i got scared on river...really scared

NL20 Caribbean Sun Poker
Texas Hold'em No Limit ($0.15/$0.25)


me ($11.25 in chips)

villain ($15.77 in chips)

villain posts big blind $0.25

I get dealt [Jc Jh]
UTG calls $0.25
I raise to $1.25
BB (villain) calls
UTG folds
----- FLOP ----- [Jd 5h 3s] Pot 2.50
villain bets $0.25
I call $0.25
(I don't want to give away my hand just yet, with a rainbow flop I felt safe...also try to induce a big bluff on the turn...btw...I did have the nuts at this point, but i'm always cautious to tiny/pathetic raises)

----- TURN ----- [Jd 5h 3s][6d]
villain bets $0.25
i raise to $2.75
villain calls $2.50

----- RIVER ----- [Jd 5h 3s 6d][2d]
villain thinks thinks thinks, then checks
i check
(a check raise seems appropriate here with a diamond and a straight draw completed, pushing here (my original plan) could prove to be disastrous)

villain shows [8h 8d]

Go ahead, give it to me.

[bkfizz02]

[ QUOTE ]
{I did have the nuts at this point, but i'm always cautious to tiny/pathetic raises)


[/ QUOTE ]

This statement seems like a contradiction to me. You fear no hand, only draws. So you don't have to be cautious. I raise minbets almost on principle, but I understand the desire to extract value from your holdings here on the non-scary flop.

The turn raise seems fine, I might even raise more and hope he picked up a diamond draw (until I see the river). Remember, he called your preflop raise. he doesn't have 4-2 suited.

[ QUOTE ]

villain thinks thinks thinks, then checks


[/ QUOTE ]
or he spilled some beer...

[ QUOTE ]

i check
(a check raise seems appropriate here with a diamond and a straight draw completed, pushing here (my original plan) could prove to be disastrous)


[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, the *backdoor diamond draw* got there, but you really are only worried about Ax diamonds here, right?
If he's holding a 4 at this point, he's only in the hand because you didn't raise his dumb flop bet.

You don't have to push here, you can value bet 5 bucks and try to get a call. Any reads on villain?

There's room for improvement here.

You also said you got really scared on the river. What holdings can he have at this point that really scare you? What hands play against you like this?
call
min bet
min bet -call
check ?

[kurto]

I don't understand what you're doing in this hand.

You raised preflop, you're expected to bet on the flop. Do so. You have a monster hand, build the pot. If he folds, oh well. Since you should be making continuation bets a lot anyways, people aren't always going to fold to you.

Not to mention, the turn check-raise screams set.

On the river, you can't be worried about the straight. You just can't assume people are calling your hands with a 4.

The way this hand played out, I also don't put the guy on a flush. He wasn't betting (as pathetic as it was) on a backdoor flush draw.

You can't make money off your monster hands if you play them so timidly.

[ QUOTE ]


You also said you got really scared on the river. What holdings can he have at this point that really scare you? What hands play against you like this?
call
min bet
min bet -call
check ?

[/ QUOTE ]

I was afraid of J4, Ax of diamonds or a4 in general

but when you put it like that...

[bkfizz02]

[ QUOTE ]

I was afraid of J4


[/ QUOTE ]

This is discouraging. If these are your opponents you really misplayed the flop. You should have pushed all in and expected to be called by J4.

Don't be afraid of J4.