NLHE full ring game
($0.10 / 0.$25 NL )

EP limps in
say 2 others mp limpers
sb folds
Hero: BB has KJo, checks

Pot = $1.10, 4 players
Flop: Kd 8d 5c
Hero Bets $1.25, EP calls, 2 folds

Pot = $3.60, 2 players
Turn: 2s
Hero Bets $2.5, EP calls

Pot = $8.60, 2 players
River: 10h
Hero Bets $5, EP raises to $12, Hero should ?

This is the scenario I get and cant play it right. The trapping player opponent complex.

So I have 2 questions?

1. What should hero do on river given the situation as is? call or fold river

2. Assuming EP has pokets 8's, tell me how each player played this hand right or wrong. And how it should be played. Thanks: that would be so helpful!

Tough laydown. :?

If the guy has pocket 8's, he should've raised the turn.

Why raise the turn? No flush draws, no straight draws, the only thing that has a chance to beat him here is 2 pair with the K, and even then they're drawing to 2 outs. If he check/calls and lets you hit another pair on the river there's almost no way you'd lay it down. In this situation, the pocket 8's made the correct play. If there was flush or straight draws on the board, he should've reraised on the flop or turn.

So it was $7 to call and the pot was $25.60 right?

That's a tough situation, you're actually priced in to call this but maybe he knows that and is pricing you in.

It's hard to believe he has a set because of the two flush cards on the flop; he should have raised you to protect his hand.

I probably lay it down reluctantly

Ha for some reason my mind didn't see the 2 diamonds on the flop. My head processed one as a heart...still think he has a set. he can call the flop and if the 3rd D doesn't hit turn he can raise and drive out the flush draws there. If it gets HU, as it did, then it's unlikely you are on a flush draw, and he can check/call the turn too to get you more connected to your hand.

If EP had junk but played the same way...is that a small element of what strong poker is all about.
EP sees you making a typical Top Pair bet to protect against flush and/or Straight draws, then pops it on the river. Whether he flopped two pair, trips, or nothing...is that not a plan for success? Of course he may be getting trapped to..but it may be awhile before any players catch on if he makes this move once an hour.

Thus, is there any defense against it? Or do you just hope someone else will call him down to reveal his ways?.

thanks again for the replies

ps: Maybe it would be dangerous for EP to try this with nothing, because many Hero's at that level would still call his raise to $12.
However, I know my image is tight/semi-aggressive, seeing about 27% of flops @ 0.1/0.25, including while in the blinds. I'm afraid I'm too easily moved off of hands, and this trick would work against me. So I'll call sometimes thinking "he knows I'm tight and thinks I will fold and not spew chips..." then I go "Crap..you had me all along". And I'm down $20.

So now I keep my $ and make better laydowns. That is what made me think about the strategy to play as though you flopped a set, even when you don't.

thanks..flame away...just a thought, but i'm sure its not as complex as I make it

This situation is a tricky one in holdem, flopping top pair with a trouble hand like KJ. Most of the time, you probably are beat on the river, so the way you played, you would probably be right in folding, but I like the price, so I would probably just pay him off for two reason, 1) the price is just about right, 2) your opponents will see that you will call down and be less likely to bluff you.

With that said, I would not have got into that situation in the first place. With a hand like top pair, bad kicker, and bad position, you do not want to build a pot. In no limit you always have options. Especially at the limit you are at, you can pretty much control the action, whether you want to build a nice size pot, or control the bets to keep the pot size down.

In this case, it is to your advantage to keep the bet size small. Half the pot would be the right amount here. This way you are not building a big pot, and if he is going to slow play a set, you will not have to pay it off as much as you did by betting the pot each time. You can then tell by his reaction to your bets on each street, whether or not your jack kicker is any good here and act accordingly.

Gl at the tables.

I think you overbet the pot significantly on flop and turn, leading EP to think you'll call anything on the river, meaning he very likely does have something like 88. On the turn, the only thing that's calling you has you beat, you simply don't have to bet that much.

Er .. mixed up pot size and bet size for turn, so your bet was correct, though I still think you ran a simple TP too hard. You generally have to give your opponents' credit for some kind of holding when they call you on flop and turn, and it's really up to a read on the river to decide if he's trying to move you off the pot or not.