Too cautious or sensible?

[byronkincaid]

I'm having trouble knowing if I should be betting or checking on the river in these type of situations. I have been stung by some people that are sneaky enough to check/raise the river with their good hands. Am I now playing scared?


Game #2575928364: Hold'em NL ($0.50/$1) - 2006/06/03 - 15:11:15 (ET)
Table "Saints" Seat 4 is the button.
Seat 1: drag68 ($119.62 in chips)
Seat 2: monkeeman ($77.02 in chips)
Seat 3: dunga ($212.99 in chips)
Seat 4: Margret ($180.37 in chips)
Seat 5: apoelaka ($21.25 in chips)
Seat 6: 91raver ($105 in chips)
apoelaka: posts small blind $0.50
91raver: posts big blind $1
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to 91raver [ ]
drag68: calls $1
monkeeman: folds
dunga: folds
Margret: folds
apoelaka: calls $0.50
91raver: checks
----- FLOP ----- [ ]
apoelaka: bets $2
91raver: raises to $8
drag68: folds
apoelaka: calls $6
----- TURN ----- [ ][]
apoelaka: checks
91raver: checks
----- RIVER ----- [ ][]
apoelaka: checks
91raver: checks



Game #2576002024: Hold'em NL ($0.50/$1) - 2006/06/03 - 15:14:23 (ET)
Table "Saints" Seat 4 is the button.
Seat 1: drag68 ($115.62 in chips)
Seat 2: monkeeman ($80.02 in chips)
Seat 3: dunga ($210.49 in chips)
Seat 4: Margret ($178.87 in chips)
Seat 5: apoelaka ($14.25 in chips)
Seat 6: 91raver ($115.25 in chips)
apoelaka: posts small blind $0.50
91raver: posts big blind $1
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to 91raver [ ]
drag68: calls $1
monkeeman: folds
dunga: calls $1
Margret: folds
apoelaka: calls $0.50
91raver: checks
----- FLOP ----- [ ]
apoelaka: bets $2
91raver: calls $2
drag68: calls $2
dunga: folds
----- TURN ----- [ ][]
apoelaka: bets $2
91raver: calls $2
drag68: calls $2
----- RIVER ----- [ ][]
apoelaka: checks
91raver: checks
drag68: checks

[BigTomatoes]

 i think youve been quite sensible in your play, not getting trapped by flushes or even full houses

 my advice would be just to bet when you think your ahead and try to get the most from your opponents

 nothing wrong with your play in my opinion

[Lee]

Given your stack size against all of the others on the table, it will be hard to exist for any length of time, you have to play these hands, most large stacks will just stear clear of short stacks unless they have you beat (which they will always tell you).

I would bet in both situations, your opponent will soon tell you if you are behind. Checking pots down like this will not make much money imo, when you hit hands its important to get paid.

You have called from within the blinds into an unraised pot as its good value to do so. When you hit your hand, extract the value, don't be scared of it, otherwise you are making value calls which aren't really value. In both of these pots you've pretty much hit as best a flop as you could (there are dream flops better of course, however you are often so far ahead with anything bigger that you will get no action)

If you bet (say $5) a player will reraise you on the river an amount which he wants you to call (if he has you beat), he will call (if he's unsure) and if he's got nothing he will fold (gets no info on you). 3 common plays here and for me they all have a pretty easy conclusion on what to do. In 2 of the 3 situations you will not lose any more money than you bet (and often will win the pot) and in the third, you will more than likely be reraised by an amount whereby if your opponent had bet the whole amount in the first place, you would have called anyway(ie you bet $5 and he reraises it to $10 OR if he bets $10 and you call).

If you are going to play flops scared of winning unless you have the stone cold nuts each time, then i dont think it's possible to win long term. Flopping a pair is 2/1 against, flopping 2 pair is 49/1. Its amazing how many times people flop 2 pair and then don't maximise the win. With 2 pair on the flop, you are very often ahead. I regularly see people play a single pair on the flop more confident than when theyve hit 2 pair! 2 pair in a multiway pot needs to be played strongly though as third player calling into the pot will often have the odds to do so (straight draws, house draws or flush draws etc.)

I like to play an stt or low level mtt from time to time and just ignore what my opponent does almost completely, in other words whenever they bet say to yourself "you got f-all and i am not going away". Its really quite amazing how many times they do have f-all and will fold when action comes back. Confidence and ridding the "scared to go out with a shite hand or let people see what shite im holding" are 2 things which i feel are very very important in poker, the more i see and play, the more i believe that the cards have less and less to do with it and it's almost totally a psychological game.

It always entertains me when people play Gus Hansen, they rarely seem to have any idea WTF he has so can only play back with monsters. Like all good winning players, you have to get your chips in behind at times and ride the poker gods waltzer. He does this very well from what ive seen. I remember seeing Devilfish comment that Hansen hits more flops than anyone else and is rather lucky. Statistically he plays more flops than most and his range of cards is often wider, stands to reason that he will be perceived to hit more than anyone else.

[byronkincaid]

 

Thanks for taking the time to write it.