UTG: tight, passive, straight forward.

SB: Tagish but does limp and cc too much.

UTG limps, I raise CO with 5s5h, SB calls, UTG calls.

3c4c6d....I bet and both call.

3c4c6dKc....checked too me..how should I proceed?

With a bet.

+1 to this.

I agree I need to bet.

Would you consider checking if the turn was HU with the TAG?

I'd never check this turn hu or three way. Ever.

Most live regs would never check-raise this turn w/ one pair anyway (unless it's like A Kx exactly), so you can safely b/c, fold UI to most (and b/f to the type of people who literally always have a flush when they raise). These two guys seem like perfect candidates to bet turn, check river.

Exact hand you want to bet on turn. Good chance you are best. Vulnerable to a lot of overcards. Betting gets a lot of hands with equity to fold. If raised, have redraw so calling isn't horrible.

"I'd rather bet the turn than play sheriff on the river."

bubblemint said it best imo.

lets say say the game is 6 handed 20/40 and we open the CO with 4c4s, SB calls, BB calls.

We have no read on either player.

5sJc6h...we bet, only SB calls

5sJc6h3h.....SB checks.....any merit to check this turn?

None whatsoever. MAYBE you can check it with like K7?

And you never have no read whatsoever and claiming so is just silly.

A million years ago I developed a theory of 20/40 texas hu pots that basically said only check back the turn if you feel you can safely fold most rivers. So yeah exactly this....most players aren't going to bluff at you very much on the river so what you need to avoid is checking back the turn then calling off a bet on the river anyway in a now small pot where they aren't bluffing nearly 20% of the time.

I used to have two strategies in these spots:

1) against unknowns or players that don't bluff the river enough to make calling profitable, I'd bet the flop and turn as a default and then check the board to see if I hit anything. If I hit, then I'd bet the river. If I missed, I'd check the river.

2) against players that bluff the river enough to make calling with bluffcatchers profitable, I'd bet the flop and check the board to see if I hit anything. If I hit, then I'd bet the turn and river. If I missed, then I'd check the turn and call the river if I could beat a bluff.

Before black friday this was good enough to win 2.2BB/100 at stakes <2/4 online. It wasn't until I stopped playing drunk and started checking back the turn with a showdownable range as a default that I showed a profit at 2/4.

Obvious bet. If you are going to raise pre flop with this you certainly can't dog it and check here. Many hands peel the flop but release to this turn card. Plus you have outs to anything but a flush. The worst thing to do is check behind and let a hand that would fold catch up.

I agree that in the first hand posted in this thread I should bet. This second hand is similar in that we have a pair and an open ender on the turn. I do believe there are enough differences that it can be argued that a turn check is better in hand two.

1) there is less value to be had. Hand one we had second pair on the flop. Hand two we have fourth pair. Hand 1 we could also get value from one card flush draws on the turn.

2) the SB in hand two can have a bunch of hands in his cold call range that he will peel the flop with but fold to a turn bet. The pot is small so protecting our hand goes down in value and trying to induce bluffs should go up. Even players who CC pre and may seem passive will find it hard to resist bluffing the river if we check.

3) I would prefer not to put myself in the position to possibly pay 3BB's to see if my hand is good. The turn creates some Semibluff opportunities for the SB. We may have some tough decisions on certain rivers. Why not just check back the turn, call the river UIP and see cheaply how the villian play's? We can still raise if we improve and maybe induce a curiosity call if he checks the river and we bet.

4) shouldn't we have some made hands in our turn checking range?

Just playing Devil's Advocate here.

I think betting the turn is fine, but I do think there is merit to a check.

In general, you have the best hand here a lot, and a redraw, so you should bet.

More specifically, heads up (and only heads up) I will sometimes value-check a hand like this against an opponent who likes to raise turns. That balances my turn checking range, saves having to pay 2 bets when I am drawing, and encourages them to bluff off chips on the river.

I agree. You have the best hand frequently, you have a redraw, and that is the best card for your perceived range. Other than a 2 or a 7, it's the best card in the deck for you.