1/2 NL, no strong reads. I have 425, which is effective stacks against main villain. CO open limp, BTN raises to 5. I am in the SB with QTs. I would complete a little weaker hand, but was planning to raise, but flat call. BB 3!s to 15 and everyone calls. 3-bets are often strong at this stakes, but this sizing against the usually small raise is probably not usually JJ+/AK. Flop comes 884,r and i have bdfd. Checked to BTN, who bets 25. It looks like a steal, and it seems unlikely he has trips or better, but there are 2 players to act. I was thinking of folding, floating OOP, or checkraising to 75 and firing 100 on most turns HU. I could also have led the flop. I could just give up, since I missed the flop. What is the best approach?

I think this is a perfect spot to check-raise bluff (against a tiny Button bet).

While our check-raises on this board should be either huge hands or whiffs, we’d prefer our “whiffs” to have a tiny bit more playability on later streets of a 884r flop than QTs. T9s or JTs or 97s etc can all turn OESDs in addition to flush draws, which give you more barreling opportunities. (Also: waiting for those slightly better backdoor draws keeps you from bluffing this too often.)

But…with this particular dynamic, Button is going to have air almost every time here, so I think a bluff gets through often enough not to worry about staying balanced.


UPDATE: calling is pure spew here, with the table to act after you. We’re either bluff-raising or folding.

Why not just use hands good enough they are or are close to being a +EV call?

If you call and someone else raises, you give up. If someone calls, you might give up. Otherwise you can maybe lead the turn.

Checkraise is probably better than call, but it gets expensive if you get called and have to fire the turn.

I actually folded, but afterwards thought checkraising would have been better. I also think leading the flop for like half pot is profitable. Didn't do that because worried the 3-bettor had an overpair.