How bad was this?

[NutCrackerr]

Party 2/4, first hand, posted in the cutoff, no reads on anyone. I'm dealt J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Folded to LP (who also posted, was his first hand too), he checked. I check, button folds, SB completes, BB raises, all call. Who doesn't call this?

Flop comes 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

SB checks, BB checks, LP bets, I call, SB folds, BB raises. All call. Not scary enough to lay it down.

Turn 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Check, Check, BB bets. All call. Board still isn't that scary plus now I have the open-ender, must see the river.

River 10 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Check, Check, Bet, Call, Call

Should I have layed this down? When?

[Brian]

Hi NutCracker,

I am confused as to the betting action on the Turn and River. You say Check, Check, BB bets on the Turn, but there can be only 1 check (the SB) before the BB bets. And on the River you say Check, Check, Bet, Call. Does this mean the BB bet and LP calls? I'll assume that it was the BB doing the betting and the LP calling.

Pre-Flop, you have a pretty easy call. I never ever post my blind out of the BB, because I hate being put in situations where people are trying to steal because there is more dead money in the pot, but you have to call because the pot is larger. But, this isn't really one of those situations. You're getting great odds, so call.

I would probably raise the Flop. If the BB 3-bets it, then you know you are dealing with an overpair, and can play the rest of the hand accordingly. Also, see how serious the LP player is about his hand. He could be betting a straight draw, or he might have a Jack with a better kicker. Once you call the Flop though, calling the BB's check-raise is pretty automatic. The pot is large and you have plenty of outs.

The Turn call is good as well for the reasons you pointed out. On the River, if the BB bet again and LP called again, then you can fold. There is no reason to overcall. One of them almost certainly has you beaten.

-Brian

[taxat]

I would have checked preflop, but raising is an option. LP poster probably has utter junk or he probably would have raised first in. I would call BB's raise--only SB acts after you.

Flop: You hit top pair and instantly went into check-call mode. You are stuck between a bettor and the pre-flop raiser. You MUST raise or fold. If you wouldn't raise, then fold. Calling the BB's raise was OK. At this point BB could have AK, AQ or a big pocket pair.

Turn: You should bet out. If BB raises the turn, you can probably throw it away then and save a BB.

You probably have LP beat. He might have hit middle pair with part of the straight draw and called the river because the pot was big. BB probably has you beat, maybe with QQ or KK.

[LetsRock]

I would have raised the flop bet to gain some information about what's going on. If you get raised, you can lay it down with no-regrets. If they call and check to you on the turn, you can get a free card.

Calling the flop was the worst option in my opinion.

[NutCrackerr]

Sorry for the confusion, yes you are correct. BB check-raised the flop, then led out on the turn and river.

[NutCrackerr]

I have a skirt fitting scheduled for later this afternoon.
LP showed A8o, BB showed KQo and I took it down. My only excuse is that I had been getting hammered all day and was starting to see monsters.