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Top-pair/ medium kicker: bet or CR?

  
 
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Hiatus
Old 02-03-2005, 09:26 AM     Post subject: Top-pair/ medium kicker: bet or CR? #1 (permalink)  

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Posts: 7
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Normal Table Fixed Limit 0.05/0.10

Seat: 1 Hero
Seat: 2 IP_ISICLES
Seat: 3 aneurysm
Seat: 4 LillaTina
Seat: 5 ecip
Seat: 6 Lord-Kodiak
Seat: 7 drug007 (Dealer)
Seat: 8 wurd
Seat: 9 Kirker
Seat: 10 Onstage

------------------
OpeningBetRound
------------------
wurd : Posts small blind 0.02
Kirker : Sits out
Hero : Posts big blind 0.05
IP_ISICLES : Calls for 0.05
aneurysm : Calls for 0.05
LillaTina : Calls for 0.05
ecip : Folds
Lord-Kodiak : Folds
Onstage : Sits down 0.10
drug007 : Folds
wurd : Calls for 0.03
Hero : Checks [ KS, 9H ]

------------------
Flop [JC, 5C, KH]
------------------
wurd : Checks
Hero : Checks
IP_ISICLES : Checks
aneurysm : Checks
LillaTina : Bets 0.05
wurd : Folds
Hero : Raises for 0.10
IP_ISICLES : Calls for 0.10
aneurysm : Folds
LillaTina : Calls for 0.05

** I always feel vulnerable with a medium kicker. I didn't know whether to bet or CR on the flop. Is it a matter of style or is one clearly better? What if my kicker were a 6 instead of a 9?

------------------
Turn [3d]
------------------
Hero : Bets 0.10
IP_ISICLES : Calls for 0.10
LillaTina : Calls for 0.10

------------------
River [2d]
------------------
Hero : Checks
IP_ISICLES : Checks
LillaTina : Checks

** I was concerned that I was beaten, so I decided to check/call the river. Was this correct or did I wimp out?
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Fnord
Old 02-03-2005, 09:30 AM #2 (permalink)  
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Bet the river. The river is a bigger mistake than a bet vs c/r decision on the flop ever could be.

On the flop, it depends. I usually bet out as I don't want to give a free card, but if you are pretty sure there will be a late position bet then by all means go for the check/raise. The other nice part about checking is that if there is a bet + raise on a board like this you can let your hand go without putting in any money post-flop. Mixing it up has merit too.
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Hiatus
Old 02-03-2005, 09:36 AM #3 (permalink)  

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Would you still bet out on the flop if the kicker were very poor?

If you check and there is action, do you let it go?
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Fnord
Old 02-03-2005, 10:13 AM #4 (permalink)  
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Top pair is top pair. If it gets heavy I'll let it go. For the most part, I try to stay out of dominating positions pre-flop and worry less about them post-flop.
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mike4066
Old 02-03-2005, 01:26 PM #5 (permalink)  
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As I read the hand the VERY first thing that popeed into my head was "Bet the river".

The other streets looked fine to me.
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Chicago_Kid
Old 02-03-2005, 02:14 PM #6 (permalink)  
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So if you bet out on the river...what if you get check raised? Would you fold, or call the raise?

I am usually torn here between fearing the check raise and value betting the river. Is this just the inherent risk in the river value bet?

According to what I've been reading here, and analysis of my play, I probably take the tact too much. Probably a leak?
"Been gone so long, forgot how to poker"
 
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ChezJ
Old 02-03-2005, 07:26 PM #7 (permalink)  
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 I think the main question that you have to ask yourself in this spot is, how big is the pot? I.e., is it worth defending?

If it is unraised and/or not multiway, the reverse implied odds are not very good for you to call down to SD just to find out whether your kicker is good. So either bet the flop and fold to resistance, or check-fold if you really have a shitty kicker (e.g. K6).

If it is raised and multiway, then consider protecting your hand with a check-raise, even with a bad kicker. But before you checkraise, ask how likely is it that someone is betting that flop without TP. Are there two suited cards on the flop, and/or connectors, making it possible he is betting on the come? Is the bettor in LP, making it possible he is betting his 2nd pair/pocket pair or bluffing entirely?

Even if you figure there is little chance the bettor has anything other than TP, you should still check-raise in a large pot to drive out the others who may be chasing. You want to chase your two pair heads up. Otherwise some guy with A-rag might call with his paired rag and spike his A, beating both of you.

Keep in mind, however, that when you check-raise from the BB, you cannot go for the free card play. I think you're pretty much committed to bet the turn.

At a tight table, you might consider just betting out instead of checkraising because tighter players understand that a bet from EP represents strength, and may be more apt to fold.

Obviously, there are a lot of complexities involved and every situation is different. So the lame answer is, it depends.

ChezJ
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