Easiest Decision in Poker?

This happened to me last night. I was dealt in the Big Blind. The blinds are 400/800. Two players limp in (one of them was the small blind). I check. The flop comes:
.
First player checks, small blind bets 800. I call as well as the first player. The turn: .
First player and small blind checks. I check as well. The river:
.
So, the board reads: .

First player checks. Small blind quickly goes all in with 2200. I got 3000 in chips. I'm thinking about it for a while. I'm thinking to myself "Has he been slowplaying the four of a kind?" After some thought, I call convinced he has the last four. It turns out we paired the three. I paired the 10 so I won with the higher full house. The small blind was shocked that I took a long time making that decision stating "it's the easiest decision in poker." Was I thinking too conservative on this hand?

As long as there's a possibility you're beat there's nothing wrong with thinking, though in this situation it's a pretty easy call (the turn check into two others after leading the flop makes little sense if he has the last 4).

In real life? yes, your 10 is good. If you are playing on the internet, someone almost always has the case card to make 4 of a kind.

I sat down at a ring game the other night and caught QQ the first hand. The flop came 8-8-Q. Sounds like a great hand, huh? Well, I put in a small bet, the other person re-raised quite large, and it would basically put me all-in, so I re-raised all-in. What did the other guy have?? Pocket 8s, what else???? I left the table and took the rest of the day off before I did something stupid. lol

If it's a no brainer decision, then the longer you take to act the better. You've still got someone left behind you to act, if they think your decision is a hard one they may call with a small pair. An immediate call signals the 4th 4, and shuts out other callers.

You can all but rule out a larger pair by the preflop, flop and even the turn betting.
If he's got the 4 he's got the 4, insta-call on the river.

I might have bet out on that flop, but maybe not, but I definitely would have put a small bet on the turn.

you were correct to take some time.....

Always,Always, Always take some time before you make a move. I dont care if you're checking in the BB with 2,6 os,,, take your time. This will keep your hand disguised when you really need to take some time before a critical move, the table will think it's just your normal play. JMHO quint

It's not really a bad fold, as he was SB, and he was getting good odds to call. I don't blame you for folding as you would be crippled. If there was a raise, and you and someone were the only ones in the flop, then easy call, but I would worry about top pair. There's always worry in poker, even if you have quads (for straigght flush, but not very likely.)

The Shakuni said:

It's not really a bad fold, as he was SB, and he was getting good odds to call. I don't blame you for folding as you would be crippled. If there was a raise, and you and someone were the only ones in the flop, then easy call, but I would worry about top pair. There's always worry in poker, even if you have quads (for straigght flush, but not very likely.)

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Ummm....I didn't fold.

No preflop action indicates no pocket pair. However; I would be a little concerned with this hand. Why did he bet the flop? You say he ended up paring threes? A mininum bet on that flop would indicate to me that he had hit something on the flop.. maybe a 10 as well.

The turn was a good card for you there. If the player did hit the 10 on flop like you, but had a bigger kicker AT or something, you've just been spared a beating. Now all you have to worry about is the 4.

SB checks the turn, you probably should have bet it. This would tell you a lot more about where you're at in the hand. By checking there you're setting yourself up to get suckered on the river. With no action before the flop, it is entirely possible someone had the 4 and was setting you up.

You got lucky SB player didn't know what he was doing

spore said:

No preflop action indicates no pocket pair.

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No.

Possibly indicates no "high" pair. (and even then, sometimes no.)
But I think that's what you meant, and in this instance, I lean towards agreeing with this.

Fish, you are right, I did mean a high pocket pair. It is certainly reasonable to smooth-call with low pocket pairs. And yes.. I know big pocket pairs don't always raise pre-flop, but they generally will. Though, sometimes you'll get slow-rolled with pocket Kings or Aces.. especially against less-experienced players.

Raise the Flop

First, I like your call on the river...had he bet the turn, it would be a different story. Having said that, I agree that a bet on the turn would have given you a lot more information. You need information this hand and you have to bet into him to get it.

So, I would have raised him on the flop to see how much he really liked his hand. If he calls, you have to proceed cautiously.

If he reraises, I probably dump this hand and wait for a better one. I might call and see what happens on the turn, but I'm not calling any more from him (unless a small bet on the river).

CORYAN