Hand Review.

[DJJunkPauds]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (5 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

SB ($11.95)
BB ($5.15)
UTG ($11.95)
MP ($8.30)
Hero ($16.85)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, Q.
1 fold, MP calls $0.10, Hero raises to $0.5, 2 folds, MP calls $0.40.

Flop: ($1.15) J, 6, 5 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $0.7, MP calls $0.70.

Turn: ($2.55) J (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $1.6, MP calls $1.60.

River: ($5.75) 8 (2 players)
MP bets $2, Hero ???

Just sat down, no data or reads on villian. What does he have? What should I do?

[minSim]

Hero calls because odds are good and our hand beats a lot like busted draws, 8x, 99 and TT. Villain isn't calling a raise with worse hands, so no point in raising.

[Ash256]

Call.

How do people feel about checking behind on the turn and bombing river if he checks back?

[noble007]

yeah just call you played it pretty well.

(Ash - I wouldn't check behind on turn & give villian a free card with str8 & flush draws on the board.)

If I'd played enough hands with opp I might make a small river raise, this is often a blocking bet from some sort of mid-pair that I can still get a bit of value from.

[Rondavu]

If I'd played enough hands with opp I might make a small river raise, this is often a blocking bet from some sort of mid-pair that I can still get a bit of value from.

I agree, but you have to have a tight read.

[bode]

call. nh.

[DJJunkPauds]

Thanks for the feedback.

I called, he had Aces.

Ash: I think a turn check makes a river bluff/v-bet mandatory for him, and then I *must* fold to any half-decent-sized bet, regardless of what card comes out, I think. I reckon at these stakes, your play is probably still +ev, but not as + as playing as above.

[kettleofish]

I don't think that is correct. If u check the turn, he might try and bluff river with a busted flush draw, or even think he is value-betting a pair of 8's if he had 78. With a bet flop/ check turn line i don't think it's ever correct tot fold QQ to a river bet.

That said, i'm almost never checking behind turn. I'd play it exactly as u did

[nutsinho]

Ash: I think a turn check makes a river bluff/v-bet mandatory for him, and then I *must* fold to any half-decent-sized bet, regardless of what card comes out, I think.

lol why do you think this makes any sense

[DJJunkPauds]

nutshino: I don't quite understand what you mean, or who you're responding to.

The points I'm making are that at these stakes I think Ash's play is profitable, but it's more profitable still to simply bet when you think you're ahead, and betting keeps Hero in charge of the hand, and maybe even the session. Players at this level are calling with such garbage that all you need to do is bet.

If Hero checks behind on the turn, Villain can feel okay about making a PSB, and suddenly hero can't be so comfortable about his odds for a call. Hero can be folding the best hand to a river bet, or calling and making less money with it. Worse still, Villain can check-raise the river with a better hand.

[nutsinho]

if a bluff is mandatory on any river card id be ecstatic about calling a psb on the majority of rivers- you are beat by a jack, 88, or like 79ss here out of a huge range of hands that villain gets past flop with.

I'm not saying I don't like taking the line you did. I'm just wondering why you think it's good to make marginal bets but not make (barely) marginal calls.

[DJJunkPauds]

Aha, yeah I see.

If I check the turn, and he PSBs, I'd put it at evens, best case scenario 2:1, as to whether he's bluffing/is behind or not. I pay $2.55 to get $5.10 minus rake if I win. However, if I bet as I did, and then he bets as he did, I pay $2 to win $7.75 if I win, and I have some fold equity on the turn against decent players with QQ+ who are putting me on KJ/AJ.

Does that make sense? Is it right?

My original concern was not whether or not to call, but whether or not to raise for value. I think with hindsight, and comments above Hero gets the most value from playing as above and calling the river bet.