Part: Part Six - Betting After the Flop
One barrel, then give up
Flop
You opened and the big blind called. Flop J♠ T♣ 4♦ - a coordinated board; you have A-K high. He checks.
A wet board, you have overcards and the lead. Best?
WhyEven on a connected jack-ten board a c-bet folds out a fair chunk of his range, and you are not betting pure air - two overcards plus a gutshot give you outs when called. Fire 800; checking here gives up too much fold equity on the flop.
What happensYou bet 800; the big blind calls. Pot: 2,900 (14.5 BB).
Turn
Turn 6♥ - a blank that misses you. He checks again on this wet board.
He called your flop bet on a coordinated board and checks the turn. Best?
WhyHe called a bet on a board stuffed with pairs and draws, so he is holding a piece he will not fold, and the six changed none of that. A second barrel just torches chips into a sticky range - take the free showdown with ace-high instead. Knowing when to fire only one bullet is worth a fortune over a career.
What happensYou check behind and brick the river, out just the one barrel. The chips you did not lose count the same as the ones you win.
You took one stab at the wet board, then shut down when he stuck around and the turn bricked. Spotting the spots to fire only once - and pocketing the free showdown - saves the chips that autopilot barrels bleed away.
One c-bet does not oblige a second: when the board favors the caller and your hand has no equity to add, checking back beats firing into a range that is not folding.