Need help on ALL streets except preflop (I think)

[King_J]

6 handed online 10-20. A bad player open-limps from cutoff and I raise with
A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Small blind makes it 3 bets and that means a good hand. Dont know exactly his standards unfortunately.

bb folds, cutoff calls two bets and i call.
3 to the flop for 3 bets each.

Flop: K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Sb bets, cutoff calls and so do I.

Turn 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
I am ready to give up when small blind check. Cutoff also checks and I start to think that small blind easily could have AQ, AJ and I decide to take a shot at the pot and I bet.

They both call and I think that SB could have TT or JJ.
I have no idea what cutoff might have but I dont bother much either. He could have any kind of draw.

River: 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

They check to me and I check.

Fire it off!!

[hutz]

I don't play a lot of shorthanded poker, so take the following comments with a grain of salt. I'm responding because I hate to see your post hanging out here without anyone taking a stab at helping you out! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Flop: You have a backdoor nut flush draw and backdoor straight draw plus questionable pair outs (three aces and maybe three 9s, but I wouldn't feel real good about those) and there are (pre-rake) 12 SBs in the pot when it gets to you. You close the action and have the odds to call, so that's cool. Did you think about raising? If you're going to play, a raise has merit.

Turn: This is a scary card for your opponents, especially after you just called the flop. When it's checked to you, I like the bet. You could be representing either trip 8s or a flush draw, which sets you up for an effective river bet (particularly if a spade hits).

River: Hey! You caught something to show down, at least. If you think SB has a better pair than you and might fold it for one last bet, then firing away could be good. If he'll call you down with TT, JJ, QQ, or a king (not to mention AA), then I don't see a lot of merit to betting. It's important to remember, too, that you have two opponents. The fishy one may well call you down with a king, which would suck, but he might also call you down with a smaller pair, ace high, etc. Also, it's going to put some pressure on the SB to lay down a better hand than yours knowing he has a potential over-caller (the fish) acting behind him. Without knowing anything about the other two players, I'd be inclined to bet here.

[Schneids]

Raise the flop or fold, so you can see how the big blind reacts. Calling leaves you without information, and only works best against a thinking SB who may interpret your call as a slowplay (since the standard play on the flop would be a "raise for information"). That is, if you have a tight aggressive image AND the SB recognizes this fact.

I like the turn bet. Scary outcome from it though.

Bet the river and fold to a raise. SB might have you beat around half the time, but the UTG will call often enough with less so that this should become a marginal value bet. It's very close though.

[David Sklansky]

You played it fine.