Set vs Fish

Opponent in this hand is poor, I stacked him early on but he is now having a hot run of cards. I have to be careful because he puts you to the test in every hand. He makes big calls with just top pair weak kicker and so far this has been his downfall. When he check raises he IS actually strong.

$50nl 6 seat cash table

Opponent $65
Me $135

1st to act limps .50
Button makes it $2
SB (opponent) calls
BB (me) calls with :4s::4d:
Limper calls
Pot is $8

Flop comes 3d 4c 6h (sorry you dont have the pretty big cards after 10 times trying the link to them just doesnt work:mad:)

SB checks
I check
Limper checks
Button checks
Pot is still $8

Turn comes 8s
SB checks
I bet $6
Limper folds
Button folds
SB raises to $12
If he had a straight on the turn he had it on the flop and against this player I cant believe Im behind even though all his past check raises have meant strength. PS He would call that pre flop raise with 57. I just call.
Pot is $36

River comes the 7d (3 4 6 8 7)

Opponent bets $10. A very weak bet for him, he ussually makes you pay if he has it but that card could scare him even if he did flop a straight?
Do I raise or call?

small bets from fish usually means weak holdings. so he has like 40 behind after the bet on river. If you have a read on him that he likes big value bets, I don't think he has a straight here on river. pretty much any 5 is close to nuts, and if he is a type of player that likes to herocall big with top pair weak kicker, he is not betting that small with 5x on the river imo. It is possible that this could be one of those nasty set over set, but still i probably just call here...

BET THE FLOP EVERYTIME...people check sets too often, yes you might win a little more once in a while, but you'll get sucked out on to make it not worth it. Check raising screams strength and you'll lose customres. If you bet, your hand strength is hidden, ESPECIALLY AGAINST A FISH who might go off with a6 at this point, and you might get someone to raise you which is what you want. Then you can slow play and just call and get a big pot. The odd big pots will be greater in the long run the the fewer smaller pots. Another thing, vs 4 people on a coordinated board (yes, all cards are small but you said yourself he specifically was a station so he might go off with a bad hand, again what you want), you don't want to give free cards. Value bet.

I call the river vs a fish, fold vs a tight solid player.

^^^ Agreed. Flops sets will getting you paid more than anything else in this stupid ass thing we play. Get money in there quickly. Build a pot.

especially this situation. By slow playing you allow stupid hands to catch some ridiculus hand youd never see coming. Build a pot or take it down right away so nothing catches up in the worst way. Im shipping a set almost everytime barring something obvious like a flush...

By not doing this you allow hands like this to happen where you have no clue where you are in the hand. Most of profits are made off sets I think so play them hard.

As for this hand. Who knows. My guess is that he is value betting two pair on scary board but it could just as easily be betting pair/gutter on turn and hitting straight on river. So I just call because it definitely either 2 pair or straight

I have position on my fishy friend and the pre flop raiser continuates almost every time. I was hoping he did this time, my fishy friend came along and my raise would be made at this point. 90% of the time though I fully agree betting out with a set is the better play. I just called even though I doubted he had the straight I wasnt sure he calls a raise without it. I was gutted when he turned over :8d::6d: for top 2 pair:mad:. A very badly played hand by me in hindsight of the result. Thanks a lot for your great replys.:)

There is nothing wrong with going for a check-raise on the flop IMO. And free cards aren't the worst thing ever on this flop as more will make someone top pair than turn somebody a gutty or something. Leading is fine and going for a check raise is also fine IMO. No big deal.

I think you should 3bet the turn. There is no hand he can have that minraises the turn and folds to your 3bet so since you are ahead of his range you should just go ahead and 3bet for value so you can jam any river when if he checks to you (fish will never check a river straight to you when the pot is that big so you'd be able to jam even the 7 river if he checked to you.).