4/8 with half kill, 6/12 this hand
Hero is in bb with KdJh
Villain is a mid-30s black guy known as an action player, plays virtually atc, raises and reraises on all streets with or without a hand, but has moments of competence that always catch me off guard.

Pf: utg folds, utg+1is on the kill and checks his option, mp1 calls, mp2(villain) calls, btn folds, sb completes, hero completes (owing 2 to call the kill).

Flop: Tc9s2s (5SB)
Sb checks, hero checks, utg+1 checks, mp1 checks, villain bets, sb folds, hero raises (hoping to isolate with a reasonable chance to improve), folds to villain who calls.

At this point villains range is still pretty wide, but is probably something like Ax, K9+, any broadway combo (although I discounted hands like AK, AQ, AJ, and KQ because I would have expected him to raise Pf), any suited connector or one gapper(even 23), off suit connectors down to 64 or so, any pp (but probably not one of the big ones), Kxs, possibly Qxs.

Turn: 7c (4.5BB)
Hero checks, villain checks behind.

River: Jc (4.5BB)
Hero bets, villain raises, hero folds.

Thoughts? Criticisms?

I like up to the river.

Unless you have additional reads that this maniac slows down when bet into on the river, I would call.

Does this suddenly not apply?

The only + I see to kr the flop is if you think you will win with k high. If you think villain is drawing then there is merit but IMO players at this level are very showdowney and will not fold a 9 ui let alone a t. This leaves us with actually "making a hand" and in that case we want more money in the pot since we are drawing. I don't see better jacks showing up here except for jt and j9 (neither will be likely to fold the flop and the only hand your worried about peeling that you could drive out is kq, ak and aj. None of which are likely except for aj? And I don't know that it is limped in this situation?

IMO I would float the flop and kr the turn if you think he's drawing and a low card peels and fire most rivers.

Good fold on the river.

I peel one and fold the turn ui as villain is winning 80+% of the time and will not fold to any "creative" play

I think the fold on the river is a big mistake. Even if villain thinks he has the best hand, he could have a jack with a lower kicker, and he could also have the same hand that you have. We can't be sure that he has AJ or better yet. The pot has 6.5 big bets in it. If you call for 1 big bet, you can be wrong a large percentage of time and still profit from that call in the long run.

It's also possible that with the description, he could be trying some kind of a bluff raise. The jack of clubs is a scare card, and maybe he is trying to take advantage of that.

I wonder if he plays differently in kill pots.

Anyone raise preflop? They would seem to have weaker hands than normal, as most people that are competent strain a little more PF to try and isolate the kill if they have anything. Seems like KJo is the best hand here.

As played I like a bet on the flop with the two overs and gutshot.

Some additional insight into my thinking process. As far as Pf goes, the villain I described was the only player with much agression, a few players were very passive (limping with AK or AQ type hands), so I wasn't sure enough about the relative strength of my hand to raise off suit broadway cards 5 handed with no chance of thinning the field. Otf, I think I mostly wanted a little more information before I put chips in, but was also secretly hoping villain would bet so I can isolate him. And yes, K high problably does have a reasonable chance of being best against villains range, as I could see him betting that flop with 76o. Ott, any thoughts as to whether c/r flop, then checking when first to act ott makes it too obvious I'm looking for help, or does it induce a bluff from this type of player? Otr, there's just a lot of possibilities. He could have QJ for a weaker jack, or JT, J9, J2s(maybe), back door flush, any hand with an 8 for the straight,complete air, etc. If there was a little more in the pot I would have been moe inclined to call. I think I forgot to take into account my own read, there's just a lot possible on that board...

If you're gonna c/r the flop, you need to bet the turn. If you're gonna bet the river, you need to call the raise.

This. I don't have a huge problem with the flop c/r (I wouldn't do it 100% but I also wouldn't do it 0%) but it's definitely a semibluff and you have to barrel the turn to realize your profit, especially because this is such a good card to barrel off against. River is a crying call, but this is such an easy and obvious spot for him to bluff in that you can't afford to fold (and I love to fold rivers for 1 bet so that's saying something).

I would check the river and hope the villian bluffs at it and I can smooth call.

I would call if I think he would raise as a bluff more than 15% of the time

BrakyBax, you should listen to what these people are telling you about the inconsistency of your actions. Look at the range you gave the villain on the turn. Is a semibluff profitable? Do you have the best hand and a value bet? On the river, you have toppest pair on a scary board. You bet it vs. an opponent who knows how to put pressure on a scary board. Is this guy only raising 2 pair+? You should look at your equity by street and think about how the villain reacts based on your betting or your checking. It seems like you got lost in the hand and then folded something way too strong to fold vs. this opponent. Against other players in your game, it would be a snap fold -- this guy I don't trust at all. I'd seriously consider checking because he'd bet 5 high when checked to. The reason to bet would be because he'll call 33 or raise 43o as a bluff. B/f is a thin value line against an opponent you trust to only raise better.

Grunch

As played I would cb ott after the flop cr and I wouldn't fold otr.

Thanks for all the input. I really wasn't happy with how I played this hand. Seems like I butchered just about every street.

Well, the first two streets are cool.

Now, on the turn and river you have to decide if you're going to make more money from catching bluffs (check/call) or value-betting, which may induce a raise you don't know how to handle.

I think he's bound to bet the river with a wide range if he is as "action" as you describe.
But the turn is safe to bet - even if you get raised you have a ton of outs, whereas planning to make a K_high calldown is pretty thin.

I am not even going to read the comments, but I have to say that is one of the worse play I have ever heard off. In the first place why would you bet the river if he was going to raise? Who cares if he possibly may have caught the straight! It is only I bet more to call... just a really horrible play, especially after you said he was an action player betting and raisingwith air.... U GOT OWNED!

*G*

Even with str8 on board, I'd be surprised if folding tpgk HU closing the action getting >7:1 against a maniac is a good play.