Since I'm playing on the donkfest tables, this situation comes up a lot. I want to know what the best way to handle it is, because I'm almost always handling it wrong.

Here is the hypothetical hand:

.05/.10 Full Ring NLHE

You are on the button with about $5.00.
Player in MP has $5.00 as well and I have only seen him play a few hands.

Everyone folds except this MP who limps. I have and raise it to 0.30 (3xBB). The blinds fold and the MP calls. Flop is



MP checks. Here I normally bet the pot ($0.75) to cut the pot odds for the FD, but keep an Ax interested and MP calls.

Turn is completing a possible flush.

MP checks. I don't like to check behind because that's inviting a bluff on the river. Pot has $2.25 in it. What would be an appropriate bet here?

bet about half the pot and fold to the raise.. call means they dont have the flush... but if he thinks about it for a while and checks... then check behind him and hope to hell you fill up

$1.25 will induce a raise from a flush, but without a flush people will be afraid of you pricing them into calling your flush and call more times than fold. If he just calls, your river decision can be player dependent.

Against an unknown, another heart's your only fear, so checking behind isn't bad. He'll bet the river with any Ace, a lot of Jacks, and the flush. Either way, he's not betting too big because you've slowed down. If he overbets, it's not a big enough pot to fight for and you can say "nh." These situations come up so much that you're gonna see his cards in these situations very soon. But most of the time, they'll be afraid of no action and only bet $1.50 at the most. A lot of times, you'll face $1 from a flush or Ace trying to induce a raise.

A lot comes from your flop read, though. If you put him on a flush draw, play it safe, check, and call small on the river.

If you have no idea, you can pay for the information, but it's not worth it against a completely unknown. If it's a bad fold, then this activity's gonna keep up and you'll pick him off to profit.

Against a pay-off wizard, those river bets are good cards because they don't get chips, they only borrow them anyway.