I will start by posting a hand as an example:
Hand converted with online PokerStrategy.com hand converter:
$0.01/$0.02 No-Limit Hold'em (8 handed)
Known players:
[tg]MP1 (Hero)$2.00:///////;MP2$4.73:///////;MP3$3.05:///////;CO$2.00:///////;BU$1.00:///////;SB$1.61:///////;BB$3.55:///////;UTG2$2.53:///////;[/tg]
Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A:h, A:d.
CO posts deadblind, UTG2 folds, Hero raises to $0.10, 4 folds, SB calls $0.09, BB folds.
Flop: ($0.24) T:h, A:s, 4:s (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.18, SB calls $0.18.
Turn: ($0.6) 3:s (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.50, SB calls $0.50.
River: ($1.6) 9:h (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $1.22(All-In), SB calls $0.83.
Final Pot: $3.65.
The topic i want to discuss is the other side of the coin, considering odds and outs. We learn in the articles about calculating outs and odds, but what to do, when you are the one suspecting your opponent to have a draw (and yourself holding a big hand)?
In the example hand i hit top set on the flop, and the only apparent draw being the flush draw (the small straight draw is unlikely IMO). So i want to both bet for value and protection. Therefore i bet 3/4 of the pot, only giving my opponent about 2,3 pot odds which isn't good enough for a flush draw.
But then the spade comes on the turn. What do you do now? If i bet, villains call on the flop is correct because he then had enough implied odds calling the flop. But if i don't bet, i can't protect against a hand with only a single spade.
So my question is this:
What do you do when you bet for protection (giving bad odds to drawing hands), but the scare card falls on the turn?
Do you continue betting or stop? If you continue betting, you could pay of the drawing villain, thereby making his call on the flop correct giving the implied odds.
But then again if you stop betting, you could give a free card to a worse drawing hand, that suddenly have a new chance to hit (a hand you would have prefered protecting against drawing).
(On a side note, villain in the example had J2 of spades so he drew out on me, but thats not the point of my topic).
