(Stars 1/2) Looking for a check-raise with quads

Why did you check this river?

[KneeCo]

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Why did you check this river?

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I thought that chances were the river helped him, and even if it didn't my checking the Ace after how I played the hand might make him think I hated it enough to be ready to muck my hand to a bluff, therefore I figured I check, he bets, I check raise him.

So I checked, he bet, I check-raised him, and he called.

At first I thought, nice job kneeco, you got that extra bet out of him. Then I realized checking was a mistake, because if the river did help him he very well might have raised me.

That's the problem with checking here IMO, not that he might check behind but then he might raise a bet.

Ignoring UTG for a moment and just looking at the button.

Checking gets me 0 or 2 bets from him (more often 2).
Betting gets me 1 or 3 bets from him (not sure of frequency).

That's why I think betting was the play, precisely because I think the river helped him.

[Eeegah]

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That's the problem with checking here IMO, not that he might check behind but then he might raise a bet.

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Let's contrast with a hand I had last night.

I have a weak flush draw in the BB, 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] on a 3 handed 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3-handed flop. I couldn't bet for value since there was just the two of us, but the only guy who limped (SB completed) bet both the flop and a blank on the turn.

River gave me my fifth diamond. I think this would have been the perfect opportunity to checkraise, as donkbetting the third diamond would have made it perfectly clear why I was calling down, and I could easily trap the SB if he's coming along.

Unfortunately I whiffed, but I don't think I would have won any extra had I bet out.

In your hand, you've been showing aggression on every street. You're apparently assuming that you can get a made flush to bet out or induce a bluff, but (a) it's pretty obvious you're not folding here and (b) the pair on board could make someone weary. If you'd been playing this strongly and suddenly stop at the third heart, he might suspect that you had a boat and were looking to trap (this would likely be MUBS but it's a possibility, especially if it were a weak flush). There's also the most likely scenario--he doesn't have a flush. He could have a busted straight draw, in which case he won't be helping you trap, or A-rag, which if he's dumb enough to call to the river with he'll likely be passive enough to be scared of the flush.

In summary, check-raising the river works best if you haven't been showing aggression previously and can trap the field, as your opponent wouldn't expect your bet but might fold outright if you donk. When you're going RAAAAAR to the river and wimp out, people start smelling rodents.

(FWIW villain in my hand had limped AKo and deservedly lost.)