Probe bet called, now what?

corblimey

This is a situation that comes up sometimes for me, and I wonder how people handle it.

You're in the SB with say 92o. 3 limpers, you complete and the bb checks. Flop comes 963 rainbow. You have top pair, so you bet out, a probe bet. 1 caller. Turn is a brick. So now what? Your probe bet was evidently no use, do you try again? Do you assume your top pair is good and pot bet it? Are you sus of the flat call and just check?

I know a lot of it comes down to the player you're up against, but without a read, what would your gut be telling you?

RoundTower

corblimey wrote:

This is a situation that comes up sometimes for me, and I wonder how people handle it.

You're in the SB with say 92o. 3 limpers, you complete and the bb checks. Flop comes 963 rainbow. You have top pair, so you bet out, a probe bet. 1 caller. Turn is a brick. So now what? Your probe bet was evidently no use, do you try again? Do you assume your top pair is good and pot bet it? Are you sus of the flat call and just check?

I know a lot of it comes down to the player you're up against, but without a read, what would your gut be telling you?

What is a probe bet? Surely you bet the flop because you want to get called by a worse hand, or deny a free card to a drawing hand.

If you bet the flop "to find out where you were", well now at least you know what you were doing wrong.

In the situation you describe, I would normally check, but it depends on a lot of things.

ocallagh

A lot of the time (when there are no draws out there) the caller has top pair but is probably worried about their kicker. I'd say 9T & 89 are both likely holdings. They should raise you on the flop to find out where they stand, but I find a lot of players will call it down. I'd check it down too unless I thought I could take them off it.

ionapaul

This is a really hard one to answer I think and very dependant on situation...we've all tossed out another bet on the turn and taken the pot down then...and also tossed out the same bet only to be raised and have to drop your hand. I really think your next move should be player-focused and rely on the notes, whether internal or not, that you've recorded on your opponent. You might be up against any number of possibilities (top pair, mid pair, drawing hand or set) and without the context of player notes, misplaying the turn and river could cost you a lot of chips.

MrPillowTalk

Where is the caller sitting?

If there were people to act after him you are probably beat but if the caller is last to actthen he may well be calling to take it off you on the turn, I often do this.

Check folding, check calling a small bet and leading a half pot bet folding to a reraise are all fine imo its a marginal situation.