Party 1-2: value bet this river?

[pete fabrizio]

After busting out of the WCOOP main event, I decided to sit down in the old Party "Blast Off" game for a couple of hours to calm my mood. What a ridiculous game! 7 or 8 handed to the flop in a raised pot almost every hand, people calling down with top pair, everything you expect of party poker. Naturally, I had to calm down my usual style and try to peddle the nuts a bit, but that was fine (I was listening to Dostoyefsky's The Gambler on audiobook, so I didn't really want to think anyway).

Anyway, with all this discussion of how strong a hand 2 pair is, I was wondering what you guys thought of this play:

Party Poker Pot-Limit Omaha High, $2 BB (6 handed)

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

BB ($94)
UTG ($272.30)
MP ($95)
<font color="C00000">Hero ($523.10)</font>
Button ($144.90)
<font color="C00000">SB ($88.30)</font>

Preflop: Hero is CO with T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls $2, MP calls $2, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to $11</font>, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, SB calls $10, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG folds, MP calls $9.

Flop: ($37) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, MP checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($37) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets $35.15</font>, MP calls $35.15, Hero calls $35.15.

River: ($142.45) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, MP checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets $50</font>, SB calls $42.15 (All-In), MP folds.

Final Pot: $234.60
<font color="green">Main Pot: $226.75, between Hero and SB.</font>
<font color="green">Pot 2: $7.84, returned to Hero.</font>

[dogsballs]

I find it hard to value bet two pair in last posn unless I'm against a payoff merchant.

Why didnt you bet the flop after two checks? Were oyu sure oif getting called anyway?

[sahaguje]

Funny you did not bet that flop in last position. You dont risk that much : with this board, a set would have bet, and you dont want to give a free card to a draw here. Even if somone has 2 pairs, you still have a lot of outs.
On the turn, OK. If SB was deeper, I would have raised a fair proportion of times if I know he can fold 2 pairs, cause there is a good chance he does not have a very big hand, and even if he has a set you still have outs.
On the river, I dont know. You wont be called with many lesser hands, the A is just too threatening, cause a lot of hands with a black A suited and a 2, 3, 7 or 8 would have called the turn bet, as you did. I can only see you beat a A3 or a A2 with the Ac. Most of the times, you bet will only be called by A8 or A7. So unless SB is a very bad player who'll pay with 87, I would check behind.

sahaguje

[pete fabrizio]

I don't bet the flop because I don't want to be check-raised, particularly in that crappy party game where people will check-raise with bottom two, and where they will pay me off if I hit my gutshot.

For the river, why do you all say only a fish would call me with 87 or worse? There is $150 in the pot and he has only $43 left. And don't you think I might bluff if I missed and was checked to?

[sahaguje]

Good point, the pot is maybe big enough for him to pay with 87... Nethertheless, you paid with something on the turn. And considering it is 3 handed on the river, and someone is nearly all in, I dont see how you would have bluffed on the river if checked to... Anyway, I admit this is a marginal but not bad value bet on the end.