[Garland]

[ QUOTE ]
I gave a lot of thought to this. I'm not sure what the answer would have been at the time, but I believe the correct answer against this player is YES.

Aside from value, I raised the turn because I held the As, which, against this player, and most players, means that after the flop action, he just can't/won't 3-bet the turn, even with A King high flush for fear that I am holding the nuts.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Yes" to a free showdown after raising the turn if a blank river falls? There's got to be something I'm missing here.

There are certain few opponents who if the action on the flop played out exactly like this, they will hold a flush 100% [Yes, they exist]. Against these opponents the play is very easy. Call down and fold the river unimproved (well, I admit it's never easy to fold a set).

[ QUOTE ]
He is capable of playing weak made hands or hand/draw combinations fairly strong.

[/ QUOTE ]

But based on this read, I don't think he's one of those certain opponents. And it sounds like you're uncertain about his range, as I would be with that quote above. To me taking a line like raising the turn and checking the river is inconsistent. Let's suppose your opponent never folds to a raise (reasonable). If you're raising the turn, you're saying you can crush his range and should be betting the river unimproved as well.

Now if you're unsure of his range and think you can beat some of his hands, but actually think the weight's very heavy towards a flopped flush, well then there's absolutely no reason to raise the turn even when you hit your set! Granted, that turned A improves your hand and makes you more excited and happy about your full house/nut flush prospects, but you are still behind a flush. Why exactly do you raise the turn? It's not like you're afraid of giving free cards. Let's see. On the turn against this opponent with this play, you are either (a) ahead and he has exactly 0 outs or maybe 1 out if he holds a set or (b) you are behind, but you have 17 outs.

If you raise the turn unnecessarily, all you do is open yourself to a turn 3-bet by a flush, and then you'll be cursing yourself when the river blanks and you fold because you cost yourself an extra bet and a showdown. Or you'll call because you can't fold a set and curse at yourself twice as much because you lost 2 more big bets than you should have.

Call the turn and call the river unimproved, and obviously raise the river if you improve. Keep it simple.

Garland