Question of the Day - 09/09/08

[maccatak11]

Check-call is a valid option, but i have a few questions.

If you think he is on a draw, why did this person check the turn when the K came? I would have bet the pot here, and if you were re-raised in this situation you could narrow your opponents hand down further.

Also, if you checked the river and they jammed, forcing a decision for all of your chips, what would you do? A massive overbet here could mean a missed draw or a monster disguised as bluff. Unless i had a read on my opponent, i would find it very hard to distinguish which one it was.

[muzzington]

Answer:

Check-call. Betting out puts you in a tough spot should you face a raise. Also, it allows your opponent to fold his weaker hands. By check-calling you give your opponent the chance to bet his bluffs, plus you avoid the potentially sticky problem of getting raised on the river.

Results: Bet (38%) Check-call (36%) Check-fold (2%) Check-raise (25%)

Im interested in how the answer is actually check-call.

The person who wrote the question gives the answer check-call, but they also put a poll up on the site and people voted bet as the best option.

There's lots of different answers, but unless people explain why it's not really an answer.

[muzzington]

No-Limit Hold'em
Blinds: $1/$2

Your stack: $130
Opponent's stack: $160

Background:

You’re playing in a short-handed game online; in this hand you raise to $8 from the cut-off with . The button calls and the blinds fold. Your read on the button is that he is loose-passive. He calls too much pre-flop and will call regardless of odds with a draw. The flop comes . You bet $14 and he calls. The turn comes ; you bet $35 and he calls. The river comes . You're first to act, what do you do?

[Bacon]

No-Limit Hold'em
Blinds: $1/$2

Your stack: $130
Opponent's stack: $160

Background:

You’re playing in a short-handed game online; in this hand you raise to $8 from the cut-off with . The button calls and the blinds fold. Your read on the button is that he is loose-passive. He calls too much pre-flop and will call regardless of odds with a draw. The flop comes . You bet $14 and he calls. The turn comes ; you bet $35 and he calls. The river comes . You're first to act, what do you do?

Bet $30. If he calls, and has the Ten, then throw your chips at his head.

[muzzington]

Funnily enough, "throw chips at head" is always on the poll.

[bennymacca]

grab half your stack in one hand, and cock your arm ready to throw at his head - then put the other half of your stack in the pot with the other hand

seriously though, if he is tight passive, then he probably won't bet you off it if you check it to him anyway, so this might be the way to go

[stevo]

I would be checking here, and folding to a raise. As the other player is loose-passive you can probably assume that if he bets he has you beat, if he checks then you are in with a chance.

[Bacon]

I would be checking here, and folding to a raise. As the other player is loose-passive you can probably assume that if he bets he has you beat, if he checks then you are in with a chance.

There is a possibility he's got the King only. Calling your bets on the draw (for a Ten), so if he bets on his King, then you have him beat. I wouldn't automatically fold to a bet.

[stevo]

There is a possibility he's got the King only. Calling your bets on the draw (for a Ten), so if he bets on his King, then you have him beat. I wouldn't automatically fold to a bet.

You're right, I wouldn't automatically fold to a bet but depending on what his bet is (and perhaps what I thought he thought I had, if he was a player capable of thinking of anything other than his own cards) I would probably fold most times as he is more likely to be chasing with a 10 than a K here, and as he is passive he is probably more likely to only bet on a hand better than a single pair, especially on the river. As always though, it depends! But more times than not I would be check-folding I think.

[Brett Kay]

Loose Passive.

My first instinct is to check here. But can loose valuable dollars in value bets on the river. If he reraises you though and he is loose passive, i would have to assume i am beat and that he got his king to make the straight using the ten in the hand.

There are no flushes out there, so the 10 X is the main hand that would have me beat, as well as any two pair.

Thinking Check - Call, or check - Fold might be the best lines.
But Bet - Call could be another, Might haemorrage chips against him though.

So we have a rough pot of $114. With $73 left behind us.

Check it on the river. He will Value Check behind, and hopefully i take it down against his 8,7. If he has 10, no more money lost.