General flop question

[alanpsych]

This could be a leak, and I hate leaks, so I'll ask for everyone's wisdom here.

Typical situation:

I'm in the BB with a typical BB hand, let's say Q2o.

folds, CO limps, BTN limps, SB completes.

Flop is Q97 rainbow.

SB checks.

Now here, I have been in the habit of betting. Not exactly a donk, but in the spirit of donking. It feels wrong though.

This is my rationale: I really want to let people know I have something and take it down right now. Nothing good can come of letting this hand continue. It's hard to see this as strong enough to check-raise. If you check and the BTN bets, you don't know if he bet because no one else did, or if he actually has you beat. So, instead, I just announce "Hey, I have a Q! You should fold!"

Please point out the error of my ways.

[velar]

Do you want me to say read-dependent?

I mix it up - half the time I'll bet out if I hit top pair, and the other half I'll try a check-raise.

Unless SB had Q3, you should be good here. CO, Button, or even SB would raise with AQ, KQ, or maybe even QJ, QT.

What I don't think you can do is hit top pair and check-fold, assuming it hasn't gotten crazy before getting back around to you.

[alanpsych]

I tried to make this as generic as possible so as not to get into reads, but I appreciate what you're saying. Some players will call down with their A high, or 2nd or 3rd pair, while others will freeze up because they don't like their kicker and are afraid you have 2 pair. This is important. Many of the tables I've been playing lately, though, seem to like to call pf, then fold when one of the blinds bets out, assuming that one wouldn't be betting into a bunch of players without something. And I don't mind this. (Sometimes you can take a shot at a AA9 flop with air and take it down.)

The idea of this is if I get raised or worse, then I can get out cheaply as possible, rather than check/raising, which will cost me 2, plus I have no idea where I stand. Also, a c/r is a strong enough move that it tends to scare a player with something like a QT into passively checking it down, so again I don't know where I stand.

[biggle10]

What limits? 6max or FR?

[velar]

I assumed this was 6-max, but I see now it starts with "folds" which could mean a lot of folds (I originally thought only 1).

I do hear what you are saying, Alan. But do you have any idea where you stand if you bet out and Villain calls? No, so I'm not sure I fully buy in to the "I don't know where I stand if he calls my check-raise" argument.

And getting QT to passively check down should be a win, but I still don't buy it because that means you are passively checking down, too.

You have to ask yourself if this guy will fold anything. But you have to bet and ask him the question "how good do you think your hand is?"

I like to think of it in reverse. You know how we always play fast against fish until there's a reason not to? You bet and a fish raises - well he's a fish and most fish don't push back unless they have something. Bingo! Villain could be thinking you are a fish and you wouldn't c/r or c-bet a turn if you didn't have something.

Ok. Maybe I just make crazy reads on people and get lucky, but I play this like I already described and I do well.

Here's the question - if you do check and it makes it around, then the turn is a low blank, do you now bet out?