This is very late in the evening or very early in the morning if you prefer. It's between 4:30 and 5 am at my local casino. It's the last table as all of the other tables have broken and this is the combination of them all. I have only been at the table for about 20 mins.

This hand: Hero $325

Main villain in the hand $322

There are four limpers and this includes the Small Blind. I have K7and check.

Pot is $15

The flop is K72

I lead out with top two and bet $10. I get one caller (MP) and he is a 35 to 40 yr old guy (wearing a tshirt and jeans)if I had to guess. He calls.

Pot is $35 minus rake.

The turn is the 9

I lead out and bet $25 and the villian raises to $100. I study him and he seems very confident. I ask him how much he has left and gives off an energy of strength. He even goes to extra lengths to make sure he counted everything out for me properly.

My next move?

Maybe I'm crazy, but my money is all going in. Without a read on the table/player, its unlikely he flopped a set here...I could guess 7/9 or K/9 here - easy to call the flop with a 7 in his hand, in hopes of peeling off a 7 or 9.

Plus, if he has K9, this is just a hand you lose. I typically play more tight aggressive myself, but this is the kind of hand I would go all in with...and possibly go broke LOL.

Also remember - typically, players act out of strength when they aren't strong...very seldomly does a player draw attention to his "strength" with the nutes.

Bet $13 so V pays the rake. If he'll call $10, he'll call $13. If you're afraid he won't, bet $12, but jesus, don't bet $10 in a 1/2 game! Preflop, the house has raked $1.00. After your V calls $10, there is $35 in the pot & they've rake $3 + $1 for the BBJ. Don't bet $10 to win $7 when he folds OTT. That is so freakin' gross!


One thing I agree with that Ed wrote in one of his books: A big bet OTT almost always means strength. However, in this case, he wants you to know how much you have to call, which a lot, relatively speaking, so I don't know.

I just raise my arms so he can see the stack, whether I'm bluffin' or have the goods.

He could have peeled one with 99, thinking you were betting A7; or got in pre with 22. Then there's the unlikely 77.

Without more information don't go broke in a limped pot.

When you lead into a crowd on the flop it looks like you have two pair+ and it's easy for you to show up with 77/22. When villain gets enthusiastic about his hand it's often a set or K9 because it's so hard for him to have a draw here. There are a couple he could have floated with on the flop and improved on the turn but they are not likely.

Some act strong when they actually are strong, and a bluff seems unlikely. I would fold, and play the waiting game.

Actually - my apologies...wasn't taking into account that this a limped pot. Somehow I glazed over that. In that case, I agree w/ @quad about never going broke in a limp pot.

K9 does seem likely to me here, which is a cooler...but regardless, there could be a better spot to wait for.

A lot of it is dependent on the game/player too - for example, here in Los Angeles, K7 is probably the winning hand...ANY TP/GK or small two pair is raising this turn out here.

So I guess it goes back to the last thing - maybe just wait an get a read on some people. Curious on result of hand?

While there are players who fit in the act weak when strong category, it is potentially dangerous to universally put people in these categories without first observing them. Poker tells exist on a pallet, and relate to each other, so it takes skilled observation between hands to see how tells relate to each other and an overarching personality and game plan of make-up of an opponent.

Also, someone who is bluffing here is dead money, and you might get another chance to stack with a confident read.

This is only really true is v is an actor, which is something you need to know beforehand. Flipping it around, a normal low stakes player will do as little as possible to draw attention to himself when he is bluffing.

SPR is quite large, so lots of room to move. I would lean towards simply bet/bet/betting and if raised probably fold (as on this board it is unlikely someone has made a worse two pair).

So I'm cool with our flop and turn bets and I would now fold the turn. He's looking to play for stacks and pretty much the only worse hand that could consider doing that is a loose call by 97 on the flop that has now made two pair (but even that hand has to be concerned it isn't good against an ATC BB range and might just call down).

GcluelessNLnoobG