To Bet the River or not?

[CJC]

Hello,

Here is a hand from a $5-10 game the other morning up at "The Woods".

At this point I dont really remember all the cards that were in play except for mine and my main 2 opponents in the hand. However,all our hands were 'live'...

It should be mentioned that both opponents involved in this hand were reasonably decent players. ( opponent 2 being the better of the two )

Ok. on to the hand.

A low card brought it in.
Opponent 1 calls with a 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
opponent 2 calls with 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
I look down and see (q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img])q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and call

4th street
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Opponent 1 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
opponent 2 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
ME (q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img])q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Opponent 1 bets Five bucks..opponent 2 calls as do I obviously.

5th street
-----------

Opponent 1 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
opponent 2 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
ME (q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img])q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Opponent 1 bets $10
opponent 2 calls $10
I raise to $20
Opponent 1 makes it $30
Oppnent 2 calls the $20 in raises
I cap at $40
Both call.

Sixth Street
-------------

Opponent 1 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
opponent 2 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
ME (q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img])q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Both opponents check to me. I bet $10 and they both call.

River I catch brick. Both check to me.

Do I bet or check?

[patrick dicaprio]

bet. if one of these players makes two pair they will call just to see your hand even if they know they are beaten. obviously you are worried about player 2 since he has a possible flush, your hand is somewhat obvious and if he is a good player he could checkraise you. but it is unlikely since he would most likely bet if he made a flush, so you are most likely good. so bet it.

pat

[Al_Capone_Junior]

On 5th the three clubs reraise you, trying to sell a flush. But then three clubs check-calls when it's obvious you don't have a full house, nor do you have a better flush. Mmmmmmm.... then they both check the river again. I think you're ahead. However, if you chickened out and checked I wouldn't be that upset.

al

[CJC]

Hi Al,

On 5th..the three clubs didn't re-raise.. he just called all the bets and raises.

CJ

[Andy B]

I'm not going to fault anyone for slow-playing rolled-up Queens, but I would tend to complete on third street once there were a couple of limpers in. Obviously, they're not going anywhere, and someone else may come along for the ride as well. I know that when I play $5/10, there isn't a whole lot of difference between what I'll play for $2 and what I'll play for $5, and I think that's true for most players.

I'd bet the river. You know player 2 and we don't, but a lot of the folks I play with would bet a flush on the river, being afraid that you would check behind on the end. A lot of the folks I play with will, in fact, check behind on the end with those three Queens. But a lot of the folks I play against also don't play very well. You've got a pretty good chance of being paid off in two spots by worse hands, and I think that this more than compensates for the times that you get check-raised.

[CJC]

Hi,

Assume Player 2 will ONLY pay off if I am beaten..

CJ

[MRBAA]

I check the river. Opponent 1 may have three kings. And opponent 2 is likely to have a flush. If he's really a good player, he probably realized a flush may be no good, which would explain just calling. I think it's likely you're beat somewhere. LIke Andy, I'd probably raise earlier. Not on third, though. But on fourth, I"m definitely popping it. I do understand your thinking for slowplaying though.

[patrick dicaprio]

i dont think it is reasonable to assume that player one has three kings and player 2 has a flush. certainly both would not check if this were the case. why cant player one have kings up? or something worse? plus if player 2 thought a flush might not be good why would he call the raises on fifth street with a four flush. if he is really good he should know that against trips he needs a bigger pot to cold call, and a really good player might fold here.

once it is checked to CJC on the river there is no reason for him to think he is beaten, so a bet is right. if the other guys played their hands wrong on the river and cj is beaten then so be it. i would make this bet every time and expect to get called by at least one player and to win the pot. you will be right far more often than you are wrong.

pat

[patrick dicaprio]

there are not too many 5-10 players you can say this about, myself included when i played 5-10. which i guess is the point as to why you should bet. of course if you are right then you should not bet, but you would have to be right about two players not just one since player one can call also if player 2 folds.

pat

[Al_Capone_Junior]