CBing and Taking control of hands differently

[Zybomb]

(This applies more to NL off the bat.)

So as an aggressive player, if you are at a full table and make a standard raise with a hand like lets say AJs from MP and you are called from a limper in earlier MP. HU to the flop. I'm willing to bet that if it's checked to me I'll fire out 95 times out of 100....I mean why wouldnt you?

There are a few times I've learned that its not wise to CB and it's wiser to take the free card.

Your opponent has limped and now just called a raise... he obviously has a decent hand, but nothing very strong... use this to your advantage, by taking control of the hand.... now most people think taking control of the hand means FIRING... and normally that is correct. It is the most common way to take control of a hand. But lets give a scenario here

Your Hand: AsJs

Flop: 10s Kd 3c

Your opponent obviously has unknown cards, but lets look at this flop through HIS eyes. He has limped with a hand such as Qd10d....

You fire out.... he really can't just call, he needs to raise for information (or fold) You may have JJ-AA, any king, or A10.

So he raises your bet.... now what do you do you? You have a gutshot straight draw, an overcard which may or may not be good (I realize in reality you have 4 outs to the gutshot, and 6 outs for both of your hole cards, but you don't know that). It's very difficult for you to call this raise, and if you do, you assume you will be faced with an even larger bet on the turn...if you miss then what? On top of all that you have succeeded in LOSING CONTROL of the hand.

Lets backtrack.

Instead of CBing this flop you decide to check back.... theres an obvious downside, you may give him a free card to beat you if he';s not ahead already. But with two of the other 3 high cards on the board, chances are he's hit this flop in some manner, since your 2 have missed.

This information you have though bc of his PF action is he can not be THAT strong (unless he's played K10... which you'll just have to find out)

Now you check back... you get a free card for an Ace or a Queen (or maybe a J will help also) You may hit your out and now be ahead... then you can extract money.... or you may miss. Say the turn comes 5d.

Now your opponent acts... he may decide to fire out with his 2nd pair, figuring you missed (which you have). You now come back ontop of him with a nice raise. You've put him in the position of making a tough call now... his raise of your bet is fairly simple, you reraise he's gone, otherwise he's hoping to take it down... problem is with your hand its hard to reraise. Here he's bet and you've raised.... now it's hard for him NOT to fold... and you have nothing.... The best thing is even if he does call:

1: You have outs... A Queen still gives you the nuts and an Ace likely gives you the winning hand... who knows maybe a jack is good too (in this case it is)

2: You will almost definately get checked to.... it gives you the chance to bluff once more if you missed, or try and extract money with a value bet if you hit.