Another NL hand...

[Kalle]

Iceman wrote somewhere that when he was new to poker he posted a lot of questions on UPF to learn. I think I will do the same here. Hope you don’t mind.

$1/2 NL. I’m dealt [7d] in the cutoff. It’s folded to MP who raises to $5 (a standard raise from him). His PFR% is 15 % and his VPIP is 36 %. He raises with big pairs, connectors and facecards (KQ, AJ etc).
I call his raise, button calls (I have no notes on him) and BB calls. I had $193 - MP and button have me covered.

Flop $21
[6d][8c]

MP bets $19. I have very good notes on MP. When he flopped the nut flush in another game he bet $8 into a $60 pot and when he flopped a straight he bet $5 into a $20 pot. But perhaps he bets pot this time because of the draws. I didn’t know what to do here. I had a decent hand, but I thought it needed to improve to win. I just called and so did button. I put him on a draw but some players will slowplay a set no matter how many draws there are.

Turn $78
[6d][8c][2h]

MP bets $19 again. I didn’t think about what he held but when I sense weakness I try to exploit it (not always a good idea): I raise to 50$. Button calls and MP folds. I put button on a flush draw (but perhaps he has a set and is afraid that I have the straight).

River $197
[6d][8c][2h][9h]

Some weeks ago I would bet here but now I learned that I will only get called when I’m beat. And I just read Iceman’s thread “inducing a bluff”: I check. Button puts me all in for $119. Odds 2.7-1 to call. I didn’t like it (though I think he would bet less with a full house). But I called. He held [Ts].
MP wrote he folded A9.

Thoughts on my play? If I hadn’t raised on turn I would have lost the hand but do you think my $31 raise is a good play?

[Mad Genius]

[iceman5]

[Suhleafs]

[kennyg]

suhleafs
You get suited Aces and just call preflop raises? I'd probably reraise...I mean..you have two aces of the same suit. you have the best overpair and a possible double nut flush draw!! And everyone knows a double nut flush gives you 3x the normal pot!!!
LOL
All kidding aside..I agree with suhleaf. I've saved a lot of money since i've started folding connectors and suited Axs to decent sized raises.

I love the check on the river BTW.

[Bob314]

A number of posts like this recently indicate that you guys are making a killing inducing bluffs on the river by checking. What are some of the circumstances that you look for when you go to make this play? Maybe a deep enough topic for an article? Some pointers would be appreciated.

[Suhleafs]

Well this is a fairly "new" concept, maybe I've done it in the past, but not consciously.

I think a lot of it refers to the notion that "the only hand that will call you is a better hand", otherwise they will fold to a river value bet.

consider this situation, say you have AA, the flop is 65J, 2 clubs, u raised the pot PF, now u bet the pot and get called on the flop. 2 of spades on the turn, you bet 3/4 pot, he calls again. then the 5 pairs on the river, no club. you check to him, to make it look like you were betting on the draw, wanting him to go away, now all of a sudden he thinks his AJ is good, so he decides to bet or overbet the pot.

Is that a situation you would check and call the river?

[kennyg]

I not really "making a killing" with it. However, occasionley it will induce a bluff. The other great thing that I think is so important; if trips are sitting behind you, you probably saved yourself a lot of money...because he is more likely to value bet then to move-all in. I saved tons of money doing that.

[Suhleafs]

So Ken, if somebody made a value bet if you checked the river, you would fold, but call an all in?

[Felonius_Monk]

No; he would presumably call in the situation he was describing in which he saves money. The point is that the opponent IF he has a big hand will often make a small(ish) bet as a value play and thus it'll cost less to go to showdown.

[iceman5]

Monk is correct. However, alot of times they WILL go all in there and more times than not its because they have nothing.

[Suhleafs]

So in most cases when you check, you are expecting to call any bet that your opponent makes? Sometimes a player might be inclined to use that against you, by making a huge overbet on a made flush, or made str8, etc.

So with every good plan, there's always a counter

[kennyg]

[kennyg]

[iceman5]

I wouldnt call ANY bet, but when I check the river after showing strenth, I fully expect them to bet. Im going to call a reasonable bet in most cases. They think "ha! I knew he was bluffing. If he had anything he would bet the river". People love to bluff with their missed draws when I check to them. They would never call a bet with a missed draw of course.