A $15-$30 game. You hold the K
-K
and raise an early limper. The big blind and the limper call. There is $100 in the pot and three players. The flop is: A
-J
-T
, giving you second pair and a gutshot straight draw. Both opponents check. You bet and they both call. There is $145 in the pot. The turn is the A
. Both opponents check. What do you do?
Bet. You have only two opponents, who both keep checking. Find out the truth now. This is a classic "free showdown" situation. You are in position with a medium-quality hand. If someone has an ace, you don't have enough outs to care about a free card. However, you do want a free showdown with no one trying to bet you out of the hand at the river. If you get raised on your turn bet, you are against most players undoubtedly beaten, and can fold. By betting, you can frequently pick up the pot right away when no one has trip aces or better. Someone who is hanging around on a gutshot, middle pair, or bottom pair may decide to fold out of fear that he is drawing dead anyway. If he stays in, you make him pay to draw. The ace was not a bad card, since you could have drawn out with it (against bottom two pair) but the opponents did not draw out on you. It also reduced the chance that someone has an ace. If you are now behind, you were behind on the flop. Don't give worse hands than yours a free card.
