Getting Value for your Winning Hands

Ok, So I wait patiently to get that premium Hand. Let's say AQ.
I hit the flop and find myself worried about some dope with A7 catching
his seven on me, therefore I land up betting to aggressively, dope folds and I get no value for the hand. I know the odds of matching his kicker are about 7 to 1 if he sees both turn and river, Do I bet half the pot and give him 3 to1 on turn and then again on river, but now the pot is substantial. This insecurity is really magnified with flush and straight draws, where the odds of dope making hand are much better. With just river card left, odds of making flush draw are about 4 to 1, What do you bet?

As always it depends. In general, heads up I bet 1/2-2/3 pot if there is no flush or obvious straight draw. If there is a draw I bet somewhere between 2/3 and the pot size. My c-bets are the same amounts.

You cant be scared of him hitting his kicker. You have the same odds of pairing your kicker as he has pairing his.

I'm wondering the same thing when it gets to the river. I'm betting out til then - but let's say you have position on a player and have raised appropriately preflop to narrow the field with your AQ and paired your ace.

Board is A59 two-suited - you bet 2/3 pot and are smooth-called turn is a blank deuce - lather-rinse-repeat...river is a Jack...

Opponent checks - now what? Stacks are short at this point - is it safest to assume that opponent either missed their draw or their kicker and bet out, or check-behind for showdown?

Originally Posted by DaHorror

I'm wondering the same thing when it gets to the river. I'm betting out til then - but let's say you have position on a player and have raised appropriately preflop to narrow the field with your AQ and paired your ace.

Board is A59 two-suited - you bet 2/3 pot and are smooth-called turn is a blank deuce - lather-rinse-repeat...river is a Jack...

Opponent checks - now what? Stacks are short at this point - is it safest to assume that opponent either missed their draw or their kicker and bet out, or check-behind for showdown?

Ok. For this example, you have to think about what you're beat by and what you're beating.

You're beat by: AK, and now AJ - also, any sets
You beat: AT. Any draw that missed. A stubborn midpair.

With short stacks left (I'm thinking you each have like $20 left and the pot is now at $160), you push it in and try to get max value. If he hit the jack, well damn...if he has AT and has been calling your bets up 'till now, then he'll call that last bit. If he owns you with AK or a set, well, you should have known it before now, so checking behind is useless here.

So in your situation, I don't think that checking behind is good. It's decreasing the value you get from your hand.

Originally Posted by HalvSame

You cant be scared of him hitting his kicker. You have the same odds of pairing your kicker as he has pairing his.

I've suffered the same phobia. This is bad b/c it costs yourself lots of value by overbetting or underbetting.

I've purposely worked on discounting certain hands to avoid missing value bets. More often, you'll get that same guy calling you down with AJ AT and you make a nice pot.

Heads up? always bet at least half the pot. If you get raised, reconsider. Don't worry about a 3 outter unless you bet weak weak weak.