Firing the second bullet (Continuation Betting)

[Knuckles]

The following two hands came up tonight and have highlighted yet another weakness in my no-limit game, what to do when my flop continuation bets are called.

I had about 50 hands on this table against the following opponent, he was a 27/9.7.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

UTG+1 ($72.04)
MP1 ($23.70)
<font color="#C00000">MP2 ($42.06)</font>
CO ($8.21)
Button ($30.75)
SB ($28.55)
BB ($29.70)
<font color="#C00000">Hero ($30.25)</font>

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.10.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $1</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP2 calls $1, CO calls $1, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>.

Flop: ($3.35) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $3</font>, MP2 calls $3, CO folds.

Anybody make less than a full size c-bet here? Any thoughts on the size of c-bets in general?

Turn: ($9.35) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks

Here is where I think I lose heart. I think I should have bet here again, but I feel like I am building a huge hand out of position. Is a 1/2 pot bet here too weak? Was giving up at this point OK?

Second hand, same table, different player. He is a 25/9.5 over 150 hands at this point. First of all I now realize that my pre-flop re-raise is too small. It should have been to 4 otherwise I am giving him too good of odds.
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

UTG+1 ($10.63)
<font color="#C00000">MP1 ($71.44)</font>
MP2 ($21.30)
MP3 ($48.51)
CO ($18.87)
Button ($24.65)
SB ($33.80)
<font color="#C00000">Hero ($20.50)</font>
UTG ($7.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.10.
UTG calls $0.25, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises to $1</font>, <font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $2.75</font>, UTG folds, MP1 calls $2.

Flop: ($6.35) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $6</font>, MP1 calls $6.

Not the best flop for my hand, but it could be worse. My quick counting is that I have 7 outs, so I fire my normal pot size c-bet. He thinks about it and then makes a call. With the size of the pot here, I would really like to win it now. Is a c-bet correct here? Should it have only been half the pot?

Turn: ($18.35) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero calls $11.50 (All-In), MP1 calls $11.50.

With how long it took him to make the flop call, I decided that this was a good card to try and make a bluff on. So I fire the second shell. How bad was this? I still have four outs to the nut, but I don't know if I have enough fold equity here to make the bet.

[fresherthanflynt]

Hand 1 - giving up there isn't bad, I'd discourage half pot bets though, if you're gonna fire another barrel then go for 90% pot.

Hand 2 - dislike the push here big time, if he thinks (or so you think) it's probably cause hes on a marginal draw right? What draws are possible? At low stakes you're probably looking at either AQ or JT in the most part, maybe even KQ, fact of the matter is on an action flop like that one, your small river bet will probably not make anyone fold here unless hes on AT or something idiotic.

[Knuckles]

Thanks Flynt. Hand 2 I know I misplayed the turn horribly and probably should have have let the hand go. Part of the reason I am playing 25 NL is that I still find myself getting married to hands in big pots when I probably shouldn't.

[Check_The_Nuts]

I'd say yes to one and no to two. I think the guy is willing to call lightly in hand two, so I think he's folding never (due to stack sizes). I like hand one double barreling because a face card fell, mind u a queen/king/ace would have been a better card. You look like trips on the turn IMO if you double barrel that one. Since if you had just the jack you wouldn't bet, cause you'd give a guy with a pocket pair a chance to get away, and only get called by trips...

Interested to see what other people think...

oye, quick note that if it is a queen or ace on the turn I wouldn't bet unless I think the guy is willing to call with a pocket pair. Obviously if he's not willing to call with one, your bluff is better...

[el_grande]

Don't be afraid to give up on a hand on the turn, even if it makes you look like a puss.