Re: sidepot question
Different players play this kind of situation (a dry sidepot) differently. I think the way you played it is fine up to your re-raise on the turn.
Checking the flop is fine because you have no reason to expect your hand is best. If MP3 had hit top pair or better you'd expect him to bet on the flop. This is because he may or may not have the all-in player beat, but he would have reason to believe that he had you beat and would want to bet to protect his hand from the possibility of you improving on subsequent streets.
You betting out on the turn is also okay. You have reason to believe your hand is best or at least better than MP3. You're betting to protect it or at least charge him to draw. I think your bet size should be designed to charge him for whatever draw he might possibly have. Since hitting the draw he stands to win the entire pot you need to take that into consideration. I think your turn bet should have been a little bigger.
When he re-raises you have to consider what he might have that he'd play that way. There are a couple 2 pair possibilities (KT hoping you'd hit something and bet or a just made 2 pair with K9 or T9) are the most likely. He could have also made a set of 5s. I think the KT or the set is the most likely of these since he wouldn't have been as concerned in letting you see a free turn card. There is also the possibility that he just made the straight with QJ. When he raises I'd be leaning toward believing my hand was still good, but would most likely call and re-evaluate on the river.
When the king comes on the river I most likely check/call or make a blocking/thin value bet. Some of he 2 pair hands I was afraid of just caught up. I plan to go to showdown, but want to get their as cheaply as possible. As it turns out the king is a scare for both of us and he likely check through or calls a small bet.
Once betting starts into the sidepot I think these situations largely play out the same as a headsup pot (although the possibility that you're only playing for the sidepot has to be factored in when computing odds). Another consideration is it is a given that at least one of you is going to showdown. This makes a bluff or even a semi-bluff much less likely.
|