I have about $550 to start the hand. There is a $10 straddle and two callers in early position. I make it $60 on the button with AJ. The straddler and both callers come along so there is $247 in the pot.

Flop is A-J-Q rainbow. They check to me and I bet $110. The straddler and first caller decide to muck. The last guy thinks for a while, mutters to himself and appears to be counting/calculating something. He eventually calls and has me covered.

Relevant info: Earlier he called a $10 straddle in EP with QQ, then bet $40 on a flop of 5d-3x-2d and mucked face up when a guy raised him to $100. The raiser had 6d4d.

Villain is late 20s and Filipino looking and has about $800.

Turn comes another Queen. He checks. I think for a bit and the dealer starts to burn and put up the river. I stop him and tell him I didn't do anything. The villain confirms this, saying "No, I (meaning he himself) checked."

Now it's my action. What say you?

thanks.

Pretty easy check IMO.

Any tells or reads here especially when the villain spoke with the dealer?

Idk AK is squarely in villain's range and we block a ton of fullhouses so I'm tempted to jam, especially if villain seems mubsy. We could be betting off a chop or naked Qx as well. Meh people probably don't fold often enough at this level.

Preflop sizing seems small with a straddle and multiple limpers, though in absolute terms it's a fairly large bet.

What do you suggest for the preflop size? What does mubsy mean? I think he'll have to fold hands like A9s and A8s but I don't know if a large % if his range consists of those hands.

Monster Under Bed Syndrome (i.e. fold stronger than average hands to aggression fearing nut or near nut hands).

You do realize that you chop with all A besides AK and AQ right? I think AK would have a hard time calling this action on this board and I think AK is the largest part of his range given we block all sets and Qs are unlikely. Given the QQ hand he seems like he could easily have AK here and I would think would have to fold to your action.

Yes I do. Did I write something to indicate otherwise?

Easy check his range is a10+ according to what you have said.

Great info on the villain as well the counting calculating esp out loud just makes me think like bluffs are not in his range on the river if he leads into you. It should be a check behind on a blank river as well and i insta muck if he leads.

Something that is more relative to straddled pots is that many times EP players limp with their strongest hands (especially among weaker players)...why make such a big raise preflop when you're sitting only 55BB effective?? Were you trying to steal?? Did you feel like your range was well ahead of villains?? Were you in boss mode and just wanted to dominate your opponents?? Things to think about pre....

Anyways I like a smaller raise pre when relatively short stacked. As played, check back turn. By betting, you're turning your hand into a bluff and essentially playing for stacks by river. Let's say you bet out @ $180 on turn....V calls. Turn comes a low blank card....V fires out for your remaining $200. What do you do?? How ya like your bet now!?!?!

Exercise some pot control here....

Max buy in was $500 so I don't think 55 BBs is short stacked.

What hands are you giving him if I check behind on the turn and instamuck on the river?

When you're playing a straddled game...it's the same as sitting with $550 in a $5/10 game. 55 BB's in a cash game is short stacked (in tournament play it would be considered a medium sized stack...there's a difference). There's really no argument against that. If that doesn't make sense then you should focus you're studying toward effective short-stacking strategies....you have a leak.

Flop bet was too small. We created a huge pot preflop and flopped great. 180 is the smallest I'd bet.

I don't mind the raise pre -- it all depends on table dynamics. If I knew they were all going to call, I would have called the straddle or raised more -- I would never have raised less. I might have made my flop bet at least half pot. I like a check behind on the turn. The muttering seems as if he's on a draw and I doubt he checks a Q on the turn, but he might considering the QQ hand earlier. Re-evaluate river, but if this guy bets it, I probably fold. I'd check behind if checked to. I don't think betting would accomplish anything.

Why do you say that? I am probably getting broke against the few hands that beat me anyway, regardless of bet size. A bet of $110 gives hands like A9s and A8s a chance to call. I think the flop bet size was perfect and you're going to have to give me an actual reason that it wasn't if you want me to think otherwise.

It wasn't a straddled game per se. People were straddling here and there.

Doubt I bet whether he says anything or not. You wont get 3 streets of full value here unless he is a terrible drooler novice.

Take the free turn on this board. Evaluate his sizing and intentions on river if he should bet.