$1/$2 PS NLHE value bet

[theBruiser500]

9 handed game, $1/$2 PS NLHE I have everyone covered. Two limpers to me on the button with As 7s, I call, SB completes.

Flop comes Ks Jc 5s

The blinds check, first limper bets $4 the second limper calls. They started the hand with stacks of $86 and $76 respectively. This looked like a good place to semi bluff against their small stacks and what appears to be weak hands and my strong drawing hand so I raised to $25. The blinds fold, the guy who bet $4 folds, the guy who called $4 calls me.

Turn comes 4c.

He has about $50 left, does anyone think I shoudl continue my semi bluff at this point? I checked.

River comes Ah.

He checks to me. What's the play?

[snowbank]

Hey Bruiser,

I would have to say bet the river here. I wouldn't do any huge bet or anything, but I would assume you have the best hand here. The reason being with your bet of $25 if he had a set or even two pair he would probably be raising you. He just called so at that point I put him on a K high kicker, but you never know with some of these guys. I would say he wouldn't check the river if he hit, very seldom am I seeing players check-raise the river, especially when he checked the turn. I would say your pair of Aces is good and I would say maybe he has a KQ. Let me know what the results were. Thanks.

[DoggSnott]

I think that you should bet the turn about $4 again, maybe a little more.

Then on the river bet about $10.

I think that by checking you won't win this hand without your ace on the end....but you bet the turn, he maybe doesn't call you

when you get heads-up on the turn, you definately need to bet

[NotAClue]

Given his passive flop play, there's decent chance he's also on a draw. The turn is unlikely to have helped him, so I bet here. Bet $30. A nice half-pot on the turn intimidates him enough so that if he doesn't have a real hand, he's going to fold. It's big enough that it is not going to induce a bluff re-raise because he knows you'll have to call the remaining $20. And even if he did flop a set or some such, you'll have odds to hit your flush on the river.

Since you checked the turn, check the river. There's a good chance he was also on a spade draw or a straight draw. If he was on the flush draw, then he missed and there's no point in value betting. If he was on the straight draw, he might have hit, and maybe waiting to check-raise.

Your check-behind on the turn signals that you were on a draw, so I don't think you have much chance of getting him to fold a better hand here (since in his mind you might have missed your flush draw and are bluffing at this point).

[sdplayerb]

I check the river. I figure he is only calling if he has me beat. The A may have given him two pairs or a straight (that would be hitting an openender).
If he only had like $10, I'd bet it.

I was at the same table as you earlier today, but you bailed. At least two terrible players there..I'm glad you left, more money for me!

[snowbank]

What was the outcome?

[Prevaricator]

Bet that river! Its unlikely he checked 2 pair or better on the river after you checked the turn behind him. I also think the check on the turn is fine, because its not impossible that a smooth caller like that has a set.

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
The reason being with your bet of $25 if he had a set or even two pair he would probably be raising you.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, I think he would have shown some agression at some more agression at some point int he hand with two pair or a set, off the flop... Something that worried me at the end was if he had some piece of the flop somehow and the ace gave him twopair (of all the cards to come, I think an ace is most likely to pair us both). In retrospect, I guess this was possible but I should have assumed the ace didn't hit him.

[ QUOTE ]
I would say he wouldn't check the river if he hit, very seldom am I seeing players check-raise the river

[/ QUOTE ]

This is my experience as well. I'm trying to excercise more discretion when I value bet though on the river. What are the chances my hand is the best? How much money is it worth if it is the best and how much will it cost me if I'm wrong? (I think these are the questions I'm supposed to be asking here, though to be hoenst I don't know since before I just value bet everything all the time). For some reason I didn't think my hand was worth much of a value bet even if I had the best hand, but the draws missed and if he had a king here he'd pay me off for $30 I bet.

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
And even if he did flop a set or some such, you'll have odds to hit your flush on the river.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is a little skewed if I understand you correctly. You're saying if I semibluff $30 and he does have a big hand and raises me my last $20 I have the odds to call that $20? Well, overall the play of putting $50 in on the turn to win this $50 pot is not a good play compared to putting $0 in. On this suspicious board where it is likely I'm semibluffing, and with his small stack I'm not inclined to semibluff again.

[ QUOTE ]
Your check-behind on the turn signals that you were on a draw, so I don't think you have much chance of getting him to fold a better hand here (since in his mind you might have missed your flush draw and are bluffing at this point).

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't this a good reason to value bet?

I agree, I wouldn't be betting the river as a bluff at all.

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
I check the river. I figure he is only calling if he has me beat. The A may have given him two pairs or a straight (that would be hitting an openender).

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but as Snowbank says he's probably have bet into me something on the river.