When the board pairs I tend to get a little lost sometimes, do you think betting or checking is the better move here? No real reads on the button player he was new to the table. I'm guessing check calling the river is best also? Hands like this screw me up becase people just flat call and you can't put them on much.

Poker Stars
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $0.50/$1
5 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is UTG with
Hero raises, CO calls, 2 folds, BB calls.

Flop: (6.5SB, 3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, CO calls, BB calls.

Turn: (4.75BB, 3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks.

River: (4.75BB, 3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, CO raises, BB folds, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: 8.75BB

Oh god this is awful. Especially three handed. Raised pot, NEVER EVER give free cards - the 10c makes a two flush as well as the existing two straight already on the board.

Bet and then go into call down mode if raised since you have no read.

dude. bet that turn. at the worst the smooth call and then chek raise or lead the river.

I would test bet the turn and fold to a raise.

Originally Posted by Jen-Jen The Enjen

I would test bet the turn and fold to a raise.

I am absolutely not folding to a raise. I raise this turn with two clubs, a 10, or a hand like AQ, and AA beats two of those - so if you want to fold to a raise hope you are not playing against me and alot of other people on this forum.

This is a tough spot, you know you're in trouble and the book (and most people here say to bet)

Pre-flop it goes, you raise, a flat call, bb calls

the flop it goes you bet, call, call

now lets do some assessing. doubtful someone hit a queen on this flop with that action, so what are they calling with? middle or possibly bottom pair is a reasonable option -AT, A3, KT, JT-, or maybe AJ for the cutoff since he flat called pre-flop.

Someone may also have hit a big hand, but TT or QQ would have spoken up pre-flop so that leaves 33 or QT. (TT is a possibility but small)

And finally, the BB could have all sorts of hands here so lets wait on his holding

The turn is ugly, I would have rather seen a Queen here.

I'm not sure checking is a bad idea. you may induce a bluff from the cutoff and also avoid putting in an extra bet on the turn, ditto on the river. Yes you are essentially giving a free card BUT, aren't you also recieving a free card???

You are not sure if you are drawing to a 2 outer or your opponent is drawing to a 8+ outer. Give him the chance to bluff at the pot if he doesn't have you smooshed already, which is quite possible.

I thing blindly betting this turned is a little unchecked aggression. It's not a bad play per se, but I think checking may be better. You are betting without enough of a read into 2 people who have shown an interest (and worse not too much of an interest) in this pot. My assessment above remains, it is highly likely given the action pre-flop and on the flop one of these players has maiddle pair

As it worked out he got to see the river for free, I would have checked again, hoping to induce a bluff, betting out was a bad idea since you open the raise possibility again and very few hands that checked the turn would call on that river that don't beat you. you culd have seen you were beat for 1 BB instead of 2, betting the turn would have cost you 3. This is a hand where it is quite likely you are beat, with little chance to improve, and aggressive play becomes costly.

Originally Posted by Steve-O

You are not sure if you are drawing to a 2 outer or your opponent is drawing to a 8+ outer. Give him the chance to bluff at the pot if he doesn't have you smooshed already, which is quite possible....

As it worked out he got to see the river for free, I would have checked again, hoping to induce a bluff, betting out was a bad idea since you open the raise possibility again and very few hands that checked the turn would call on that river that don't beat you. you culd have seen you were beat for 1 BB instead of 2, betting the turn would have cost you 3. This is a hand where it is quite likely you are beat, with little chance to improve, and aggressive play becomes costly.

These were my thoughts, in a way, but to simplify. A lot of why someone would stay in this hand has come their way.

What are you facing going into the turn, in an oversimplied theory:

KK-JJ would've raised/re-raised PF and the flop
TT was a possibility, but the ten on the turn kills that thought.
88-44 and 22 fold the flop.
33 takes advantage of low set and gets aggressive on the flop knowing it'll get action.
AK and AQ is very unlikely with your 2 Aces.
QX (except QT) will raise the flop

Going into the turn, your opponent can have AJ, KJ, AT, QT, JT, T9, or 99 in my opinion. Of these 7 hands, you can beat 3 (AJ, KJ, and 99) and can't beat 4 (AT, QT, JT, and T9). What jumps out the most is that none of the 4 hands that beat you will fold and only 1 of the hands you beat will fold (99)..

I'm not to get into decimals and shit. I suck at math, but I'm a very practical thinker. My head tells me that in the moment, at this table, immediately after seeing the river I'm a 2:1 dog to win this hand. This justifies a turn and river check/call for one bet only on each. This is how I think about my marginal hands on the turn and river. It's simple. It's a method to justify fishing. It saves money that you don't need to lose.

Originally Posted by Phytopath

Qx is quite possible as is anything like K9

Winner! Winner!