Villain gives up the lead

[sharpie]

Villain hasn't played a hand in 25 hands.. I guess I should've folded the flop, but it's tough because it feels so exploitable. Also what if I have AK or KQ? Does the kicker matter?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

MP ($69.50)
CO ($98.50)
Hero ($114.80)
SB ($105.30)
BB ($98.50)
UTG ($98.50)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $4</font>, SB calls $3.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: ($9) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $6</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to $16</font>, Hero calls $10.

Turn: ($41) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero???

Edit: Also, what if I have AK and he leads the turn?

[brettbrettr]

Turn seems like an easy check. Try to showdown.

[Nick C]

I agree with brettbrettr. I like a turn check. After that, I probably call the river provided the bet isn't too big, hoping to see JJ or something.

If you had AK and Villain led again, well, that's tougher. I would probably call again, but I'm not going to be happy if Villain then proceeds to push the river. I don't really know what's best. It feels like you should have the best hand a decent chunk of the time versus a worse king or even KcXc, but I'm not thrilled with the idea of playing TPTK for stacks when my sketchy read on my opponent is that he's a rock. So I guess maybe you should actually fold? The limit player in me hates that idea, but it might be best.

I think a turn bet of, say, $30 from Villain that's an implied bet of $85 simply isn't easy to deal with in this spot. I mean, we want to show down for $30 more but not for $85, and we don't know which it's going to be.

Edit: FWIW, the gutshot outs you would have just picked up with AK do help a little, but I still think it's a tough spot.

[sharpie]

Sorry for the stupid question, but what should be going through my head when I call the flop check/raise? I didn't really have a plan except fold to a largish bet on the turn.

FWIW I checked the turn, he checked a blank river, any value here?

[Nick C]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry for the stupid question, but what should be going through my head when I call the flop check/raise? I didn't really have a plan except fold to a largish bet on the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the main justification for calling the flop checkraise is that Villain might check the turn. I'm not sure you really even need a plan, really, beyond your actual plan of folding to more pressure, since your hand is far too weak versus someone who's looking like a rock to take much more heat.

FWIW, I probably would have called the checkraise too, but when I do that with the plan of seeing what Villain wants to do on the turn, Villain always follows up with another bet. Or that's how it seems sometimes. Sometimes that bet isn't very big, though, which is kind of annoying when I have a weak made hand and I feel like I'm being strung along but is nice when I have a draw.

[ QUOTE ]
FWIW I checked the turn, he checked a blank river, any value here?

[/ QUOTE ]

I suppose Villain might pay off a small bet if he has a PP (hoping you missed your flush draw), but I think I'd be too curious what Villain played this way and would take the showdown to make sure that I found out. Plus, it's entirely possible Villain has a hand like KQ or KJ and is simply worried about his kicker.

I often have a hard time trying to figure out what to do on the river in NL, though, and I don't claim to know what's actually best here.

[sharpie]

I checked through and he showed A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. I'm guessing this is a rare play at NL100?

What's the largest bet we'd call on the river? I'm guessing we'd fold any size bet if a club fell?

[Josh.]

you can bet, but you have to be willing to call a shove. if you're not comfortable doing that, then check and usually call the river

[pureCra2z]

check for cheap showdown