Just curious...

Last night I get a hand (25NL 6-max) and it's Q3s in the SB.

MP limps, I complete, BB checks.

Flop comes QX3. I check (MP is kind of reckless). BB checks, MP checks. (Phuke).

Turn is a 3. I bet out like .50 looking weak hoping to get raised. BB calls, MP calls.

Turn is a K. I bet out $1 (looking like a blocker, hoping to get raised). BB calls, MP minraises to $2.

How much should I raise here? The pot is now $6.25 and betting has been re-opened to me, with a non-raising opponent left in the hand.

If I minraise to 3, I possibly get $3 more if both call.
If I raise to 4, I probably only get 1 caller for $2 more
If I raise to 5, I'm pretty much assured 1 caller for $3 more
If I raise to 6, he may fold, but if he calls its $4 more.

Anything above 6 looks maniacal and he either folds or pushes and I either lose value bets or gain a bunch more.

Help???

[AaronBrown]

You don't say whether there are straight or flush possibilities on the board. I assume X is not an Ace, so the King is the highest card on the board.

A likely holding for your opponents is Ace/small for BB and King/anything for MP. In that case, I doubt you'll get any money from BB whatever happens. Given your analysis of MP, I'd go for the raise to $6; you might miss out on $3, but you might get $1; and it's better for future hands if they both fold on this one.

However, even a small chance of a much better hand, straight or flush or three kings, cannot be ignored. Yes, it doesn't look likely from the betting, but you don't need much chance of winning a large pot to make it worth the attempt. You're only risking $3 and even if both other players fold to a large bet, as they probably will, that could buy you some blinds and small pots in the future.

Another thought is to make a medium raise in the hopes of getting reraised. It also doesn't seem likely given the betting, but if MP is wild enough it might happen.

Yeah, it would help to be able to identify exactly what the players hold.

For what it's worth, I minraised to $3 and the blind called the extra 2, and the MP just called the extra 1, so I got 3 extra bucks (12bb's). Like you said, if I minraise and MP gets crazy he might re-raise me, which is nice. But he didn't.

I guess, all in all, this is too vague of a proposal for people to answer... I mean all this stuff is dependent on their stacks, your stack, what you think they hold...etc..

I was just kind of wondering, if, on the river you determine you have the best hand, and there is 1 bettor and 1 minraisor...what is the best raising factor you should use.

But again, this is just too vague a question. If the bet is 1, and the raise is 2, I think most people make it 4..but I guess you should make it 5, b/c making it 3 will gain you three when both call, yet making it 5 will virtually guarantee at least 3, if not more. (MP pretty much has to call this).


So, in the future I'll probably do that. I'll remember the factors 1, 2, 5. First guy bets, next guy minraises, I make the bet a factor of 5.

Thanks for your input sir.