5/10 UB 2 pair

[PokerNeophyte]

5/10 NL 4 handed

Hero is in the BB with $480
Villain is on the button with about $1K

Dealt to Hero: A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Button calls, SB calls, Hero checks.
Flop: K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

SB checks, hero checks, villain bets 30, SB folds, hero calls

Turn: A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]


Hero checks, villain bets $90

Hero?

[chuddo]

it is 4-handed.

bet the turn, build a pot.

but after you check, i suggest just calling his $90 bet.

then leading pretty much any river for $200. easy to see a K and obviously any A making a call against you if the river bricks.

[bigmarcb]

i think you should have made a probing bet on the flop to see where you stand on the hand--its called short handed aggression

[PokerNeophyte]

Thank you both for your comments.

Here was my thought process.
If I bet on the flop and get raised big, I have to lay down.

Given villain's aggression on the flop, I was concerned that betting the A on the turn would be more likely to elicit a fold than a call or raise. And that the best way to get him to put money in the pot was to check.

Thoughts?

[CamelZoo]

After thinking about it, I like the idea of the check-minraise to $180 after the $90 bet. You can take it down right there, or use any info he gives you with a call or RR to make a smart followup play. If he RR big on turn you can lay down with a good read.

The reasoning for my check-minraise is that if I call the $90 I'm not too sure where I'm at when the river comes, and don't want to be hesitating when I get my $150ish in on the river, or checking the river, letting him decide the action. Hope that helps...

[CamelZoo]

One more thing... He limped 4 handed, and if he's betting the non-nut flush draw I don't want to just call the $90 to see the 3rd diamond come and have to fold. Calling is too passive, and like I said, his rxn to your raise will tell you if his back to back pot-sized bets mean 22 or 55. You have defined your hand at all yet, and I'd want to take this pot down here if possible by raising minimum like I said, or even a little more. If I had to guess I'd say villain has something like K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] or K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

I hate playing this out of position, b/c if I raise to 180, he calls, and river comes diamond, I don't feel comfortable betting more than $75-$100 on riv, while I also don't feel comfortable checking. And if non-diamond comes, I am not sure he doesn't have my 2 pair beat with flopped set. I'm interested to see how it played out b/c hands like these are why I stick to 10-handed ring games.

[PokerNeophyte]

Camel,

It sounds like you and I think alike. I check minraised to $180, villain folded. But then I was left wondering if I couldn't have done something to get more of his money.