[James.]

[ QUOTE ]
Let's review:

2 folds to me and I raise the A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

The button, who is the fiance' of a OK pro, can be over aggressive, never seen two broadway cards she didnt like, 3-bets. She thinks I play too loose and aggro preflop, but gives me respect postflop.

The BB who never folded a BB nor too many flops in his life, calls,

UTG calls, I cap, all call.

FLOP (16.5SBs): J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

BB and UTG check, I bet, button raises, BB and UTG call 2 cold.

That was easy boys, nice work, I called.

Turn: (12.2BBs) K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img])
__________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
BB checks, UTG checks and I bet.

There is too much of a chance that this will be checked through, I'm very likely ahead of 2 if not 3 of the hands and very likely to get 3 callers. The combination of these two statements move us into +EV land.

They all called.

River: (16.2BBs) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

BB checks, UTG checks.

Your action?

[/ QUOTE ]

it's true that boards like this can scare better hands into playing more passively. the other side of this is that worse hands that want to showdown play passively as well. 2 opponents have already relinquished the information that they don't have a hand they want to bet. most of these hands are going to be busted draws, a pair of Jacks/Kings or a hand that had a pair with a busted draw. button most likely has a piece to pay off with, but not neccessarily a piece to bet with. her range could possibly be as wide as ATs+, AJo+, JTs+, QJ+, 88+. of course i would exclude the set hands unless she gets really crazy on the river, which would be quite odd. so i think we have a value bet here with only one left to act, especially if we plan on calling a bet if we check.

there's something everyone needs to keep in mind when it comes to playing multiway in a pot this size, even on such a scary board. spraying an extra bet in the right spot here or there is going to allow you to take it down more often. when there are alot of bets being fought for, taking it down an extra time or two will outweigh the couple additional bets we spend here and there to get it. this is often especially true in a very marginal or otherwise scary/uncomfortable situation.

auto-resorting to check/calling down trying to showdown cheaply isn't always the best strategy in such big, multiway pots.