River strategy

[r8ed]

I do this often on the river when I'm unsure if I'm ahead. I bet the amount I would usually be willing to call (usually half pot). It seems to accomplish a couple things:
1. A weaker hand will call or might even fold.
2. A stronger hand will call or raise. I usually fold to the raise - probably should every time.

If I just check, it seems like I'm opening the door to getting bluffed out of the hand or checked behind by a weaker one. This seems standard, but writing it down might expose more.

Usually I'm OOP when I do this but this hand I'm actually in position. Since he checks, I'm going to give it a whirl and see if he was setting me up. All I beat is a weaker ace and based on his call he has just that. A king raises and I muck.
***** Hand History for Game 4321708336 *****
0/0 Texas Hold'em Game Table (NL) - Sat May 20 22:39:37 EDT 2006
Table Table 107442 (Real Money) -- Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: jandje ( $200)
Seat 2: winmanmorry ( $15.49)
Seat 3: brodeur78 ( $243.83)
Seat 4: Chill0ut1969 ( $479.91)
Seat 5: drasto ( $273.37)
Seat 6: duffterp64 ( $192)
Chill0ut1969 posts small blind (1)
drasto posts big blind (2)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to jandje [ As, Qs ]
duffterp64 folds.
jandje raises (8) to 8
winmanmorry folds.
brodeur78 calls (8)
Chill0ut1969 calls (7)
drasto folds.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 7c, Ks, Kc ]
Chill0ut1969 checks.
jandje checks.
brodeur78 checks.
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Ad ]
Chill0ut1969 checks.
jandje bets (19)
brodeur78 folds.
Chill0ut1969 calls (19)
** Dealing River ** : [ 3h ]
Chill0ut1969 checks.
jandje bets (25)
Chill0ut1969 calls (25)

[aislephive]

Last hand is standard, but that river bet is weak. I'd bet 50 or so and fold to a raise. You beat everything except a K and 77, and AA, all are remote possibilities with how the hand played out.

[Robert]

This is called a blocking bet, right?

This is a move I need to implement in my poker arsenal. I'm often way to weak on the river and I miss out on a lot of value!

Thx for the post r8ed!

[r8ed]

Well, generically it's a blocking bet. But I figure out the max I would call if they bet when checked to and just do that amount. Usually when I do a blocking bet it's lower and usually it's when I'm clueless where I stand or I'm 70% sure I'm beat. But, a small bet or a check gives them the green light to bluff me off the hand. In most cases 1/2 pot should tell you exactly where you stand. Only the smart/tricky (or clueless) players will have the balls to bluff you off when you bet 1/2.

This is usually when you are OOP. I just posted one hand that I did it in position. As aislephive pointed out, I lost value here. I should have bet more as I'm probably ahead. At the time I didn't feel confident for some reason. Then again maybe he folds his weaker ace if I go too high.

[dsaxton]

Last hand is standard, but that river bet is weak. I'd bet 50 or so and fold to a raise. You beat everything except a K and 77, and AA, all are remote possibilities with how the hand played out.

Betting $50 is a little ridiculous. You want worse hands to call. They never do when you represent some kind of a slow-play.

[aislephive]

Last hand is standard, but that river bet is weak. I'd bet 50 or so and fold to a raise. You beat everything except a K and 77, and AA, all are remote possibilities with how the hand played out.

Betting $50 is a little ridiculous. You want worse hands to call. They never do when you represent some kind of a slow-play.

I think we can put him squarely on some kind of ace, and people at 200nl won't be folding top pair very often. 2/3 pot here on the river is absolutely standard, pot is $64 or so on the river so $45 is a perfect bet into that pot. 2/3 pot and folding to a raise is a very standard line in this situation.