A10s 20-40

[sleepyjoeyt]

You may not want to answer this Barry but I'll ask anyways:

You raise on the button with this hand and all players in the hand call your raise (and if its Foxwoods a couple of players without cards try to call as well) and you get a board like Q rag rag, 1 heart.

Its checked to you.

Check along? bet here, hoping someone's planning on raising the turn where you can just check behind everyone else and see the river for free?

I believe the answer is that it depends but there's no question in my mind that this is where I lose the most money.

What if its the same board and an early position player bets? peel one off and see what happens?

I realize this is player dependent but with a decent size pot, me being the preflop aggressor, and whiffing on the flop is the situation that costs me the most $.

I guess the summary of my question is: When you're the preflop raiser how / where to draw the line between protecting your hand by betting (possibly picking up the pot right there) and allowing yourself to be checkraised?

[jkamowitz]

Hey Joey, as with every situation, I think this depends a lot on how many people called your pfr. If you are 4 handed including yourself, I'm more inclined to bet, to either clean up the KJ's, and the AJ's that will fold if you bet, and to allow yourself to get information. However, as with most foxwoods games, you'll have 5-7 players perhand. In these instances, I think a check is definately in order, a lot of players there won't give you information by check calling the flop but many will release on the turn if they continue to show weakness. By bloating a pot pf, you encourage bad players to play correctly postflop if you consistently make continuation bets.
I'm certainly not saying don't raise this hand in this spot as I think that that is elementary, all I am saying is that once you do so two things happen, 1) as with most 20-40 players, they tend to be reactionary and thus will check to the raiser and allow you to take control of the hand, and 2) You have increased the chances of being lost in the hand.

So, when, like in your example, the flop comes Qxx with one heart and someone bets, I'm usually inclined to release. These players tend to bet into flops with at least a pair and there are plenty of hands containing a Q that you dont' want to battle against.

ps. I know I'm not Barry, but I figured i'd respond nonetheless.

[Rock Chalk]

I would raise almost all the time with that hand pre-flop, 1) to get the blinds out, 2)you probably have the best hand. The turn card is scary, he could easily have KJ, and the check-raise screams straight. I think he turned you but you might have a good enough hand to call down with. Its tough to fold in that spot.

[Barry]

Hi Joe -

I was doing my civic duty today and was in Jury duty. I finally get called to a jury selection , I walk into the court room and I know the defense lawyer. I have to sit in the court for about 2 1/2 hours before I can let the judge know.

Anyway, the more folks that see the flop, the less likely I am to bet at a flop that likely hit somebody. Assuming mostly typical horrible FW's players, against 2, in position I'm almost always betting, against 5, I'm almost always checking. My favorite play, is to check the flop and bet the turn if it's checked to me. Most of the monkeys will think that since you didn't bet the flop, you must have flopped at least a set.