Standard?
 

Hand from a video I was recording today. $2/4 Stars 6-max.

MP limps. SB completes. I check in the BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. My reads are limited. Both players have folded quite a bit when I've bet out on the flop -- I've done this with a wide variety of holdings like 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] on a Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] board and have taken down small pots regularly.

The flop is 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. The SB checks. I bet. MP calls. SB folds.

The turn is the 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I bet. MP calls.

The river is the A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

What action would you recommend? Why?

Rob

Re: Standard?
 

do you think they'll bet a hand you beat if you check to them? ie. a checkcall to induce a little something? or do you feel more comfy with a betfold in these situations? readless i don't hate a checkcall; could get us some reads and our holding is decent.

Re: Standard?
 

Well it's 2/4 so while it's possible that a worse pair folds on this scary board it's not likely having come this far. I also don't give an unknown credit for being creative enough to not raise the turn with the made straight. I tend to not like my hand much but make a 'defensive value' bet here given that it doesn't appear to be an aggressive game and the chances of a bluff raise are close to nil. Not sure C/F isn't better than C/C fwiw.

Re: Standard?
 

If you have been stabbing at a lot of these small, limped pots, Villain might be looking you up with any piece of the board.

I see no indication that this opponent will bluff or bet a worse hand if we check, but he will likely bet with better hands and he will likely call with worse hands.

By checking, we allow Villain to bet his good hands and take a free showdown with his bad hands.

Given the size of the pot and the weakness of our hand, i don't mind folding to further aggression. (Entity, i assume your turn bet was a bet/fold as well?)


All of this adds up to a b/f for me.

Re: Standard?
 

ck and fold.

Re: Standard?
 

Check and fold.

I can't possibly imagine he would bet any hand that doesn't have us beat.

I think there's very little to no value in betting, as I think MP has a 9, A or 7 and call/raises more often than he has an 8 or 5 and calls.

EDIT: It also doesn't sound like they would bluff bet/raise.

Re: Standard?
 

I was about to say bet/fold, but after looking at the board again I can't come up with a hand that MP would open-limp with that doesn't have us beaten. Almost all semi-playable hands that connected with the flop enough to warrant two calls have improved to two pair, a straight, or split aces. I think check/fold is better than bet/fold given the board.

Re: Standard?
 

Bet-fold. I don't think you get raised here very often once he calls the turn. (That is, I agree with the general sentiment that most villains will raise the straight on the turn.)

I also agree with Tyler that villain could be looking you up with any piece of the board given the number of small pots you've taken down. People tend to do stuff like this at 6-max especially. I think he'll have a worse pair often enough here to merit betting for value.

Check-calling is the worst option, IMO, as it only allows villain to play his hand optimally (i.e. checking behind with worse pairs--we have no indication that he won't do this) and betting with better hands.

Re: Standard?
 

I'm gonna go with bet/fold, here. I don't think the whole, "checking allows your opponent to play his hand optimally," argument is valid given the apparent passivity/weak-tight nature of this Villan in a fishmax game, i.e. he's going to check behind a lot of hands that have you beat as well as hands that you beat, and there ARE worse hands that he will call with if you bet (jrz? don't see any limping hands that we're ahead of? from this player, who clearly doesn't know how to play fishmax? Q8s, right off the bat, for one), as he's not playing optimally, period.

Given your description of your recent actions, I think you're getting calls from all sorts of hands (KJo/KQo?), and from your description of Villan you might get a fold out of a better 9 (J9/T9?), if you bet. If he raises, you're toast.

Re: Standard?
 

I don't think we know enough about villain to say whether he's weak-tight or not, Boz, as Entity only gave us info a recent few hands to work with. He even says "my reads are limited." Checking allows him to play enough of his hands optimally (i.e. those that we beat) that I don't like it.