Let's Play a Hand Together

[Tim]

Players: 6
Blinds: $0.50/$1
Your stack: $100
Your hand:



Action:

You're playing a $0.50/$1 6-max cash game and make an open-raise for 3x on the button with QJ. The small blinds folds and the big blind calls. You both have $100 stacks. The flop is:



He checks. The pot is now $6.50 - what do you do?

a) check
b) bet $3
c) bet $5
d) bet $10

[ViliusLT]

c) bet $5. I think we should bet here anyway. $3 seems too week, so $5 i think is good to show that we have strong hand.

[Queso]

C-bet $5

[Tim]

Good.

Answer = c) You need to c-bet the majority of the time to take pots down when you have nothing and build them when you do, and this is a good bet to show you are serious without risking too much.

Now let's move on....

You made the continuation bet and your opponent in the big blind called. The turn now brings the Ks and the pot size is $16.50. It's checked to you. What do you do?

a) check
b) bet $5
c) bet $12
d) bet $30

[ViliusLT]

a)check

[DangerMouse]

Yep I like the check now we`ve picked up a straight draw.

[Queso]

take the free card and hope it isn't a heart

[Jalopy]

For the first part I think I would be inclined to check just because there are a large number of possible draws on the flop and if someone has a draw your bet there probably won't get rid of them. If a blank comes on the turn or you hit your hand you could bet to try to take it then. A bet of $5 on the turn could win it because you give them worse odds to call with a draw.

I think in a game I would semi-bluff the turn with a $12 bet. This would give bad odds to any drawing hands and it would continue my story from the flop that I have a good hand. I would expect only 2pair, trips or an overpair would be able to call this bet but I would also expect that those hands would have already raised or reraised with such a draw heavy board (unless they now have two pair because of the K). If my $12 bet gets reraised I will probably have to let this go here.

[Tim]

Good answer Jalopy. Here's the actual answer that was given...

c) The King gives you straight outs and your opponent's hand now looks weak if he has a small or medium pair. A solid bet will often take down the pot with the worst hand, and if you do hit a straight on the river you may win an even bigger pot.

[Queso]

I was thinking about a bet here... but I'm trying to cure myself of FPS so I swatted it back down lol