2/4NL
We both have about $400

I'm in the SB with [Tc]. Folded to the button who raises to $14. He's been making a lot of raises on the button so I decide I'll see it and call.

I'ts headsup

Flop $28
[3h][8c]

I check. Opponent bets $15. I check-raise to $40. He calls.

TURN $108
[3h][8c][9c]

I was gonna slow down but that is a wonderful card. I decide now to go ahead and bluff the 9....and have the flush draw behind me just in case.

I bet $80. He calls.

RIVER $268
[3h][8c][9c][4c]

Nut flush but I'm still losing to a FH. I bet $200. He calls and shows [Kd].


The whole table laughed at me for sucking out a running flush

So what do you guys think?

FWIW, I don't think you can bluff the 9 after check-raising the flop. The check-raise on the flop says you can beat the big hand he's representing. And you don't check-raise a preflop raiser with A9! 99, 88, or 33 is what you're repping on the flop, or maybe 98. But if you have any of those hands, you (or most people) don't bet the turn that strong -- you now have quads or a boat and you're making an almost pot sized bet against his hand -- which for all you know could be just AK? Not likely.

So yeah, the guy with KK was probably confused by the turn. I sure would have been! No way he is folding the turn.

But, of course, when your flush comes he can't see it, so that's a big plus.

I'lll jump on the bandwagon and also say that my experiences trying a check-raise in a situation like that aren't that great either. Sometimes it works but often it won't. Betting into them is at least as effective, and significantly cheaper.

Another thing. You can get into a lot of troubles by calling raises in the blinds with marginal hands - especially against a good aggressive raiser, but also against average players.

poker2006

i agree. that's exactly what i like to do...bet when i have outs. why i decided to bet the flop is questionable considering i didn't have any cards i could really hit.

I still like my bet on the turn though. I know if i'm sitting in his seat with KK i'd be having some issues with calling. and the fact that i do have outs behind me, makes kenny a happy person.

I'll generally bet out here if I'm feeling fancy (this also gives some deception when I lead with a set), but the occasional check-raise isn't bad either ... but $40 looked a bit low and steal-like to me ... I'd go for $60.

(NB Kent ... villain is not convincingly representing a big hand at this point, he'd follow through with any pre-flop raise, so there's a good chance 9x would be way ahead, until villain calls the check raise)

Did you consider a check raise all-in on the turn? ... I'm not sure what most people would do with T9 ... but that might have more folding equity than a lead. But I quite like your turn play too ... although the hand had the feel of ones I've played where it's sort of slipped out of control as the pot gets bigger and my bluffs get more desperate....

I'd overbet the river (there's an example hand in Ciaffone and Reuben when this is discussed), in case it looked like an increasingly desperate bluff to him too. No way does he have a boat here.

MG - are stacks really deep enough to reraise pre-flop?