Regards option B, is one of the benefits of check-raising really big that theoretically we fold out all but the strongest of draws making bet-folding on possible scare cards through the streets easier?
I reckon you are thinking about things the wrong way Ed, a little back to front in fact. We
don't want to 'fold out all but the strongest of draws'. We want an opponent to call our big bet with whatever made hand and/or draw he holds. On a flop like this it is extremely likely at least one opponent has a pair or a draw, and it is also pretty likely someone will have some sort of combo hand like a pair plus gutshot or similar. My advice to bet really big was not to force opponents to fold these types of hands. On the contrary, it was based on the fact that most weaker players will NEVER fold hands like this on the flop, no matter what price you charge them... so let's take advantage of their likely lack of price sensitivity by making them put a TON of money in the pot with hands that are worse than ours. This is precisely the type of flop on which opponents' calling ranges are likely to be extremely inelastic (i.e. they will call a big bet with the same ranges as they will call a small bet). Their ranges
shouldn't be inelastic on this type of flop, but they usually
will be. So we bet really big to exploit this, not to force them to fold.
Reading between the lines, it looks like you may be a little too concerned about losing a big pot (I'm not specifically talking about this hand, more my inferences from some of the things you have said in this thread). You should stop worrying about this. Sometimes the most profitable play makes it
more likely that you will lose a big pot. But you still need to take the most profitable line even when this is true.
I like it, and I think I've got it.
Thank you.
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