betting out is better than checking, even if you intend to raise. the MP limper may have been reraising to driveout and take the button with something like KT. if that was sucessful, then check-raising the turn is great. but if the loose called the flop reraise, you do better to betout since the MP limper may not have been reraising for value and may be hoping that the LP limper checks it through. that doesn't give you a value bet necessarily, but it does give you a hand strong enough to stop the free-card. the improbability of being raised combined with the urgency of getting the bets into the pot before the board horrifies any further, makes betting a must in a 3-way on the turn.

betting is usually correct for the same reasons when heads-up, however, if this opponent will call a check-raise with a lesser holding, then check-raising is the way to go. the main argument against the check-raise is that if your opponent folds, he will only be folding a hand that is weaker than yours. this is not good. you would rather that he raise or call you with a weaker hand, so usually this is not a good check-raise.

this hand is unique though, and affords you with the liberty to check-raise the turn. this opponent is steaming and telegraphs his intentions pretty clearly. you know that he will bet if you check, and if he has a weaker holding, you know that he will call....you. but only you. if he faced an over-caller, he may not be so inclined to bet and call.

the river check-raise....well, it depends on what card landed to give you the flush. if it further coordinated the straight, while he may have picked up a straight, he also may come to his senses and check it down with enough board horrification. furthermore, he is too likely to call your river bet for you to risk the check-down. i think the river is a must bet. the rest of the hand is fine.