Live I turn my hand into a bluff and turbo bet this river. Online I don't know what to do. Not much of a read on either villain, only 10 hands a piece. SB seems not great.


Full Tilt Poker $2/$4 Limit Hold'em - 5 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

Pre Flop: (1.5 SB) Hero is BB with A 2
UTG raises, 2 folds, SB calls, Hero calls

Flop: (6 SB) 7 4 9 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG bets, SB calls, Hero raises, UTG calls, SB calls

Turn: (6 BB) 4 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, UTG calls, SB calls

River: (9 BB) 6 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks

I think it'd be fairly tough to get him to fold A-high on the river. If he's a thinking player, he'd realize the 6 is fairly bad as it completes or pairs a lot of open-enders, but in general, I'd discount the possibility he's aware of this.

The SB also makes it tough for him to call the river. But the SB hasn't done anything yet.

In general though, I think once he calls the turn he's going to be showdown bound. With the parlay that SB missed a flush draw and villain realizes the river is bad, I'd give up on the river. You still have the possibility A-high may be good anyway.

I mean it's a pretty big parlay that both players don't have a pair and both players won't showdown... it's pretty much best case scenario that you were up against a better ace and another FD, and I doubt he calls with AJ here... but most of the time the other guy will have some pair or a straight draw that paired up on the end and won't fold.

So just check and lose IMO, no need to win every pot.

FYP

you played it fine.

So there is really nothing I can do here? I posted this hand (and the results in a spoiler immediately) because I was like 98% sure of what UTG held and still decided to check/surrender the pot.

Someone once asked me if it would be more profitable to know your opponents hole cards or the entire board in advance. I think the moment you consider the board cards as an alternative you're playing against pretty decent limit hold 'em opposition.

Ya this may actually be closer than I thought. I don't think betting here is that terrible since at the very least you get some info. If UTG folds he most likely folded a better hand, if he calls with AJ then we know not to bluff him... if SB calls with 56 then we get some good info too.

Most of the time I barrel this river I get called by AT and 22 so I may just be gunshy.

I also don't always c/r this flop, and if I do I sometimes check this turn 3 ways, betting this turn makes barreling slightly more attractive. If you were HJ and got 3bet by the BTN or something then c/r and barrel looks stronger, as is from the BB you just look like any other sucker with a draw.

Id take the c/r line with basically any pair, and any flopped pair is now the stone nuts, so I kinda like the c/r not only for fold equity but for value (even against like QQ I am making money if the bets go in 3 ways) but you're right getting raised on the turn would have sucked

Eh you have ace high.
Which means that, since this is online, you beat all hands that would fold to your river bet anyway. I just check and hope to be up against like... king high.

Confirm: Nothing you could do here. Most villains are committed to showdown once they call the turn.

Pretty tough spot to bluff here IMO. Sandwiched between a small blind who probably has a piece and UTG who is probably not folding a better ace high on this board. That being said I probably barrel the river anyway because you can't win by checking here ever. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

You can certainly win without betting. Most villains will have plenty of king/queen high hands here when the game is 5-handed.