Part: Part Six - Betting After the Flop
Leading after he checks back
Turn
You called a button raise from the big blind with J♦9♦. The flop was J♠ 6♣ 2♥ and you checked - the button checked back. Turn 4♦ gives you top pair plus a flush draw.
He checked back the flop (capping his range), and you have top pair on the turn. Best?
WhyBy passing on the c-bet he capped himself at a weak or medium hand - the strong ones almost always bet - so you are now ahead of most of his range with top pair and a flush draw behind it. Lead out for 800: you get value from worse, deny a free card to any draw, and grab the initiative he declined. When the raiser will not c-bet, betting into him later is the whole point.
What happensYou bet 800; he folds. The probe collects it - and with top pair plus a draw you would have been happy to keep firing had he continued.
His flop check-back capped his range, so you led the turn to reclaim the betting lead - a probe bet that took a pot he had signaled he did not want.
When the pre-flop raiser checks back the flop, he has told you he is weak - probe a later street to seize the initiative he handed over.