$80-$160 Hand

[David Sklansky]

Of course you check the turn. Then you bet the river if he checks again and call if he doesn't. The scenarios where this would be wrong are few and far between.

[mikelow]

Would you fold to a raise on the river? So it costs the same anyway.

In most games, I would check the turn with any pair on the board.

[skp]

Checking the turn with any pair on the board is definitely wrong. I mean, let's say that the flop here was 877. It would be crazy to check TT here as the guy could have called the flop with all kinds of hands. The thing here is that his flop call on this board really narrows his range of holdings down to a pocket pair or trips.

As for folding to a checkraise on the river (i.e. when the turn gets checked through and you bet the river), well that's out too as far as I am concerned. Not many guys would have the audacity/brians etc. to check an Ace twice. While a river bluff checkraise is also rare, pot odds plus the rarity of a two street check dictates that you call..

[mikelow]

Well, this tourist did--he had the cojones (?) to check twice. I was being facetious, but I have been checkraised 80% of thime when I bet into a pair on the board.

[bernie]

check behind on the turn, and bet if checked to on the river, or call a river bet...

this is almost a textbook example of how to play an unknown when a paired board flops.

what are they calling the flop with? there's no draw. usually, in this instance, the only reason he isnt folding to a flop bet fearing an A is because he has one. but with a bad kicker...

b

[bernie]

you can always post different answers based on possible players in the hand...that helps make a generic hand even more beneficial in the example...

nothing wrong with giving 3+ possible answers in one post. which can also show your thought process for each scenario.

see ya...

b

[Boris]

Totally disagree with you on this one. I don't think this decision very much based on your opponent. I would only consider checking against a totally tricky loose aggressive where I would just hate to fold to a check raise.

I think you bet the turn almost 100% of the time here against most players, especially a weaker tourist type. If you get check-raised so be it. Fold. But with 10-10, the pot is so big you don't want to give him a free chance at catching a K-Q-J.

[Boris]

disagrees with me. Hmmmm... maybe I'm wrong. I dunno. In the games I play I see people call on the flop all the time with two runner-runner draws. Never played 80-160 though.

[Vince Lepore]

I am not necessarily disagreeing with Sklansky. I more likely than not check in this situation. The problem is that Jim calls the player a tourist. Some tourists I've played against will call to the river with a small pair or hands like K,Q, Q,J, and worse. If the tourist is also pegged as a bad player or calling station then betting the turn may be the most profitible play.

Vince

This is not the same thing. If the river was a ten, your turn bet costs you the pot if you get raised. A smaller pocket pair is less likely than 88 or Ax or KK(!), so you are, overall, getting a free card on the turn.