Two semi-bluffs

[ShawnHoo]

Finally made it out to Commerce last night for some more 40/80 craziness. I had two chances to semi-bluff with draws; in the first, I waited until the turn, while the second I played faster. Curious to hear thoughts on both and if folks feel that one line is superior to the other.

Hand #1: Folded to me in the CO. I raise with QJo. The button, a decent player who's capable of making moves, 3-bets. Blinds fold.

Flop: KsTs6c

I check, button bets, I call.

Turn: 5c

I check, button bets, I raise. Button thinks and calls.

River: Qd

I bet.

Hand #2: Folded to the button, a poorly-playing regular, who raises. A terrible and straight-forward SB calls, I call in the BB with 8h7d.

Flop: Kh6h5h

Checked to button, who bets. SB folds, I raise, button calls.

Turn: Ac

I bet, button slides in a call.

River: 2h

I bet.

[andyfox]

In the first hand, a second club hit on the turn, to go with the two spades. So part of the value of the semi-bluff, that your opponent might well fold right then and there, is probably minimized in that he's less likely to fold on a draw-rich board. In general, those turn semi-bluffs, as has been pointed out here before, don't work as well as they did a couple of years ago, especially at Commerce.

In the second hand, post-flop I would have played it exactly the same. FWIW. At the risk of incurring the wrath of the 2+2ers, I'd likely have folded pre-flop, depending on the exact nature of the button's poor play.

[JAA]

Hand 1...

I'm check/calling the river after I hit my Q. If a blank hits, obviously I'm betting. But once you hit the Q you have some showdown value, and I don't see you getting him to fold a better hand than your Q here too often, especially not in a fairly big pot on a board that was very draw-heavy when he called your raise on the turn.

Hand 2: I would have played the same. If the flop wasn't a 3-flush, I may be more inclined to craze the turn, but I like the move on the flop since it was monotone. This lets you take control of the hand, a good thing to do when you are heads up and it is unclear to both players whether their opponent is drawing or has a made hand.

- Jags

[ShawnHoo]

Do you think the river bet in Hand 1 is a bluff or a value bet? Since the board was/is so draw-heavy, maybe he puts us on a busted draw here and will look us up with something we beat (is JJ unreasonable?).

[ShawnHoo]

In Hand #2, the button calls too much. The SB is very straightforward and passive.

Does this still warrant a pre-flop fold?