Still early, blinds are 30/60, which is level #2 at party, and they start you with 3,000 in chips.

I am sitting at 2,890 chips.
SB has 3,150 chips.
UTG+1 has 2,700 chips.

Preflop:

I am dealt Jc Jh in MP1. UTG+1 limps in, I raise to 250, SB calls, as does UTG+1.

Flop: 9c 7d 2s (810 in pot)

SB checks, UTG+1 checks, I bet 700, SB calls, UTG+1 folds.

Turn: 2h (2210 in pot)

SB checks, Sensing a trap, I check.

River: 10s

SB checks, I bet 500, SB raises to 1,200, I call thinking he could have anything from a full house to something like A 10, 9 10 suited, or, just maybe, a bluff.

I didn't have much experience to get many reads from this player, but he was not involved in calling raised pots preflop much, and wasn't splashing around or calling too much with poor holding post flop from what I could tell. I don't think he's the type of guy to call with only bottom pair post flop, or even play a hand that contains a deuce from the spot he was in preflop.

My question about this hand is two fold. #1, was about my check on the turn. I just felt like this was the type of opponent to not have something like A9 here and play it in this manner, there are virtually no draws I can think of besides 6 8, which I think he folds preflop, and I am almost positive he's not just peeling with overs here, either. Is this a spot where I should bet even if I feel like it could very easily be a trap?

My 2nd question is about the river bet. I've heard a lot of pro's tips that say you shouldn't value bet a marginal holding when checked to on the river, because it re-opens the betting, can open you up for being outplayed etc... Does this hand fall under that catergory? I felt like if he did hold a full house he certainly would have bet the river for value, so when he checked it felt a whole lot more like A9 or maybe 88 or 66, even though I didn't think he would play A9 preflop. This is why I value bet, trying to get paid by one of these hands.

As always, results in white:

SB shows 2d 2c for 4 of a kind.

Once again I am baffled by your explanation of the hand after the fact. You indicate you sense a trap on the turn, and yet when yet another scary card for your hand shows up on the river, you took the bait and bet.

I am not saying one way or the other that you should have bet on the river there, but your explanations sometimes just don't make sense (to me at least, which, first thing in the morning, is to be expected)...

Why is the 10 a scary card? The guy played TAG and didn't seem like he'd play 6 8 or 8 J preflop to have the straight now.

As for being confused about my self-analysis, I think that's one of my problems when posting here. Maybe I should just post the hand and say nothing about it, and see what kind of responses I get.

Tens are always scary...lol. Not necessarily to make a straight, but any card that came that was higher than the highest card on the board (except a jack) would be scary IMO.

Nothing wrong with putting in your analysis of the hand when it was playing out, but sometimes you seem to contradict yourself. Keep putting it in, or you will get bombarded with questions like "Why did you do that?".

My feeling is that you shouldn't have bet the river and checked to the guy. If you sensed a trap, let the other guy try and spring it. When he bets the river, especially if it's an invitational bet (like 1/2 the pot or something), remember what your read was! TRAP! You can then fold and tell yourself you made the right decision.

Gut instinct, sir. You felt it and didn't believe it and it cost you chips. Trust me, I've been there dozens of times and blown it even though my head was screaming "TRIPS!" or some other hand that had me beat. I'd call, find out I was right and kick myself for crippling my position.

I do that to myself way to many times in ring games, in that I will type in what I think the guy has, stupidly call, just to prove to the table that I was correct I guess. In tournaments, not so much...

What can he be calling the flop bet with? Since you seem to think hes a pretty solid player there isnt much: overpair, set, or two pair. If he thinks you are LAG maybe he could have TPGK.

I shut down on the turn and river. Yes, it gives him an opportunity to bluff me off the hand with TPGK, but I really think Im beat here most of the time.

Yes to your question about checking behind on the river. There isnt much that can call you that you beat.

Edit after seeing results: I dont like his check on the turn. The 2 wouldnt have apparently improved either hand and from his seat you should already be putting him on the above hands, so it cant accomplish anything....except induce a bluff from you on the river.

For the record, I was calling something like a half pot bet on the river. If he has A 9 he might make this bet, if he has 9 10, he might make this bet. Remember this is early in a $10 tournament on Party, while I said I felt this guy was pretty solid, I've seen some weird **** in tournaments that early. It wouldn't have crippled me or anything to call there since they start you with 3,000 chips.




Yeah, he probably could have had most of my chips on the flop, to be honest. If he thought I had the overpair, it's not so smart to check/call a flop bet that large. He made it pretty obvious something was up, imo. Also, If I have something like 1010 or JJ, I could be shutting down to a Q K or A on the turn, so he should really try to get some value on this flop while I still like my hand.

Would you guys have bet out there if you were him? I probably would have had to raise a lead out from him.

Yeah, totally agree with coppernicus.

I like your near pot sized bet on the flop because, at that point, there is no reason to assume your hand is not the best. But when they call that bet, especially after they've checked it to you.... RED FLAGS man! Save your chips for a better spot.

K...thx for clarifying, Bubba

If you smelled a trap on the turn then you had no business betting the river.

What is calling your pf raise AND your flop bet? He's got 22, 77, 99-AA
You only like one of those hands (until the river). I don't even think he has two pair here.

And he probably reraises the pf and/or flop with QQ-AA, and he probably doesn't have the other two jacks.

I too would probably smell a trap on the turn and checked.


I just don't see any value in betting the river...you aren't making a better hand fold, and I can't see a worse hand calling you here...in fact, after the pf and flop calls, I can't see him having a worse hand anyway...you're only hope tripped up on the river.


The only other possibility here is A9, and I can't see it...and even if I could see it, I can't see it calling a river bet. So, A9 is the only possible holding that calls a river bet, and I don't think A9 calls every time.

I'd be very surprised if 88 called that flop bet AND a river bet.





After seeing the results:

I hate his river check....he has to KNOW you'll bet out, and after you checked the turn it's doubtful.

I don't mind his turn check...I'd bet out myself, because it can look like a bluff to some, but you've shown a propensity to lead the hand so there's nothing wrong with giving you another chance to lead out.