Gaming Club .50/1.00 NL $100 Max buy-in
opponent - likes to call, even with good hands. doesn't bet or raise much.
me - sly, fun and charming for the ladies


stacks- me $100 him $70

onto the hand!

I'm dealt [9s] in the cutoff. UTG limps as does one other. I decide to raise to possibly make it heads up or to at least get the blinds out. I raise to $5. Only UTG calls.

FLOP pot $12.50
[Th][6h]

Not a bad flop for pocket 9's. UTG checks, I bet $10 (my standard on this size pot on the flop.) UTG calls. With this call, he could have anything from pocket JJ, K10o or a flush draw or a hand I'm beating. Still, I don't like the call very much.

TURN pot $32.50
[Th][6h][9c]
yay for kennyg, trips it is! UTG checks again, I fire $20 in the $32.50.

RIVER pot $72.50
[Th][6h][9c][8d]
No flush possible but a 4 to the straight is out if holding the 7..also QJ would give a straight. UTG checks once more. I think as long as is allowed...and end up value betting another $20. UTG calls and mucks.

My brother, though he didn't see the hand..said this was a bad play on the rive after I told him about it. I disagree...I thought it was well thought out and perfectly played. On the river I decided he had a pair of tens with an Ace or king kicke or something like JJ. I just couldn't put this guy on a 7 from UTG with the way the hand went. If he had the 7...he would bet on the river for value...not look for a check raise!

I have more explanations and reasoning but I'm getting tired. Just wondering if you guys would bet this river or not....or if you think it should be value bet the way I did. Look foward to hearing your opinions!

BTW: he had JJ.

I play NL $25, so the problem for me is I would be all in on the turn and so would my opponent.

But, assuming your situation...I like the value bet reasoning and actually I agree with it about 80% of the time...but, I don't think I have the gumption to make that play yet unless I feel I know what my opponent has, and that isn't often enough.

But, I say good value bet here...

Kenny I agree with your brother here than a check is the right play to get to showdown. There is already a decent sized pot and you can't call a reraise. Your problem here is your stack depths. You have enought money behind you that you cant call an allin reraise here. There is already $75 in the pot, you are pretty sure you have the best hand. Think of it in terms of risk reward, you are could win another $20 or you could be pushed off your hand for $75 already in the pot. Problem #2 for you is that your $20 value bet looks weak and may entice a bluff, which again you can't call. Is it a likely checkraise on the river? No, but take the free showdown.

Of course Ice is right here. I missunderstood the amount of chips your opponant had left.

Actually guys...I had considered a bluff reraise in my calculations. But when I saw his stack ,He had to know I would not fold for another $15 over my $20 bet. A very delicate situation but everything seemed to work in the favor for the river bet here.

Rhound... you are completely correct though. Had his stack been larger, a bet seems foolhardy. I will def. keep that in mind for the future. Learn something new everyday at BTP