Should I have played the river differently?

cgwahl · #1 01-26-2005, 03:09 AM

I realize now I probably should have just called or at the very least folded. Just wondering from you guys though. Figured he was bluffing at first.

PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO calls, Hero raises, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, CO calls.

Flop: (11.50 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (5 players)
UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP2 checks, CO checks, Hero bets, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP2 folds, CO calls.

Turn: (7.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
UTG+1 checks, CO checks, Hero bets, UTG+1 calls, CO folds.

River: (9.25 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
UTG+1 bets, Hero raises, UTG+1 3-bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 15.25 BB

Results in white below: 
UTG+1 has Kd Ad (one pair, kings).
Hero has Qs Ah (one pair, queens).
Outcome: UTG+1 wins 15.25 BB.

I did not put him on the straight.

outofstep · #2 01-26-2005, 03:20 AM

I would just call the river. You're probably beat so raising would just give him the oppurtunity to re-raise like he did.

Shillx · #3 01-26-2005, 03:20 AM

When he bets the river I figure one of two things:

A) He is bluffing and will fold if I raise.

B) He has me beat and will either call or re-reiase. It is bad to raise if this is the case for obvious reasons.

Brad

sweetjazz · #4 01-26-2005, 03:30 AM

Do not fold this river. But don't raise either. He either caught his king, in which case pay him off for one more and note that he chases and (in this instance) bet when he hit, so be sure to value-bet to death when the opportunity arises. (Also note that he called preflop with AKs. Be wary of playing in a pot with him if he raises preflop, as he appears to be quite passive.) If he missed, let him bluff and snap it off.

Likely you are beat here, but it's generally bad to fold on the end for one bet. You're probably beaten here, but it could be a desperation bluff. Or he could have an outkicked queen the whole time and decided to bet it on the river for no discernable reason.

To make a long story short (too late!), you're probably beaten, but you will probably win the pot about 10% of the time or more, making a call necessary. There's no way to be entirely sure about how likely you are to win the pot, and when you're not sure, it's better to risk a small error (calling 1 BB) then a large error (folding to a 10.25 BB pot you would have won).