Checks Are For Hockey

Burning the Donkey Candle at Both Ends

Pre-flop, after several limpers in, Brett raises to $2 (4x the big blind in this $0.25/$0.50 no limit cash game) with pocket 3s, getting two callers: Steve and Tri. The flop comes out Q-7-3 rainbow, tripping up Brett, who fires the $2 continuation bet looking for callers. Steve makes a pretty loose call after generally whiffing on the flop (holding J-8 off), and Tri folds.

The turn produces a 10, which Brett mysteriously surrenders the initiative and decides to check, apparently hoping to induce a bet from Steve. But Steve has only marginally improved his hand to draw at a gut shot straight, and gladly accepts the free card.

Of course, a 9 comes out on the river, completing Steve's improbable runner-runner gut shot straight draw, which Kelly never sees coming. Brett fires out a $4 bet, hoping to build the pot that he had failed to build on the turn, which Steve insta-calls and reveals the straight without even waiting for Kelly to show.

And thus begins Brett's incredulous and ill-targeted whining about Steve's supposed donkey play.

Yes, Steve's pre-flop call from mid-late position was somewhat loose. But, he likely knew Tri would call, and his J-8 offsuit plays better against multiple opponents than head's up. And another $1.75 into a then $4.50 pre-flop pot gave him decent pot equity - almost 3-to-1 on his money - and even better implied odds when factoring in Tri's tendency to loose call (about 4-to-1). So, loose as it may have been, it was not even close to being a clearly bad call.

And, yes, the post-flop call of a $2 continuation bet after completely whiffing is really weak play. Normally, that is a pure loss and unnecessary padding of an opponent's bank roll. But, a $2 call into a pot of $9.25 at that point means he only needed to be a 22% underdog to be indifferent to calling, which Steve may have thought he was near with only one overcard on the board.

But Brett's check on the turn - whether setting up a check-raise or merely slow-playing the trips in hopes of inducing bluffs from Steve - was equally egregious. If you have the best hand, always bet it... especially from out of position. You get no more from a check-raise over the top, as an opponent in Steve's post-flop situation - a whiff and a re-raise on his bluff - is virtually always going to fold and stop the bleeding. And slow-playing requires an overly aggressive opponent; you have to rely on your opponent making bets. Here, having whiffed on the flop and only seeing a remote gut shot draw on the turn, Steve just checked behind and took the free card. It only gave him a free chance to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

You must make your opponents pay to try to catch miracles.

Kelly has no cause to complain about Steve's loose play. He has no one to blame but himself for getting raped on the river by a runner-runner gut shot. And he needs to recognize that loose calls are not the same thing as aggressive bluffs.