NL10 River Uncertainty

[Mr_Pathetic]

Do we call this river or raise him? If we raise how much? If he raises all in after we raise him do we call? Anyone like a fold? What range of hands would he have here?

<font color="blue">Reads: Likes to slowplay big hands vulnerable or not.</font>

Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.05/$0.10 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker (http://www.legopoker.com) Hand History Converter (http://www.legopoker.com/hh))

SB: $9.45
BB: $3.40
UTG: $10.85
Hero (CO): $17.90
BTN: $12.95

Preflop: Hero is dealt 4http://legopoker.com/hh/images/diamond.gif 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif (5 Players)
UTG folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $0.40</font>, BTN folds, SB calls $0.35, BB folds
Uncalled bet of $0.00 returned to Hero

Flop: ($0.90) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif 8http://legopoker.com/hh/images/club.gif 7http://legopoker.com/hh/images/diamond.gif (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($0.90) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 Players)
<font color="red">SB bets $0.50</font>, Hero calls $0.50

River: ($1.90) 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 Players)
<font color="red">SB bets $1.80</font>, Hero ?????

[members_only]

A fold would be ridiculous

I'd happily raise for value

[Nick C]

Given his bet size on the river, it looks like Villain either has a pretty strong hand or is trying to act like he does. Of course, there's no reason for him to think you have anything very strong at all based on the action so far.

Folding to this river bet with a hand as strong as ours would be ridiculous, but what we do in the face of the bet is a different question. Given the flop check-through, we can't discount a flush at all. We can't rule out a bigger set (the board is a bit of a minefield for those). We can't even rule out a flopped straight. And we can't be sure Villain has anything worth calling a raise with either.

So that's the case for just calling. It does seem like a shame to call with such a strong hand, though. I actually think I'd consider a min-raise. It's not really such a tiny raise when we take into account that Villain made a PSB on the river.

But, you know, I think I'd hate facing a push so much that I probably just call here, as weak as that seems. Maybe it seems weak because it is, but, jeez, if we raise I think we're basically committted, and it's hard for me to imagine that we're anything but a fairly big dog if we get 3-bet. I mean, if you raise, what your hand looks like is two big spades that got there.

[Mr_Pathetic]

Well I raised before thinking it out and then when he shoved I called since it wasn't much left. After the hand though I thought to myself that really looked like I hit the backdoor and villain has to think that too which makes it a bad raise. Glad to see at least someone else thinks the same since even after realizing all this calling still felt really really weak but now I think it is the right move here.