Stud8 - cleaning up weak high hands in order to scoop

[PokrLikeItsProse]

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As I said before Seat 1 may very well have a better low draw than I do. I think I had seen that particular player check 4th in that situation during this session. The way the hand played out on 6th I'm fairly sure this was the correct analysis too.


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Seat 1 may have a better low draw, but then again he might not. If you only bet your low draws when your opponents' boards tell you they can't possibly be drawing to a better low, then you're not betting enough. There's a difference between prudence and cowardice.

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Furthermore, this hand has very little high potential.


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It has more high potential than some of your opponents have low potential. If you make a low, you still have the opportunity to back into a hand like two small pair. It's also possible that betting buys you some outs so that catching a six might give you high.

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So, what type of bet is betting 4th here? Not really a value bet. Why do I gain so much EV from squeezing out the player who caught a K? Is the pot control worth it? I just don't understand the value of betting here. I know a lot of people try to raise as much as they can as soon as they catch a good low card, but I thought this was a leak in their game.

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In stud games, you sometimes bet the best board to enable you to take down the pot on a later street when you catch a scary card, even when you know someone else has or might have a better hand at the moment. This is one such situation. You have the best board. If you catch a five or a three, people might fold a better high hand give you the whole pot. If you catch a six, people might fold a low draw when you are still drawing. But all of that is less likely to happen if you don't represent a low draw by betting fourth street.