Straight on turn in Limit

[Bombjack]

Should I just call on the turn here, to try to keep other players in?

***** Hand History for Game 5457927022 *****
$0.50/$1 Texas Hold'em - Friday, November 24, 13:17:45 ET 2006
Table Table 126673 (real money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Tradetree ( $39.50 )
Seat 2: sCawn ( $15 )
Seat 10: SERGEY_LUTS ( $28.75 )
Seat 3: Bombjack_x ( $16 )
Seat 4: pg2163 ( $23.25 )
Seat 8: wowa01 ( $25 )
Seat 5: kabirpandit ( $28.22 )
Seat 7: synnes ( $25 )
Seat 9: EmmPleh ( $30.50 )
Seat 6: vegas661 ( $30 )
sCawn posts small blind [$0.25].
Bombjack_x posts big blind [$0.50].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Bombjack_x [ ]
pg2163 raises [$1]
kabirpandit folds
wowa01 calls [$1]
EmmPleh calls [$1]
SERGEY_LUTS folds
Tradetree folds
sCawn calls [$0.75]
Bombjack_x calls [$0.50]
** Dealing Flop ** [ , , ]
sCawn checks
Bombjack_x checks
pg2163 bets [$0.50]
wowa01 calls [$0.50]
EmmPleh calls [$0.50]
sCawn raises [$1]
Bombjack_x calls [$1]
pg2163 calls [$0.50]
wowa01 calls [$0.50]
EmmPleh calls [$0.50]
** Dealing Turn ** [ ]
sCawn bets [$1]
Bombjack_x raises [$2]
pg2163 folds
wowa01 folds
EmmPleh folds
sCawn calls [$1]
** Dealing River ** [ ]
sCawn bets [$1]
Bombjack_x raises [$2]
sCawn calls [$1]
Bombjack_x shows [ , ]a straight Nine to King.
sCawn doesn't show [ , ]three of a kind, Jacks.
Bombjack_x wins $17.25 from the main pot with a straight, Nine to King.

 

[F Paulsson]

The short version: I probably would have played it the same. But it's seems to be a really, really close decision.

The longer version: By raising, you're telling everyone that 9-5 is no longer good enough. They may call one bet with that hand, hoping to score two pair or trips, but when you raise you're signalling strength and making it expensive, all in one. Also, your hand isn't that vulnerable to draws. The only draw you realistically fear is a club-flush draw, and you won't make anyone with two clubs fold on that turn by raising anyway. The amount of money that you lose by not hitting them with a raise (forcing them to put in two bets with a 20% equity) is smaller than the amount you win when someone puts in a bet with a hand that's drawing dead.

That said, a raising has its definite upsides as well. With just one more player behind me, I definitely raise. Two is borderline, but leaning towards a raise. Three is where I'd start to consider slowplaying, but of course, you have no guarantees that anyone behind you will call even one bet. In fact, the way it played out, it's quite possible that this was the biggest pot you could have won.

If I call instead of raising the turn, I do so in the hopes that someone else will raise behind me, and I'd require a read that says someone is aggressive. If someone does raise me, I'd 3-bet it (or cap) when it comes back to me. Slowplaying ends there.

Someone with a Q or a T is getting - or they think they're getting - appropriate odds to call a single bet, but not two. Of course, we know that's not true (we have one of their outs) so we don't mind so much if they call a single bet. By raising, though, we do actually clear up some of our own outs in a big pot (the remaining queens and tens, that would otherwise force us to split/lose the pot) so by that virtue, raising is beneficial (if we can get someone to fold an inside straight draw).

Of course, sCawn checkraised the flop. It's not inconceivable that he has a big enough hand to go three bets on the turn when you raise, either, and then you've really hit the jackpot. A lot of good things can come from re-opening the betting.

Then there's anyone having a diamond flush draw and drawing dead, who will call any raise you put in. Mmm, dead money makes me smile.

 

[Bombjack]

Certainly food for thought, thanks FP.