Crappy river card whats my play?

[sean c]

Party 2/4 villian in hand is loose passive. I'm in the BB with Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] three limp sb calls i check five to the flop of Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB checks i bet all fold except last limper who calls and SB folds. Turn is an offsuit brick i bet he calls. River is the 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] should i check/call, bet/fold or bet/call?

To me, it looks like a check call. I think betting is bad because s/he'll fold most/all hands you beat and raise those you don't. Once you check, an opponent's bet could mean so many things you'd have to call without superior reads. Unless I've been watching this loose passive for long enough to know s/he will not stab at checked pots with short of a great hand, I call and say 'nh'.

Also, did the brick possible offer any poor straight draws?

[Nick C]

I would bet, because Villain could just have a 9 or a pocket pair or even a busted gutshot draw like J8s that just made a pair, and your passive opponent probably won't bet any of these hands himself (though there's a good chance he'll call with them).

The unfortunate thing is that, if I got raised, I would probably convince myself that my read could be wrong or that Villain could like his 98o for the rivered three-pair, after which I would call and pay off his straight or flush (or slowplayed better queen). I'm not very good at laying down trips to a sudden raise on the river.

I doubt you're good 1 in 9 times that your loose-passive opponent raises the river though. Fortunately, I also don't think you'll get raised as often as it may sometimes seem (when you're running bad), even though the river card does complete flopped flush draws and OESDs.

[Grease]

Bet/call.

Please don't wuss out on that last card. He can be calling here with any number of things, because you described him as loose/passive. If he were weak tight, then you could consider a fold, but against this opposition, I bet this river 100% of the time.