Full hand with results
This weeks hand (via PokerStars) has the hero in position with a high pocket pair (QQ), and a draw heavy board with an over card. The villain (56/16/3)* over 25 hands calls the preflop and flop raises. Hero stalls on the turn and checks behind. When the scare card comes on the river, the villain bets out over 1/2 pot. What’s the hero to do?
>>>
$0.25/$0.5 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com
Stacks:
| UTG | Twizz76 | ($50.00) | Â |
| UTG+1 | MEC2210 | ($50.60) | Â |
| CO | MSJ1983 | ($60.45) | Â |
| BTN | Hero | ($61.25) | Â |
| SB | blitzology | ($56.95) | Â |
| BB | Wu p0KeR | ($50.25) | Â |
Pre-flop: ($0.75, 6 players) Hero is BTN
2 folds, MSJ1983 raises to $2, Hero raises to $7.50, 2 folds, MSJ1983 calls $5.50
Flop: 
($15.75, 2 players)
MSJ1983 checks, Hero bets $8, MSJ1983 calls $8
Turn: 
($31.75, 2 players)
MSJ1983 checks, Hero checks
River: 
($31.75, 2 players)
MSJ1983 bets $18, Hero folds
Final Pot: $31.75
MSJ1983 wins $48.20 ( won +$14.70 )
Hero lost -$15.50
>>>
What should the hero do? Do we think that villain has the flush or is he playing aggressive with the scare card?
* See here for what the numbers xx/xx/xx mean
Well, as played I guess a fold is the safe bet. But the hero gave up a free card on the turn. Villain led out in position preflop, maybe with Ax of spades? Calls hero down on the flush draw and bets the river when he hits for value, probably hoping hero had AA/KK/AK.
Personally, I would’ve folded on the river after the villain’s bet but as PokerReno stated above; the hero gave away a free card. After the villain had checked, I would have read it as a sign of waiting on a card and put in a heavy bet.
Fold, two overs, looks like trouble. My guess is AK.
Thanks for the comments! Hero made a big mistake checking the turn. It looked like a draw the whole way, though he could have been semi bluffing with a pair of kings. In which case we are beat anyway.
Wow. This happened a while ago, but I’m gonna make a few comments. First, I don’t agree with the Hero’s reraise. 4x the bb at a 25c/50c table usually tells me that the Villain has AT LEAST a pocket pair of J’s. Second, if you just call you keep the pot small, allowing you to make a pot sized bet to eliminate a draw without risking a large portion of your stack. The Villain might have AK (suited or unsuited) or AQ suited. The villains check on the flop is to see what our Hero does. If he has AA, KK, AK, or JJ we are already way behind and drawing for a miracle. If he has T’s or AQ he is making a bad call, so I’m gonna put him on AA, KK, AK or JJ. The turn was the Hero’s biggest mistake, possibly. If he thinks the Villain is ahead with the call, then bravo, great play. If he thinks the Villain is on a draw, he should of bet to eliminate the player with the reduced odds of hitting. I’m an 100% sure the Hero made the right play on the river by folding. With not betting the turn he told the Villain that the K and the Villains call scared him. Now he is done on the river. Good fold hero, but I think if you played it a bit differently, you would rake the pot.