Why do we cbet here?

[Fiksdal]

Party Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 3 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $100.00
BB: $24.50
Hero (BTN): $99.50

Reads: <font color="blue">Table is a couple of orbits fresh. Hero has been raising and cbetting some.</font>

Preflop: Hero is dealt J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T (3 Players)
<font color="red">Hero raises to $4.00</font>, SB calls $3.50, BB folds

Flop: ($9) J 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A (2 Players)
SB checks,

What are the merits of cbetting here, and not cbetting? I was thinking cbetting turns our hand into a bluff.

[ValarMorghulis]

I don't cbet here.

[Jamougha]

I check about 75%.

[cfb1739]

Check. Your hand isn't strong enough to worry about protecting against a flush, and I don't think better jacks will fold on this flop to a cbet when the game is 3 handed.

If you had a stronger kicker, then you could cbet because I think you get called by worse jacks.

[Kilillan]

[ QUOTE ]
I check about 75%.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Austiger]

I'd just check it down probably and hope he has 66 or something and lets me. I might call a $5 bet on the turn or river depending on the board. The problem is that you're going to get called a lot by KQ/KT/QT and then bluffed on the river, plus your outs are tainted big time.

This play is okay because we like to check behind with weak aces sometimes too, and scare cards aplenty can hit on the turn that will make better hands check the turn as well.

Cbetting is certainly fine though, but you just have to accept that you will be called a lot, and when you're called you're going to win the pot very rarely, even if you have the best hand at the moment.

[SnglMaltScotch]

I think that I continuation bet here. There are too many QT, KT, KQ, clubs draws here to give a free card.

Thoughts.
SMS

[mappedout]

[ QUOTE ]
If you had a stronger kicker, then you could cbet because I think you get called by worse jacks.

[/ QUOTE ]
i agree, even tho you r probably ahead here no reason to cbet against the possible calling ranges.

[BigPoppa]

Me? Because I would always cbet an Ace/air on this flop and not doing so makes it obvious what I have (a hand with some showdown value that doesn't want a big pot).

[tw0please]

[ QUOTE ]
Me? Because I would always cbet an Ace/air on this flop and not doing so makes it obvious what I have (a hand with some showdown value that doesn't want a big pot).

[/ QUOTE ]

But this gives up a ton of showdown value we have in this hand, imo not worth it to turn this into a bluff. You're not going to get a huge amount of action on your top pair hands just because you bet 2nd pair here as well. I'd rather check behind some air on this flop if I'm worried about being transparent. And then the turn decision becomes opponent dependent.