Poker Stars
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
9 players
Converter

MP3 ($41)
Hero ($51)

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is SB with [Jc] [Js]
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, MP3 raises to $2, 2 folds, Hero calls, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: [7h] [2h] [7c] ($6.5, 3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 bets $4, Hero calls, UTG+1 folds.

Turn: [3h] ($14.5, 2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 checks.

River: [8c] ($14.5, 2 players)
Hero bets $9

Do we like this turn check and river bet? Flop smooth call? I think not betting rivers like this was a leak in my game that I'm trying to rectify. Villian has been active after only a few hands.

I probably raise the flop and lead the turn. Not sure as it's correct to do so though...lol

As played I like the river bet.

Also, as played I raise the flop. I don't want his probable overcards getting a free look at the turn.

I would perfer re-raise preflop and take the lead.

Reraise or call preflop is fine...problem with reraising PF is that we generally have no idea where we are (Aside from flopping a J) postflop, and we're OOP.

Leading the turn sounds tasty.

For most players, reraising from the SB here makes the hand very hard to play, especially against decent players who could outplay you post flop. On non J boards, a random opponent could probably turn a profit just floating the flop and raising/betting the turn against you. JJ/TT is a tough hand to play OOP. QQ, too, to a slightly lesser degree.

This is a great flop for your hand, and we have no reason to suspect we're behind on the flop. Might as well find out now if we are. I raise here, and lead the turn. Don't give him a chance to catch up if some paint comes off.

As played, I bet the river. It's important to occassionally check/call thsi river, though, in order to earn a few cheaper showdowns later.

Wang

For some reason I just can't raise the flop here. Again another weakness I'm trying to overcome. I was thinking of check/calling the river here but for some reason I decided to bet. Although I'm not really sure why.

Donk why do you think its ok to not raise flop?

Why on EARTH can't you raise this flop? Do you really think when he bets the flop it's AA-QQ, a 7, or a hand drawing uberslim against you (TT, 99, etc) all the time?

I mean, you showed no strength preflop, and you said villain's been active. This is incredibly weak.

thanks i needed that

I THINK you completely messed up your hand by not re-raising pre-flop. You now have NO IDEA what he has on the flop.

Re-raise preflop at all times when you are in the blinds. If the original raiser comes back over top you can fold knowing he has to have AA-QQ. As played you don't know if its a c-bet with overs or he has a better pair.

If you had position I like a smooth call pre-flop and a raise on his flop bet.

I'M RIGHT AIN'T I!?!

not all the way. MOST of the time his preflop reraise will be flatcalled, and this could mean almost any pair lower than his, or overcards, or even AA-QQ if the villian has some tricks up his sleeve.

now he has built a bigger pot OOP with a hand that villian wont pay off if he's behind (on most flops) having been re-raised.

the sb call allows for scenarios just like in the OP, where he gains the c-bet on the flop (at which point he should have raised,) and then he'd know almost exactly where he is in the hand. the villian would probably reraise with aa-qq, flat call with 88-TT (JJ is a grey area, but very unlikely to be up against,) and fold his overs. There's a chance he'd call the flop reraise with AK or similar, since the OP said that villian was loose. but the hand is definitely easier to play after a flop reraise.

the only case i see for reraising PF is to get UTG+1 out of the hand.

I dunno if you right. I tend to play hands like JJ or AK or AQs like I did here, relatively passive out of the blinds. KK, AA and sometimes QQ are my only reraises out of the SB without a donk as my villian.