Apologies if this is not the usual style posting, but there is no strategy question here per se. I'm just curious if others are as "lost" as I was in this hand as to the other players' holdings.

Standard passive table of 4-8. Six limpers to me pre-flop, and I have 2,2 in the small blind. I complete the bet. Big blind checks. Seven of us to the flop.

It is 2,2,5, (!!!) with two diamonds. I am first to act, and with 6 others in there, I bet. The big blind calls and so does the button. Everyone else folds.

The big blind is an Asian woman in her forties. She is a recreational player with no real skills that I can discern. Button is another story. Middle-aged white guy, usually plays higher limits and is aggressive and can be tricky. He recognizes that I am one of the better players at the table as well.

The turn is a non-diamond Ace. I bet again. Big blind calls. Button raises. This was the only decision I faced. Three-bet here (and possibly lose the big blind) or smooth call? Anyhow, I three-bet. Big blind calls again. Button caps.

River is a non-diamond 3. The board reads 2,2,5,A,3.

I bet. Big blind calls. Button raises again. I three bet. Big blind calls again. Button caps. I call. Big blind calls.

Any guesses on what the two villains had? Obviously, I won the $160+ pot.

Well, probably somebody had 55 and somebody has 4x. Could even be somebody had AA and slow played it preflop.

Biggest pot in terms of BB I ever won was with 22 in the BB when I flopped quads on a 223 flop. One player had big pocket QQ+ (never got to show down), one had 33 and another made the nut flush on the turn. I checked to the preflop raiser planning to check raise flop, but it was capped by the time it got back to me. I did cap the turn and bet/raise the river, which also got capped 3 ways.

These kinds of pots don't happen often enough to make a big difference. You did a good job of betting your hand, that is fine.

*G*

I probably don't donk the river; probably go for c/r (btn highly likely to bet, having capped the turn), give the BB chance to call two cold.

As to your question, are we just playing a game to try and peg a specific hand for each? While fun, there's not a ton of relevance to such an exercise. Or is this to be a ranging exercise?

At any rate, I'd say BTN looks a ton like 55. But some Ax, particularly where x=5 or maybe 4, or where suited in diamonds, could be in there, too. lol-overlimped/slowplayed AA is plausible, too.

Description of BB makes it sound like she could have a whole slew of crap that she probably shouldn't have hung around with, including 5x, Ax, 64, 43, other 4x, maybe just two random big diamonds that she's now calling the river with just because.

i just don't think it really matters what the villains had and i'm pretty surprised that you haven't been flamed for this post yet. my very first thread was similar to this and i was flamed heavily.

hand reading in hold 'em is a weird cycle imo. at some point, while playing low limit hold 'em, hand reading goes out the window. you're either up against too many opponents to discern what they all have, or they play in a way that's so irrational it's impossible to tell. once you get to mid limit hold 'em i think it becomes easier to put villains on a hand because they are thinking more rationally and their ranges are more reasonable. then you get to high stakes and players become tricky and are able to hide information in a way that makes it harder to hand read against them. i'm not sure what my point is with that little rant, but there it is.

who cares what the villains in this hand had? you were lucky enough to put in as many bets as possible on the turn and river. be thankful for that. i'd say once villains show you their hands, take a note, but it doesn't really matter because this situation is likely never going to happen again.

what was the point of this? AA? 55?

isnt poker so easy? anyone can win! go out there and play!

If you had made the button show first, you would have known.

slow roll imoe

BB has any two cards but probably hit the board somehow.

Button has 55.

3-bet the turn. Raise as much as possible. We can't fear losing BB, especially since she already called one bet.

Brag thread imo

Always smooth call with quads, it's good for your table image