Annoying the Regulars

Hero in cutoff with Ad-6d
Two limpers, hero calls
Button calls, small blind completes, big blind checks
Six players, 3 big bets
Flop Kd-8s-9d
One limper bets, hero raises
Button folds, sb folds
Big blind calls, limper calls
Three players, 9 big bets
Turn 2c
Checks to hero who bets

One of the regulars I play a lot with was complaining about players who raise in position on the flop going for a free card play.  He thought it was a terrible play and wastes a lot of money.  His thinking was that betting on the come is a losing play because draws so seldom hit.  Furthermore, so many players try the free card play it’s almost a given if there are two cards to a suit on the flop.  He thinks the play is annoying and transparent.  I told him I agree with him, that a free card play is annoying and transparent.  I also told him that’s why I keep coming on the turn when I DO bet on the come.  I told him it’s true that draws brick out more often than not but that only means that I need to maximize my equity when they do.  Especially if a pot is multi way, I’m going to raise and cap on the flop.  I do this to because I have an equity edge if it’s three ways or more (36%) and because I have to make up for all those times I missed my draws.

The transparency problem is the reason I keep coming on the turn.  I expose my hand with a check the turn after raising on the flop.  Now, my opponents will bet almost any non-flush card on the river fairly certain I’ll fold.  Also, when I go bet-bet after the flop I preserve fold equity.  Let’s say the Qc comes on the turn instead of the deuce.  I bet and get called in one spot.  A J comes on the river, what’s my opponent going to think of his 7-8 given my raise on the flop.  Getting 12:1 on my bluff the number of times he has to fold is microscopic (compared to the size of the pot) to make this line profitable.

My regular friend just shook his head.  He has played cards for many years and is just convinced he has nothing new to learn.  The truth is he enjoys a very passive, low variance style of play where he shows positive EV but is pretty much a waste of time given the number of hours he logs.  However, the comp points and the freeroll tournament he qualifies for every month are more than enough (in his mind) to make up.  The only fly in the ointment is when a player like me sits down and starts charging him an extra small bet for every flop he wants to see.  I guess I’d be pretty annoyed too.