[brimelian]

I've been lurking for about 2 months and finally decided to start participating in these discussions. I've been playing O8 for two years now on FTP, Stars, and Prima. I prefer PL to limit games, but generally don't venture above $200PL.

I generally agree with the prevailing wisdom on hands like these, but pot bets and check/calls both seem to lose money for me. I prefer to value bet about half the pot in this situation. I've had some success with this approach because it seems to scare away the bluffers and invite calls from smaller flushes. It still gets raised by boats, but doesn't lose as much as a pot-sized bet in the same situation.

Have I just been lucky to use this approach against weaker players, or is value-betting a long-term winner in hands like this?