Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (5 handed) converter

Preflop: idiotbocs is MP with A:heart:, K:diamond:.
1 fold, SB :#A500AF(custom36)/ calls.

Flop: (9 SB) 4:spade:, 6:spade:, 8:diamond: (2 players)
custom36 bets, custom36 calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) 9:spade: (2 players)
custom36 checks, idiotbocs checks.

River: (6.50 BB) J:club: (2 players)
custom36 checks, idiotbocs bets...

I don't really like the river bet. You have to figure he's gonna call 20% of the time or better, and the best you can hope for when he does call is a split pot.

I always thought a value bet implies that you expect a worse hand to call. There aren't a lot of worse hands in this situation... Maybe an A-Q... but I don't see Custom three-betting preflop w/ anything worse than that, and I don't see a hand like K-Q calling here.... but I do see pocket pairs correctly putting you on over cards and making this call often enough.

I think checking it down might be better.

doesnt a pocket pair normally value bet the river against A-high?

Not out of position with all the strength you showed. I think he knows what you have by the check behind on the turn and figures that his best chance at getting the bet if check/call.

that's a mistake i thinkn a lot of people make. Normally, people will check down A-high, so you should start betting your pairs on the end.

here, i checked the turn. (right there Custom knows I have an ace)
but on the river, Custom checks again (right there, I know Custom has an ace)

my ace is better, so I bet it for value.

Would your line have been the same if you had, say, T8 ? Or would you have bet the turn?

I dont cap preflop and I bet the turn.

500th post in the new account, congrats. That's one of my big leaks, I think. I probably would have bet the turn here and checked the river.

you bring up a good point.

With the flush draw out there, i may should have bet the turn.

I guess my thinking would be I have position, scare card comes down, if I get raised I can lay this down, bet it here and maybe he thinks I was going for a free card on the flop and lay it down. But I'm fishy, like I said. I tend to overplay AK.

I thought it was sick

OP played it perfectly. I would've folded to a bet on the turn and his check was strange as hell to me. Thought he could've had KQ, but I thought I was likely beat by AK or AQ. Curiosity go the best of me on the end.