Too passive with small pair?

[Xwisit]

This is one of those hands that has been gnawing at me. I played it so horribly IMO.

I did a standard raise preflop with 55, 1 caller who took over the betting on the flop. I was way too passive, should I have raised him on the flop, or folded?

Full Tilt Poker Game #8787350986: The Fifty-Fifty (66426409), Table 77 - 300/600 Ante 75 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:43:52 ET - 2008/11/03
Seat 1: Gus64 (3,212), is sitting out
Seat 2: DrGaskopf (32,543)
Seat 3: bazeman (13,560)
Seat 4: ikaptain (41,589), is sitting out
Seat 5: JetScreamer (5,436)
Seat 6: Xwisit (29,317)
Seat 7: brunson44 (1,585)
Seat 8: LebanonJon (17,070)
Seat 9: BigStevePlays (34,972)
Gus64 antes 75
DrGaskopf antes 75
bazeman antes 75
ikaptain antes 75
JetScreamer antes 75
Xwisit antes 75
brunson44 antes 75
LebanonJon antes 75
BigStevePlays antes 75
LebanonJon posts the small blind of 300
BigStevePlays posts the big blind of 600
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Xwisit [5c 5d]
Gus64 folds
DrGaskopf folds
bazeman folds
ikaptain folds
Gus64 has returned
JetScreamer folds
Xwisit raises to 2,400
brunson44 folds
LebanonJon folds
BigStevePlays calls 1,800
*** FLOP *** [8c 4s 3h]
BigStevePlays bets 3,000
Xwisit has 15 seconds left to act
Xwisit calls 3,000
*** TURN *** [8c 4s 3h] [9c]
BigStevePlays bets 2,400
Xwisit calls 2,400
*** RIVER *** [8c 4s 3h 9c] [Jc]
BigStevePlays bets 3,000
Xwisit has 15 seconds left to act
Xwisit folds
Uncalled bet of 3,000 returned to BigStevePlays
BigStevePlays mucks
BigStevePlays wins the pot (16,575)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 16,575 | Rake 0
Board: [8c 4s 3h 9c Jc]
Seat 1: Gus64 folded before the Flop
Seat 2: DrGaskopf folded before the Flop
Seat 3: bazeman folded before the Flop
Seat 4: ikaptain folded before the Flop
Seat 5: JetScreamer folded before the Flop
Seat 6: Xwisit folded on the River
Seat 7: brunson44 (button) folded before the Flop
Seat 8: LebanonJon (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 9: BigStevePlays (big blind) collected (16,575), mucked

[Blue_O_Rock]

I would mostly fold on the flop in this situation online, since it is hard to know where you stand in this situation without investing a lot of chips to find out. Just flat calling his flop bet will slow some players down, but if any other high card comes out (which is much of time in this case) and he bets again, you have to give it up. So I am not a big fan of the call there. Live, I might try and raise the flop bet maybe 1/4 of the time if I can study the player and suspect that the villian is capable of leading out with hands like AK or AQ figuring that I didn't hit and that they were ahead pre-flop. I'm guessing he had a hand like tens there.

-Mike

[wreaks]

Your call of the flop bet is a good call on a dry flop like that. When the villain bets the turn, he has to know you have SOMETHING, because you called the flop. I probably would have let it go there, but I don't mind the call. By the river, you're not beating anything, so pretty easy (and good) fold.

[ThePenguin22]

His turn bet was smaller than his bet on the flop, with a much bigger pot, He also wins the hand by betting 3000 into a pot of 16,575. I think I raise it up to 9000 on the turn (i dont think he loves his hand) or if I have any specific notes on him I may fold the turn, I dont like the call then fold on the river.

[PokerBroker]

Why not test him with a raise on the flop?? Especially since you just flatted his turn bet as well... at least then you would have a better indication of just how strong he is. Being the preflop aggressor you have decent fold equity even with a minraise. He will be forced to move with a monster or run from his small hand.

The tough thing here is that some people will defend their blind from a 3x religiously (even though it is generally -EV) so he really could have just about anything here.