Interesting comment on my play by a solid player

[mantasm]

[ QUOTE ]
"He (meaning me) is most dangerous when he checks. It doesn't mean anything when he bets."

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds like something Mr. Miyagi would say if he taught poker instead of karate.

[HammerinHank]

No, Jerry probably wouldn't give up that much information. And no, most of my opponents wouldn't pick up on it. Just another reason to love that place.

[Nate tha' Great]

You bet right into this megaway pot on the flop, which usually indicates a hand like two pair or better, since the flop doesn't contain a flush draw, and since you'd probably have check-raised or check-called with a middling hand.

Then a blank (?) comes on the turn, which shouldn't affect your hand value too much, and you check.

That's a pretty conspicuous check IMO.

I don't know if it means that you're doing anything habitually wrong, so much as it means that he knows you're a strong player, and a strong player checking given this board texture and action is somewhat suspicious.

[shmahappens]

Add a checkbox that says 'A and B' and I'll vote.

[Baulucky]

It means he's jealous.

[I.Rowboat]

I think Nate nailed it. What hand are you trying to represent with your bet, and what hand do you think others will put you on when you check the turn after a (presumably) blank falls? When I bet an 8 high flop into seven other players (and I would definitely lead at this flop as you did), I am typically representing a solid hand. I expect my opponents to put me on a some sort of a hand (two pair, straight, set, overpair, or maybe A8), though almost certainly not as solid as what I really have.

When you are a solid player and you check the turn, against most opponents I think you can expect a bet from only two hands: either a set or another straight. Everyone else is drawing and will gladly take a free river.

Now, as to what the prop's comments says about your play: you play well, but you only check-raise your made hands; you don't CR semi-bluff. Therefore, your check is an announcement that you have the goods...whereas your bets tell others that you're still drawing and your hand isn't complete. Furthermore, you would never bet this flop and check the turn if you didn't have a monster. If you want to make your CR's more effective, you will need to open up your CR requirements, and get caught with your hand in the cookie jar a few times. If you want them to respect your betting more, you need to take fewer stabs at the pot with non-premium cards.

Prescriptive advice: tighten up your play, but keep your aggression intact. They can't seem to read you when you're betting, so you might as well keep betting, just make sure you're betting with a winning hand or a strong draw. And checking more often, especially in early position, might be a good idea, at least if you want a later position player to bet into you.

BTW, I play the 20 and 40 games at Bay101 at least weekly (and would play more if my schedule permitted it), so I'm sure we've played together. At some point it would be nice to get all the 2+2/Bay101 posters together and learn one another's real names...

[AUSTIN]

Is this Hank who always wear a baseball cap with glasses Hank?

I was about to say Jerry said this and I thought I was at the table...

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Were I you, I wouldn't have responded to UTG's question with anything other than a smile and/or a wink.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo!

[ QUOTE ]
Were I the prop, I would have kept my mouth shut too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jackpot!

~ Rick