[emerson]

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I hate the free showdown raise as much as anyone else, but how is it against a pretty good player (or someone I perceive to be a pretty good player) who is used to being the most aggressive guy at the table? Here is the spot. The villain is James Van Alstyne I think, the guy who plays a lot of tournies and I think made a final table at a WPT event last year. $40/$80 at the Borgata. He hasn't really done much at the table so far and has only played a couple of orbits. I've been playing pretty snug but have been talking at the table quite a bit since I knew a lot of the players and may appear to be looser than normal.

I raise black 9's in middle early position. Small blind moron calls, James Van Alstyne is the big blind and calls. I yell "6!" for no reason.

Flop: J 6 2 two diamonds. Checked to me and I bet. Small blind folds and the big blind raises. I call.

Turn: Th. He bets. I do what?

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Either way is okay. The main thing is to stick to the decision that you are putting in only two more bets. YOu can either call the turn and river, or you can raise for the free showdown on the turn. The draw back to the free showdown is that you have to fold if he three bets you or if he donks the river. After he 3 bets the flop and leads the turn you can't afford to put in three big bets to go to showdown on hands like this.

I don't like the free showdown here because you don't have that many outs to improve and capatilize on the opportunity to win three bets by betting the river. He is not folding to the turn raise if he really has something. And if he has nothing you would rather he bluff the river.

I prefer the free showdown with middle pair combined with an open end or flush draw. This is especially true when you have something like A8 off, with a pair of eights, and a third card suited to your ace hits on the turn. It has a high probability of working because it looks like you might already have the flush.