Bad card on the turn, what now?

[Memphis Mojo]

You are playing at the Goldstrike Casino in a $340 buyin NLHE tournament in Tunica, MS, 288 entrants. You started with $2K in chips (25/25 blinds) and now have $2300 and the blinds are up to 50/100. You are in the cutoff seat.

Three people limp to you. You hold [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J.

Right or wrong, you raise to $300 to drive out the button to get position, to try and drive out the blinds, and to punish the limpers. The button and small blind fold, the big blind calls and the limpers fold.

The BB has been playing lots of hands and has $3000 in chips.

The flop is [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]2. The BB checks and you bet $400, half the pot. Would you bet more?

The BB calls and the turn brings: [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]Q. The BB checks to you, and you???

[Moose747]

After three limpers, a $300 bet is way to small. If I'm raising I'd bump it up to 500-600, but I much prefer a call.

400 is less than half the pot here. (3x100+300+50+300=950) I'd bet a little more, but on a board with few draws, this is fine.

The turn really shouldn't be very scary. It's unlikely villain's calling your flop bet with AQ or KQ. You may be behind, but it's unlikely it's because of the queen. I think it's fine either to bet 2/3 the pot on the turn or to check behind planning to bet on the river. I probably lean towards checking just because there are so few drawing hands.

[jjpregler]

If you wanted to raise PF, you need to raise to at least 500, maybe 600. I may have just limped as well here. KJ suited is not basically a strong hand, but with so many limpers you have better chances to get paid off when your hand hits. But you raised and isolated the loose player so your play worked pretty well and your hand may actualy be best here.

I would have probably bet more on the flop. You have top pair but it's not really that strong. I may have just tried to take the pot down there. Any A or Q that comes off and you don't know where you stand.

What do you know of the BB? If he just hit a Q on the river would he have bet it or is he playing trappy? Does he bet at any sign of weakness? If he does then he may bet on any card coming off on the river if you check here. Is he the type that frequently defends his blinds? All of this is important information to know what to do with the turn.