Can I raise this?

[thizzSantaCruz]

Home game and we are 5 handed. 45 dollar effective stacks blinds are .25 and .50.
Villain is tight and seems to play pretty much by the book. I have never played short handed with him before.


I am on the button and 1 person limp to me.....

Dealt to Hero
Hero raises to 2.50

Villain from the sb calls.

Flop (5.50)
SB checks
Hero bets 4
SB calls 4

Turn (13.50)
SB bets 7
Hero..........

I had been insta c-betting him in every pot that I became involved in with him and he was starting to catch on, so the call on the flop did not really mean much to me. The turn bet is also kind of weak and he possibly could be trying to take the pot down if he thought I was bluffing the flop. He also very well could have made a straight but I think he re-raises here 75% of the time with AK. Thoughts comments?

[sauce123]

i think i call here cause stack sizes r so awkward. Basically if u raise u need to make it 20 or so and call a push which kind of sucks for you as he hits 2 pair a lot here.

however his bet is weak and he could be semibluffing a variety of holdings and he gives u odds to draw with a ton of hands so ur holding is at the top of ur range. So call and Vbet most rivers imo.

[thizzSantaCruz]

I agree with you sauce, I call his bet and the river comes off the ace of spades. Villain checks to me and I obviously have to check behind here because I can not call a check-raise.

[JJDAMAN]

I agree with you sauce, I call his bet and the river comes off the ace of spades. Villain checks to me and I obviously have to check behind here because I can not call a check-raise.

I think you lose a lot of value by not betting here. You get calls from pretty much all worse 2 pairs, and nothing but a K is raising. River is a value bet IMO.

If he raises though its a pretty easy fold.

[thizzSantaCruz]

Yea JJ you are correct, a lot of the hands he represents would pay me off here while a small portion will raise signaling to me I am beat. Good analysis I definanlty should have thought about that during the hand. Not to be result orientated or anything but he did showdown a King so I saved myself a bet there. Next time in a similar situation I think it is a clear bet on the river.

[The_Bankroll]

looks like a pair that picked up a diamond draw to me, or possibly QJ. considering all the options, I'm calling here, and re-evaluating on the river. I'd check/fold any diamond river to more than a half-pot bet, raise if the river is an A, and call just about anything else.