$15/$30 online

BU here is a bad 43/28 LAG, BB is a normal reg

BU opens, Hero calls K5 in SB, BB raises, BU caps, all call

He caps in this spot probably two or three times more often than normal.

Flop: K44

check, check, bet, I call, BB calls

Turn: 5

I check, BB checks, BU bets, I call, BB calls

I was pretty confident BU would bet the turn. On the river, I think BU barrels somewhat more than normal but certainly not 100%.

River: 9

I...

A lot of debatable decisions in his hand. My thoughts:

Preflop is w/e. On the flop I'm playing basically way ahead/way behind.

The fun starts on the turn. I could consider donking, check raising, or playing it passively to keep BB in the hand with a marginal holding. I chose the latter, letting BU barrel, letting BB think that he might easily have the best hand if he has something like A-high, avoiding getting 3-bet by monsters (AA still beats me for example). My understanding of the button's tendencies was that he would almost always bet this turn but not necessarily the river (though he would still barrel more than normal).

On the river, I'm almost in the same situation as on the turn, with the same options, except that now it's less certain that I can check raise. I still went for a check raise though, but perhaps donking was actually better, it probably stood a better chance of inducing a call from BB, it avoided the possibility of the river being checked through, avoided things going horribly wrong if BU turns out to have a monster and 3-bets and could induce a raise from weaker hands. On the downside, donking would stop BU from barreling a bluff like JTs, plus if BU has something like JJ or KT, he probably would not raise so I would only get one bet from him when I could have gotten two bets from him if I check raised.

I would 3b pre.

As played, I would CR flop.

As played, I would CR turn,

As played, I would donk river.

Id fold pre but I guess it's 2/3? So maybe call is best.

Also yes I'd do all other streets differently

i'd quit the game since i rather play overly passive players than overly aggressive players 3 handed

He's 43/28 FR? Or 6m? Or 3-handed? What are his BTN stats? Is he 43/28 from all positions, or 43/28 specifically OTB?

The only scenario in which I'm calling pre is if it's 2/3 blinds and BB is so tight that I'm essentially defending the BB. I either 3-bet (vs. people overopening BTN) or fold (in all 1/2 structures and against people correctly or underopening).

Sorry, I forgot that most hands here are FR and live now. He is 43/28 6max. I don't have enough of a sample size specifically for BTN.

I know that preflop is debatable. But I'm actually much more curious about my postflop decisions. I am well aware that I played this hand in a very non standard way, the standard 2p2 way would be to immediately show aggression on the flop or at the very least on the turn. I've tried to outline my reasons for not following the TAG strategy here, I'm curious what others think.

For example, about the flop: do we really need to protect our hand from BB? If he is behind, he often has just 2 or 3 outs. If he has an ace, and I make him fold by check raising, very often I don't accomplish anything if BU also has an ace. And of course it is actually often we who are behind BB or BU.

The raise on the flop is all about the value. There should be plenty of worse hands that will call you down. The button isn't going any ware with Ace high since the board is paired and there is a potential flush draw. The BB could continue with worse as well.

That would be my reasoning too, under normal circumstances. But in this case, I was pretty confident the LAG would barrel the turn so I could always get my value on a big bet street if I wanted.

43/28 6m is like alpha lag stats.

Assuming he's never limping, 43/28 sounds like he's defending light and stealing just the right amount.

Fold pre, as played c/r flop, as played c/r turn.

Waiting on this board to the river is not good IMO. BTN's range should be full of bet/bet/check on this particular board texture (where players will be able to call light on two streets). Don't let him bet AQ/66 twice and check behind.

I would fold this in a 1/2 blind structure. Ive never played in a 2/3 blind. I think if your gonna play it it's a 3b with the players described. I could be wrong though.

As long as you CR the turn this is fine. I'd still CR flop though, the BB and bu could get stubborn thinking your FOS on this board.

It's fine to have a calling range PF in the SB.

I like delaying until turn since you have a read BTN will barrel a lot of turns.

OK, good, so preflop and flop plays are defensible.

As I thought, the most objectionable street would be the turn. I always knew that the standard "2p2 approved" play would be to check raise, so what I did was a bit of FPS on my part. But was it defensible FPS?

Basically the idea is that if I check raise BB would fold the vast majority of the time, and I would win 2BB on the turn the times that I'm ahead and lose 3BB when I'm behind. But if I c/c I would often also get 2BB (if BB also comes along with his marginal showdownable holding) and lose only 1BB when I'm behind.

Of course, BB can fold even if I c/c, but then I will often have the opportunity to put in my check raise on the river, using the fact that BU barrels more than normal. In fact, because his preflop capping range is way too wide, it contains many hands like QJo or J9s, which he almost certainly would barrel off, whereas if I went for a turn c/r he would simply fold them.

I think these considerations make my play on the turn defensible. But I have to admit, 3-way pots are difficult to analyze, so I certainly can't be sure if I'm right or not.

but it is likely better not to have one at all (vs a button raise). There are some spots where I may call a sb raise in a 2/3 structure vs earlier openers, whether thats right or wrong.

Re cold calling in SB v BTN open:
"Bots do it, and bots are much better than we are"

Re FPS delaying until river:
You think villain will barrel a lot of rivers? Others (like jdr) have suggested that villain will often b/b/x on this texture, with hands like AQ or PPs. I agree with the others, but I understand the temptation.

I'd check raise the flop.

I think the problem with this hand is that you think the button is overaggressive based on his stats. Those are some scary stats imo. Your seat sucks.

I think you're cherry picking responses. Being defensible is a long way from being good.

I'm not sure that bots are better than humans in any type of game except HUHU. The math gets ugly very quickly 3-way.

"tpiranha says its ok to cold call SB v BTN open, and tpiranha is much better than we are"

Yup.

Now if the board texture were like KJ4-5, I can get behind a turn delay much more, since even a moderately competent villain isn't going to barrel 9's into two people who could continue OOP on KJ4.

No chance anyone on this forum beats any of the top 5 three handed bots. Zero.

Not really, my reads are mostly not based on the stats, but on my observations of how he played certain hands.

@callipygian, I don't think I'm cherry picking responses, I called the flop play defensible because some decent players thought it was fine while others didn't. If everybody agreed with the play, I would just call it standard.

That's true, I agree that he will check behind hands like AQ on the river (I'm less sure about 66-99). Missing value because of that is certainly a negative side to my play. But does it outweigh the positive sides that I outlined?