What to do when your beat? Bet!
My last trip to my favorite casino turned out to be my best winning trip ever, but it?s a losing hand that still eats at me (I play 2/4 limit). Seat 4 & 5 limp in and I also limp from seat 7 with 67h. SB calls and the BB checks.
Flop.
5d 4h Jd
SB bets out. This regular will bet any pair. BB, S4 and S5 call.
I raise. I?m doing this for two reasons. One is to increase the size of the pot. I?m only adding 1 BB, but if the 4 other players call, that?s additional 4 BB?s. The second reason is to take control of the hand. I will only make this move in very late or very early position. Players hate to be check-raised and from doing it early you can really paralyze them. Also, players will remember it and in following hands may just check rather than bet because of the fear of the check raise. Surprisingly the SB, BB and S4 fold. S5 calls quickly. Nothing to think about, just a quick call. Flush draw! One thing I will point out is that two of my outs are diamonds, so I have to be careful if a 3d or 8d come.
Turn
As
P5 checks. I know he doesn?t have an Ace, because he didn?t take any time to think about other options.
Since I cannot win this hand unimproved, I would normally check and take the free cards I paid for earlier. But P5 is a conservative player and if I bet, I think I might get him to fold. So I do. He?s not happy about it at all, but calls. Ok, so no flush draw. Now I?m thinking maybe KJo. He didn?t like that Ace, but he just can?t get away from it.
River
2d
P5 checks.
By the way he acted on the turn, he doesn?t have A3 for the straight. We could have the same cards, but unlikely. I have already discounted the flush, so I?m sticking with KJ. Damm, I?m beat! I really only have 1 option. Doh! I check. What the hell! There is only one way I can win and that?s to bet. I?m only investing 2BB in a 14BB pot. That?s 7 to 1. If I get called 4 times I lose an extra 8BB, but gain 42BB on the 3 pots I win. He showed QJ. Ugg!
Live Low Limit Poker
