I was at LP picked up 2346 with two hearts. Everyone folded to me and I raised. Folded to the BB who called.

Flop (4.5SB): A T 5
BB checks. I bet. BB calls.

Turn (6.5SB/3.25BB) T
BB bet. I call.

River (5.25BB) 9x
BB checks. I ?

No read on BB who has quite a big stack (~50BBs and normally everyone buys in with 20BBs).

My hand has no show down value.

Bluff or just give up since the pot is small? Could BB be also chasing low and busted? How about if he has a flush draw on the turn and busted? Is he trying to trap me with his trip or boat? How about he just happens to have an ace which would be an easy call on his part if I bluff? Could he be some donkeys who will defend QQXX til the end? All in all, how do you view the possibility of BB has a made hand vs the possibility of BB is chasing?

If I just check then it will add some value to my bluffings on the later hands. If I bluff do you think it will be successful 1 in 5 times?

By the way, questionable raise pf? and would you have done differently on the turn like fold or raise?

It's 8-handed btw.

PFR is fine, good even, if you're in mp3 or later and it's open to you.

i don't like a bluff on this river generally unless you set it up with a turn raise, and that's expensive. i can't imagine anyone believes you here. i just give up.

exactly. you probably raise the turn with AA or a 10. a naked A is probably not value betting here so i wouldn't buy what you're trying to sell and would call you with AJ and the only hands i would be worried about is 10,2,3,6 or AA23.

the more i think about it, the more i might like a turn semibluff here. not quite decided on it, but it's a strong defense against what might be AK or even an outright bluff. i don't think a non-ten hand can call you down if you fire the river too, and you have bazillions of outs if he's not boated up yet. i think A10 would have c/red the flop.

i can't quite figure that out though. other thoughts?

to me his bet on the turn that followed by his check on the river means he has a hand that he feels he cant bet for value but is going to call you with. hes not betting that turn expecting you to fold and when you just call you give him a fairly good idea of where you stand.

another factor is that if he was full of **** he probably would have bet that river.

1) I don't like pre-flop with this marginal hand. I want to play speculative hands with as many people, and I don't want to invest too heavily. Maybe i play O8 different to you. Realise that you hit a very lucky flop(Ace and 5).

2) Interesting idea to raise the turn representing real strength(poss AA), especially since we have many outs to split against a likely high hand if he doesn't budge. I like it, but lack of any read on opponent is a real concern.

3) As played, I check river. Disappointing if he wins with some rubbish, but it's hard to quantify how often bluff will work. Take heart from maybe what you said - getting respect on later bluffs - and also at least you definitely see his cards and now can write some notes.

There is only 1 hand he can have that you beat and it is unlikely he would have bet that on the turn. (My guess is a Broadway hand or AwJTs). He is almost certainly "checking for value" not minding if you bet as he figures that is the only way of getting more $ in. A bluff has much less than 20% success imo. I think I give up the hand and take the metagame consequences/benefits of the showdown.......

....which are that any decent player (paying attention) is going to peg you as a solid player, as this hand UNDER THESE CONDITIONS is an AUTOMATIC (open) raise PF, however others may start seeing you as LAG.

Raising the turn is an interesting option against some players if you know them well as tricky, aggressive players.

Explain please. OP doesn't seem to have much of a read on anybody(he hasn't indicated so).

Why exactly is this 'automatic raise', and what conditions are you describing??

The fact that the field is small and we may steal money pre or post-flop??

The fact that the hand is good??!!??

When the game is this tight you can't wait for the premium hands to attack. You need to steal the blinds and be aggressive, and hopefully the game will get loosen up a bit...

I did in fact check behind but then later on I was thinking about how about if I bet the river then what my success rate would be in general (not for this particular hand).

BB had AQ78 with flush draw on the turn as well. Well played by him. If I bet the river it would be the easiest call for him.

The relevant circumstances are that you are in late position and are first to open the pot. This is a hand (2346ss) that you don't mind seeing a flop with with, but you are also quite happy to take down the blinds. To leverage the suitedness, you are better off playing it against fewer players. Open raising is consistent with both of these.

In addition, if you do see a flop with this hand, you would really like to see an A. The fact that several players in front of you have folded makes it much more likely that an A will come on the flop than if there has been action in front of you.

So Open Raising here is going to lead to one of the following, any one of which you are happy with:
1. Getting the blinds
2. Getting Heads Up or close to it
3. Seeing a flop with 3-4 players in a raised pot where your key cards are probably live and where you have position on most of the field

If you just limp, you are likely to end up with #3 in an unraised pot and sod's law says that the small blind will complete with a baby flush that ends up beating you.


Hope that helps.

God help me, I was just cruising through random strat forums, and I stumbled on this one, and DAMN if the analysis wasn't interesting enough to make me want to learn how to play this game well enough to beat anyone but my lame friends.

Wang

Preflop is fine.

I like the idea of raising the turn, but what hands that c/c the flop and led the turn are going away for an extra bet?

I"m probably folding the turn when the board pairs. I hate playing for half in a small pot.

akxx type of hands.

folding that turn would suck, you have two hearts too now. im not sure i'de pay off a river bet with just that, but if a high heart came in and he checked to you theres a good chance youll scoop.