Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

Note: If you haven't already read, thought about, and hopefully posted about the pre-flop play, you should do so here before reading this thread.

Here is how the hand has played out in real life to our next decision point:

Setup

$10,000 Buy-In Event
Day 1
Blinds 75/150 and will go up to 100/200 on the next hand
Hero has been at the table for about an hour with no unusual play. All players are unknown except for Miami John to his direct left. The CO in this hand has been playing pretty tight.

Relevant Stacks

CO 25,000
Hero 11,500
MJ 13,000
BB 9,800

Pre-Flop
Everyone folds to the CO who limps for T150. Hero is on the button with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and raises to T600. MJ calls in the SB for T600, the BB folds, and the CO calls for T600.

Flop
Pot: T1950

T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

MJ checks, CO checks. Action is on the hero.

Do you check or bet (and if so, how much)? Why?

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

Not a great flop but it probably didn't hit anyone else. We have overcards and two backdoor draws.
Maybe bet 1200 or so? Represent an overpair?

Lloyd, is the 500 post cutoff for submitting hands or commenting? If it's commenting I'm sorry.

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

Getting check raised here sucks since there are quite a few cards that come on the turn that help you out some. So i check behind. Maybe if MJ wasn't in the hand i'd try and take it.. but vs two guys i'm just checking here, hopeing to see an A,J,Q,8 or club on the turn.

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

[ QUOTE ]
Lloyd, is the 500 post cutoff for submitting hands or commenting? If it's commenting I'm sorry.

[/ QUOTE ]
No problem at all. I placed an artificial limitation on submitting hands simply because I'd prefer to receive hands other than the ones we see here day in day out, and those who have been posting for awhile are in a better position to know what I'm looking for. It was simply a way to help filter through a bunch of hands that are probably fairly common.

Post away!

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

I would check behind. You have plenty of outs and can make a play with position on the turn.

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

I can see your point on checking but we have control of the hand right now and we may be able to take the pot here. We may be able to knock out an overcard to our J as well.
If someone smoothcalls us then we may get a freecard if they check again to us on the turn.
We have to fold to a significant checkraise though.

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

My hand isn't likely to improve on this board and the board is unlikely to have hit anyone very hard so I just make a standard continuation bet of 1000 hoping to represent an over pair like JJ/QQ or top pair top kicker and take it down. If I get check raised then I'm fine with folding because I'm probably behind anyway.

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

because we have to fold a checkraise, and we very well may be ahead here, AND we have a good opponent in the BB, and maybe a trapping (thuogh less likely after just calling PF) CO.. i don't think betting here will win it often enough..

But cheecking lets you improve your hand.. like half the deck is going to improve your hand some, but you need to improve before you want t commit significantly more chips.

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

[ QUOTE ]
My hand isn't likely to improve on this board and the board is unlikely to have hit anyone very hard so I just make a standard continuation bet of 1000 hoping to represent an over pair like JJ/QQ or top pair top kicker and take it down. If I get check raised then I'm fine with folding because I'm probably behind anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, you yourself said this flop is uunlikely to have hit someone, so your opponents re going to to know this, and could very well raise you with air here. Being checck raised doesn't mean your hand is no good, but you can't play it out usually to see what happens.

you say your hand is unlikely to impvoe.. but more than half the deck gives you significant draws or TPTK.

Re: Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Flop
 

I check behind. I don't like the cutoffs initial check. I'd rather keep the pot small and see what happens on the turn. I'm willing to give a free card here.