50NL 6max: TPTK facing 1/2 pot bet on river, dangerous board.

[OtZman]

No reads, I had gotten quite a few good hands the last hour though, so the others might see me as loose and aggressive, dunno.

Please comment on all streets, especially the river.



Prima Poker skin
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
5 players
Converter (http://www.neildewhurst.com/hand-converter)

Stack sizes:
UTG: $50.00
CO: $44.74
Hero: $37.46
SB: $54.30
BB: $58.00

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is Button with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif
UTG calls, CO folds, <font color="#cc0000">Hero raises to $2</font>, SB folds, BB calls, UTG folds.

Flop: Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif ($4.75, 2 players)
BB checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $4</font>, BB calls.

Turn: 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif ($12.75, 2 players)
BB checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $6.37</font>, BB calls.

River: 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif ($25.49, 2 players)
<font color="#cc0000">BB bets $12.74</font>, Hero???



Any way for me to call this?

[Pokey]

Preflop is standard.

Flop looks fine if that's your usual c-bet size. I tend to c-bet at about 75% of the pot, but it's a personal decision.

I'd bet more on the turn; probably $9. If he's got the flush he'll let me know and if he's on a flush draw I want him paying for it. Also, if he's got no diamond he's going to go away, and I really don't mind picking up the pot right now. I'm capable of laying this down to a big check-raise, though.

On the river this is a crying call. BB's bet size is blocking, and I'm guessing that he's got a weakly made hand, which could easily be a weaker Q or even A9. I only have to have the best hand 25% of the time for calling to be +EV, and I think that's a reasonably safe bet. Considering your image, the fact that the board just bricked, and that your opponent has been passive the whole way down, I just have to pay this one off. Besides, you really don't want your opponents thinking that they can easily bet you off the pot on the river -- that gets them playing back at you frequently, and that will make you very unhappy. Better to have them folding unless they have a strong hand so that you can win every hand where you both have nothing. Lots of small pots add up to a big winrate....

[OtZman]

Thanks for a very good reply Pokey, much appreciated. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

My thoughts in <font color="blue">blue</font>:

[ QUOTE ]
Preflop is standard.

Flop looks fine if that's your usual c-bet size. I tend to c-bet at about 75% of the pot, but it's a personal decision.


<font color="blue">My standard c-bet amount is $3, when the pot is around $4.25-$4.75 (one opponent calls a 4BB pf bet from me), so I suppose this bet is slightly larger than my standard amount. I did this because I felt the flop was somewhat coordinated, with straight/flush draw possibilities and medium high cards that my opponent might have hit. Perhaps I should've bet a bit less on the flop and instead bet more than I did on the turn for information?</font>


I'd bet more on the turn; probably $9. If he's got the flush he'll let me know and if he's on a flush draw I want him paying for it. Also, if he's got no diamond he's going to go away, and I really don't mind picking up the pot right now. I'm capable of laying this down to a big check-raise, though.

<font color="blue">The reason I only bet 1/2 pot was I was a bit uncertain if he had a flush. I suppose a larger bet would've been better as I would've gotten more information from his action. Would it be a stupid play to just check behind here and plan to call a reasonably small river bet?</font>

On the river this is a crying call. BB's bet size is blocking, and I'm guessing that he's got a weakly made hand, which could easily be a weaker Q or even A9. I only have to have the best hand 25% of the time for calling to be +EV, and I think that's a reasonably safe bet. <font color="red">Considering your image, the fact that the board just bricked, and that your opponent has been passive the whole way down, I just have to pay this one off. </font> Besides, you really don't want your opponents thinking that they can easily bet you off the pot on the river -- that gets them playing back at you frequently, and that will make you very unhappy. Better to have them folding unless they have a strong hand so that you can win every hand where you both have nothing. Lots of small pots add up to a big winrate....

<font color="blue">Couldn't villain play the same way if he had a very strong hand, like a flush of possibly a full house?</font>

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had trouble with TPTK hands before, so I suppose it's something I'll have to work on.



Here's the result btw (in white):

River: 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif ($25.49, 2 players)
<font color="#cc0000">BB bets $12.74</font>, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: $50.97
<font color="#ffffff">BB shows Ad 7d</font>

[corsakh]

It does look like a blocking bet, scared of the flush.
But its probably something that beats the TP, like A7 that suddenly turned trips. Trust the villain, if he bets the 7, the seven probably helped him. If he was trying to trap you with the flush, he probably would continue so on the river.

[OtZman]

[ QUOTE ]
It does look like a blocking bet, scared of the flush.
But its probably something that beats the TP, like A7 that suddenly turned trips. Trust the villain, if he bets the 7, the seven probably helped him. If he was trying to trap you with the flush, he probably would continue so on the river.

[/ QUOTE ]

You mean fold here, right?