At least I won the pot...

[edthayer]

... but this was an ugly, ugly hand IMO. Check it out.

Hero is UTG with A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Hero raises. 1 fold. UTG+2 coldcalls. 2 folds. MP2 coldcalls. MP3 coldcalls. CO coldcalls. Button 3-bets. 2 folds. Hero caps. Everyone still in calls.

Flop:

T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero bets, UTG+2 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, CO raises, Button calls, Hero calls, UTG+2 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls.

I didn't three-bet the flop because I figured everyone would call, and the pot is big, I need to knock people out. Check-raising the turn is my plan. This is a big mistake, right?

Turn:
2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Hero checks, everyone checks behind.

Gahhh! I've been had!

River:
4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Hero bets, everyone folds except for CO and Button, who both call.

[antidan444]

You have to 3-bet the flop. You probably have the best hand. Get the money in now. Plus, if CO caps, that's valuable info, and if he just calls, you know you can keep firing.

Don't get cute A) at these levels, and B) with TPTK. Bet and raise until told you're beat. Man, it took me a long time to learn that lesson. Learn it faster than I did.

[edthayer]

You are so very, very right. I think I tense up and play too passively when the pot gets really big. Does anyone else experience this?

[ThunderAces]

Hey there are 3 players between u and the CO raiser, they don't all have to come for 2 more bets and a possible third, just cause they called the first one. Do They ?
Three Bet and bet the turn.

[helpmeout]

You have to 3 bet the flop.

Preflop raiser nearly always bets the flop so anyone with TP will raise.

3betting says hey buddy I dont just have a high pocket pair or KQ and pretending to have TPTK. I have TPTK or better, you better have 2 pair or trips if you are going to cap.

[siccjay]

[ QUOTE ]
You are so very, very right. I think I tense up and play too passively when the pot gets really big. Does anyone else experience this?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm the exact opposite. I fire at big pots like I have the absolute nuts!

[Cerril]

As they said, put all the money you can in on the flop. Not only do you want them calling with your very strong hand, you have three people facing two bets cold if you raise. They either give up their equity by folding (which you invariably get the lion's share of), or almost certainly make a mistake with dominated and backdoor hands.

The pot at this point is so large that 'real' hands like gutshots and better will be getting fine odds even checkraised on the turn, even with only two bets in on the flop.

Your position sucks, so I'd just be leading the whole way with a pot this large. Either way, even if you just call the raise you have to be concerned about giving a free card on the turn (if that's the ploy), so you've pretty much gotta bet.