Blocking bet? How's my line...

Leaky Game · #1 05-31-2005, 10:39 AM

Absolute .50 NL 9 handed...sorry converter doesn't work for Absolute NL

Villian has $33 on button...not a lot of hands but he's been seeing almost 40% of the flops and raising about 5%.....this is only 21 hands as I just recently sat down.
Hero is dealt Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and has $74

Fold to Villian who opens by calling...SB completes, Hero checks.

1.50
2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
SB checks, Hero bets $1, Villian calls, SB folds.

3.50
Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Not really what I was looking for....
Hero bets $2, Villian calls

7.50
6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Okay, a brick....I think I'm good unless the Q hit him for a straight. If he's got K10 or 108, wouldn't you raise pf opening the pot on the button? Maybe not 10 8.
Hero bets $4 (was supposed to be somewhat of a blocking bet in case he did hit a straight)...villian raises to $11...after debating and thinking I should fold, I call with my eyes closed. Even though I think the point of a blocking bet is if they raise you, you fold.

Anyway, regardless of if I won or lost, with so many players raising the river with the non-nuts (TPTK, etc) and me having two pair..is this a -EV call? In hindsight, I think I should have laid it down. What do you guys think? I also have a problem putting people on cards at this level because the variance is so large.

RiverFenix · #2 05-31-2005, 11:32 AM

I wouldnt fold here, but a bet like that is always confusing on the riverwhen hes showing 0 prior aggression.

I cant see any situation where the 6 made his hand so he either hit it flop/turn and was enjoying the position. Straight would be surprising to me, but Id call to find out and be expecting to win atleast half the time here (at this limit).

Leaky Game · #3 05-31-2005, 01:08 PM

Anyone else have any input?

DoubleDown · #4 05-31-2005, 02:12 PM

tricky spot, given the turn card- villain has disguised his hand real well.. by the river, i think the only hand you are beating from a sane opponent is J9, which could have definitely played it out like this.

in the heat of the momemt i'd lead the river with a value/blocker as you did and call the raise due to (a) not being able to respect opponents at this level as much as i should sometimes, thus thinking that Top 2 is good enough here over time ... and (b) probably just out of curiosity to see what type of hand he's doing this with - haha, which might not be right

Matt R. · #5 05-31-2005, 02:18 PM

At this level (on party at least, never played on Absolute) I bet the river as you did more as a value bet than as a blocking bet. He's showed zero aggression up until then so I would think my top 2 is good. Likewise, I call the river raise getting better than 3 to 1. I think top 2 would be good more than 25% of the time here, but it's close. Part of the reason I make this call is to let the donks know they can't bluff me out of a pot with a strong hand.

MLerra · #6 05-31-2005, 02:35 PM

Why not bet the pot on the turn? I don't see any reason to be all that afraid here. If you're scared of the Q giving someon a straight, shouldn't you also be scare of an 8, a 7, and a K as well? Not to mention, a 2 or 9 giving someone who made a weak call a set and putting them in the driver's seat. So if you're scared of all that, and logically you should if you're automatically assuming people have hit their guthsot, you're afraid of 22 cards, which is a great way to lose money with top pair.

I wouldn't have laid it down, and I would have bet the pot on the turn and river. Sucks that you lost to the straight, but you have quite a hand.

Leaky Game · #7 05-31-2005, 02:42 PM

I called and he flipped K 10 for the completed gutshot.

I love counterfeited outs.

I didn't want to bet the pot in the turn because I wanted to make sure the odds were wrong for someone to chase a flush. Although the odds were really wrong for him to chase the gutshot and he did it anyway.

DoubleDown · #8 05-31-2005, 02:54 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why not bet the pot on the turn? I don't see any reason to be all that afraid here.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think hero is not betting pot b/c he is afraid ... 2/3 is fine as an extraction bet when you are ahead ... if he thinks he is ahead and he will get called with a full pot bet as well, then he can bet full pot as well. maybe full pot scares away JK or a weaker hand tho? i dont think not betting full pot is a sign of weakness (2/3 or so, whatever hero bet is a significant bet IMO.)

skaughty · #9 05-31-2005, 04:26 PM

To me, a pot-sized river raise from someone showing no aggression on this board typically comes from one of two extremes:

A) Someone who has no viable hand (TPGK or less) and thinks you are >50% to fold
or
B) Someone who made a previously bad call, but made their hand. They feel a need to justify the "implied odds" of their crappy call.

Anyone with a set would've shown some aggression sooner (as to avoid the reverse implied odds of a straight against them).

Selecting A or B is much easier in a live game. I wouldve guessed A (and been wrong).