Protecting my hand

[PseudoPserious]

Hiya,

Here's a hand from last night. Loose (5-7 see the flop) and passive (about 15% pots are raised pre-flop) table. No specific reads on any of the players in the hand.

I am dealt a queen and a jack of varying suits in the small blind. 3 people limp. I complete the SB with my two(!) flush draws. The big blind checks.

Flop: Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] {5 players, 5 small bets}

I check. The big blind bets. Two limpers call. I call.

Turn: 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img][Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] {4 players, 4.5 big bets}

I bet. The big blind and one of the limpers call.

River: K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img][2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] {4 players, 4.5 big bets}

I check. The big blind bets. The limper calls. I call.

Questions:
1) Easy complete pre-flop, yes?
2) Flop - I had been planning on raising a late position bet. When the big blind led and the field called, I changed my plan to call, then lead into the BB on the turn (hoping for a raise). Should I have check-raised for value on the flop, or maybe just led out?
3) River - is this a good call? Should I bet out and fold to a raise?

Cheers,
PP

[imaptone]

[ QUOTE ]
Questions:
1) Easy complete pre-flop, yes?
2) Flop - I had been planning on raising a late position bet. When the big blind led and the field called, I changed my plan to call, then lead into the BB on the turn (hoping for a raise). Should I have check-raised for value on the flop, or maybe just led out?
3) River - is this a good call? Should I bet out and fold to a raise?


[/ QUOTE ]

1) I would always complete this if unraised.
2) I would lead this flop since there are no real draws out there, except 5,7. If BB raised, I would call then lead the turn.
3) With 4 players hanging around, I would check call this river.

[PseudoPserious]

My mistake...I forgot to update the pot status bit on the river. It should have read:

{3 players, 7.5 big bets)

PP

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
1) Easy complete pre-flop, yes?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes

[ QUOTE ]
2) Flop - I had been planning on raising a late position bet. When the big blind led and the field called, I changed my plan to call, then lead into the BB on the turn (hoping for a raise). Should I have check-raised for value on the flop, or maybe just led out?

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't have a good heuristic for deciding whether to bet out or check raise the flop from the blinds with top pair.

[Going for check-raises has gotten me into trouble recently (intended check raise turned into a check-3-bet and check-cap), but I think those are just oddities.]

I think the thought (check-raise a LP bet) was fine. Notice that BB betting out has basically the same affect as you betting out in this case, so you didn't really lose anything.

With the flop as raggedy as it is, I think that it's probably a good value raise. I doubt you're trapping people with good draws (35 or 57 have OSED, but that's it), so people are likely just hanging around with weak made hands or garbage. Maybe a weaker queen, medium pocket pairs, or something like A6 is in the pot with you and against them, your edge is quite large. So you might as well maximize on them since they're certainly going to see the turn but not necessarily the river.

[ QUOTE ]
3) River - is this a good call? Should I bet out and fold to a raise?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you knew something about BB, then this would be a better decision. I would call the raise if I had no read. This play is basically only correct if you know that river raises mean big hands. I've seen a number of river raises with less than top pair, so I've become more inclined to call them down.

River value betting is all about knowing your opponents. Will he bet out with all sorts of hands (including many that you beat)? Then go ahead and let him bet. Will he call a lot, but check a lot also? Then you'd better bet it.

[btspider]

you protect your hand by betting.

PF is fine.
bet the flop. checking and hoping for the ideal LP bet rarely works. you'll just start giving up too many free cards. these guys are passive. checking is what they do best.

you bet the turn for the wrong reason.. if the BB raises, you are probably behind. if you are ahead, he won't raise.. you will only protect a second-best hand here..

bet the river. you played the hand a bit too weird here so someone may have stuck around with a King. people fold if someone consistently shows strength. if betting is scattered, they call.

[PseudoPserious]

[ QUOTE ]
you bet the turn for the wrong reason.. if the BB raises, you are probably behind. if you are ahead, he won't raise.. you will only protect a second-best hand here..

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. When I was thinking about this hand afterwards, this is the conclusion I came to as well. At the time, I was disappointed that the BB didn't raise. Then I realized how much more disappointed I'd have been if he had.

PP

[PseudoPserious]

The big blind showed Q3o. I have no idea what the other player had. My hand was good, even though my play wasn't.

Cheers,
PP