Pot control or protection? Discuss this texture

[Genz]

[ QUOTE ]
Disclaimer: You're a much better player than I am.

That said, are you sure you want to avoid a big pot here? First off, your read seems weak, so basing your play too much on it doesn't sound solid. Secondly, if Villain has you beat and you check one street, he'll probably use the other two streets to get ai or close to it. So (usually) the only way you avoid playing a big pot if you're beat is to fold at some point. If you fold to his first bet after checking the flop, I think you get bet off the best hand often. If you call one bet but fold to a push, you'll be folding getting 2:1 odds, and I'm not sure your read is solid enough to make that +EV.

IMO, this is a spot where you'll be unhappy to get all in but you should still be willing to do it (because the alternative lines are worse). So I see 3 possible routes:

1) Bet flop and commit the rest of your chips on a future round no matter what.

2) Check flop and bet turn, bet river no matter what comes (unless Villain bets or raises, in which case you call).

3) Check flop and get it all in when the turn card is safe, check/folding if it's dangerous.

Given the (weak) read on Villain, I think I kind of like #3, but I'm not too sure on that. I just don't like folding without a bad turn card, given pot and stack sizes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't jump to conclusions because I have more posts than you [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I like what you wrote a lot. Sums up the problems pretty nicely. From my starting point, I favor a line like #3 myself, while I'd be hoping that I might bet the turn for a free SD. When I pet in position on a safe turn and villain calls, I don't have to bet the river if he checks to me.