Prehand Descriptions

Villain: ~30's WG. Has a couple million in tournament winnings (another reg showed me his pic online). Playing LAG, always raising pre and applying significant pressure post. And getting killed. Either get shown better or having to fold to action indicating very strong ranges. (I'd have folded most of my range in those spots). I suspect he's playing too LAG for this table population, but I could easily be failing to appreciate why what he's doing is right.

Hero: MAWG. No previous history with V.

$2/4 NL (9 handed)

Button Hero (covers)
BB V (~$500)

Hero is dealt A 9

Two limpers to H, who raises to $35. Only V calls.

Typical sizing for me vs. two limpers.

In retrospect, I didn't consider V squeeze likelihood before raising. Are you folding instead of raising? If you raise, how would you handle a squeeze?

Flop ($79 after rake & BBJ) T 9 2
V checks, H bets $50, V calls

I cbet HUIP something like 80%. Typically around 2/3 pot. Not quite enough hand to want to lay back and induce two streets. If he x/r,
I'm going to call. OTT, I'll have to eval calling to the river or giving up.

Turn ($181) 7
Betting here seems bad to me. Can't handle a x/r and I'm happy to induce a river bet, which I plan to usually snap off.

River ($181) 6
V leads $200

H?

I'm OK with pre. Not a great hand, but if you know your table it's OK. I usually just fold it, though, especially with this V in BB. There are better hands for this. (I would have folded to a squeeze.)

Flop is good. Turn check is fine. You had a plan, but I hate the river card. I'd have to follow my gut on river. With your read, it's probably a call, but what's he calling on flop with that didn't hit river (or was already ahead)? J9? A small pair -- would have to be 55 or less?

I would say you have to follow your plan here. He definitely can show up with 8x, probably as a pair w/an 8. But against this player as described, and as you played your hand, I think you have to follow your plan and call here as he is super capable of having bluffs here.

Don't like the preflop raise with A9o. Little less on the flop, and I might even check flop IP some of the time to see what V does on various turns and give him a chance to lead with smaller PP's if the turn is a relative brick.

What's V calling $35 pre with? Hard to find many 8's in his range unless he has 88, he should have a lot of QJ/KJ/KQ/AQ/AK/AJs and some backdoor draw hands like A2s, or could've called flop with ace high and some backdoor draws. I'd expect most V's to bet a little less with an 8 since you checked the turn and there aren't many hands you're likely to call a PSB+ with on that river.

Feels like a call, but very V dependent...

Seems as if JQ is about his only bluffing hand on river that we beat? Maybe KQ, J9 or Q9? Hard to put him on AQ or AK and not 3bet pre.

This is a tough one. Would be easier if flop weren't rainbow.

Fold this garbage pre. A9s you can definitely iso.

Bet smaller OTF. Why so big? Makes no sense.

AP, hard to find many 8x in his range. Looks like QJ/KJ/KQ a lot. Call.

Results?

I'm folding this pre. Also, a raise to 35 is huge, even after two limpers. Why not ~24? The cbet seems too big as well, I don't like how quickly we're blowing up this pot. Cbetting is okay, I guess, but against aggressive bluffhappy opponents I might prefer a check. You say you're calling if he check/raises; in that case I definitely prefer a check.

River is meh. No idea. Against the described villain it's probably a call, but I would still rather just fold. All in all I would ask myself why I was playing such a big pot with 2nd pair against a tricky opponent in the first place.

Kudos for the HH, very clear.

Thanks.

I often (maybe even usually) get 2+callers for $35. $25 would just be a sweetener. Only rarely do I pick just pick up the blinds. I've actually considered going even larger as long as I'm still going to get callers.

Against this villain, I'm probably leaning closer to call than I am too fold. I would expect most of his 8x hands to c/r flop or donk turn. He can show up with some J10 type hands or 67/2pr hands based on your LAG read. Villain is confident that you do not have an 8, that is clear to me and is likely the source for his overbet. Villain assumes you'll have a difficult time calling that specific river card with a good portion of your range.

I often get 2+ callers in my 1/3 game for $35, so I get it. Seems fine to me at 2/4 w/ two limpers, but I wouldn't bother with A9o.

In my game (and many others I'm sure) this is nuttish or bluff. I'm seeing a lot of big bets on rivers and it can go either way. I did it four times last night -- twice I was flat-out bluffing and twice I new I had the best hand. I folded to a few, also, and I'm sure in hindsight at least one was a bluff.

Go with your gut.

smh at folding pre

This is fine to raise otb

hand is played fine so far. I think he would size it a little smaller with 88? And a little less with Tx?

call then close your eyes. you got what you wished for

Also don't get folding pre. If I have to raise $35 to iso pre I prefer unsuited big cards on the button as opposed to 54s and the like. Would bet smaller on the flop, but everything is fine up until the river. I want to follow through and call, but you probably aren't leveling yourself by thinking that this particular v expects to get called down a lot and has everything under the sun that beats one pair despite there being a 4-straight on the board. It probably doesn't matter too much if you call or fold, but I would fold here and maybe call with AT/JJ+ so I'm not getting out line.

Didn't see hero was OTB, I thought he was in MP. Definitely raising pre then.