Did I miss a bet?

[DanTheCardMan]

This was in a sort of home game last night.

Playing 3/6 hold'em.

I'm on the button.

UTG (fairly solid values) limps in, folded to me.

I raise with T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. (I raise with weaker value hands sometimes in order to vary my play.)

SB (VERY loose; somewhat passive) calls,
BB (new to the game but somewhat aggressive) raises
UTG calls
I call
SB calls

Flop comes JJ7

SB checks
BB checks
UTG checks
I bet
SB calls
BB calls
UTG folds

turn is a 7

SB checks
BB checks
I bet
SB calls
BB calls

river is a blank

SB checks
BB checks
I check

SB shows 55
BB shows QQ

I take it down with 7's full

Question: should I have bet the river? I'm thinking checking down here is the best bet because either player, especially the SB, was capable of a check-raise on the river.

[sthief09]

unless UTG is really really loose and you are significantly better at playing post-flop, and the blinds are tight, then this is a pretty bad raise. the fact that the blinds both came in leads me to believe that they aren't tight. this is a bad raise.

and the river check is just unacceptable.

[DanTheCardMan]

Ok, with a bit of a bruised ego I slinked away from this forum a few days ago. The questionable raise with T7s on the button was brought up by a few folks, and the missed bet on the river was, if I remember correctly, "unconscionable." I didn't understand why at the time, but I think I do now.

It didn't matter whether I had the best hand in that situation. There were 9 big bets in the pot and the chances of one of 3 players having another J with 2 on the board is much smaller than the likely 12-1 I was getting on my money. So getting a bet in in that situation was the obvious play.

Is this analysis correct?

As for the raise with T7s, let me just say that that is NOT a typical play for me. It was a change-up play in a pretty loose game, to show that I wouldn't necessarily just raise with big cards. I do know the pitfalls of raising with any 2 cards in a given situation - especially after last night where I had a loose raiser to my right all night and he ended up getting stuck for several hundred in a 3/6 game.

I am still learning the game, and I hope there aren't any hard feelings among the folks here towards me. I know you all are wanting to help me improve my game and I do appreciate that, even if I get the ego bruise from time to time.

[Aces McGee]

Hi Dan

Raising with T7s on the button after a UTG limper CAN be a good way to change up your play, but only if a)you can outplay the limper postflop, and b)the blinds will fold to your raise.

Given your description of UTG as fairly solid, the SB as VERY loose, and the BB as aggressive, then I don't think either condition is met. This is the wrong lineup against which to vary your play in this manner.

-McGee