This one felt strange

[Michael Davis]

You have to call down. I know pauses mean powerhouses, but they always trick me anyways.

And seriously, this is not the right situation for the pause. His raise screams BS. I almost want to 3-bet.

-Michael

[elindauer]

I'm surprised how many people are recommending a call here. Here are the facts:

- you have just been check-raised after value betting a marginal hand

- you have a tell of strength

- your opponent has played his hand consistently with a hand that would be made by that river card

- the pot is reasonably small


You are not good often enough in this spot to justify calling without a specific read on your opponent as very loose and aggressive. Default play: fold.

Good luck.
Eric

[Pot-A]

Odd. In my experience it's just the opposite. Usually a long pause before a bet or raise means someone's trying to buy the pot. I run into a fair number of player that do this reliably.

[ShamaLamDingDong]

I hear you about the turn but I still think it's a bet mostly becuase hes unkown. Folding the river is so far from from the realm of my possibiliies I had to get my roomate to type in this sentence.

SHAMA LAMA...DING DONG!

[skp]

All the factors you mention are valid, Elindauer. One can also add to it the fact that a bluff checkraise is unlikely here because my opponent cannot be confident that I would bet the river given that I checked the turn (unless he thinks I made the flush). If anything, my turn check should tell him that I likely wont bet the river (unless I made a flush). So a bluff checkraise is not a good plan on his part. Bluffing outright would be the better plan (unless he had a ahnd like a strong ace with which he could call). Ergo, his river checkraise should be with the goods.

But I threw all that analysis out the window and just hit the call button. Good thing too as he showed A7 offsuit.

[stoxtrader]

[ QUOTE ]
the pot is reasonably small

[/ QUOTE ]

this is incorrect. the pot at this point is 8BB, avg pot size overall in the 15 is less than that. Hero is getting 8:1 odds on this call. a fold is definitely wrong.

[bxpeter]

I agree.

I don't think that you can say that a long pause before a raise is very often a monster hand. Sure, it is pretty often. But I think that there are many players who will pause for a long time thinking about whether or not they should bluff or not. Or they are thinking to figure out whether their underpair, or their low pair might be good against a possible bluff from you. (If I had to estimate percentages, I would say 58% monster hand, 42% not) Coupled with the fact that he could have just been distracted by whatever, I don't think this is a reliable tell at all unless you have more information about the player's tendencies and overall aggressiveness - those who bluff very often would be more likely to make a longer pause with a strong hand.

[samdash]

I think because he checked the turn and has played his hand "strangely" he now has to call the CR.

[skp]

I suppose by the time the ultimate river decision was put to me, the pot was slighter bigger than your average PP pot.

What about my turn check given my holding, the board and 5 bb pot size? Please see my earlier post which gave reasons for checking (although I readily admit the play is debatable). I do strongly disagree with those who say that betting the turn is clearly correct.

[stoxtrader]

I have no problem with the turn check. I like that line.