Almost always leading this flop and close to pot size. We could very well get 3 streets value from the station and it's time to build this pot and thin the field a bit. Hero bets $32.

Betting is a given.

*grunch*

I find my self in this situation quite often, (and I like it)

Just fyi:
In a limped pot you will sometimes run into a monster here, a flopped set.
But the most likely flopped set is bottom, since you've got the top two pair, and you've still got almost 18% equity against that hand.
So that's really the only thing to every worry about.

Having said all that, I regularly make a pot sized bet here, and get looked up by 2-3 people.
This might be because I'm viewed as a bit loose when I play (rightfully so), but it almost never folds around. (Less than 10% of the time.)

It almost always looks like a 'I'm going to pretend that I hit this flop' bet, and you get a lot more action than you think. Bigger than pot sized bets here also look fishy, but somehow almost never get called. I'd lead out for 5$ less than the pot.

When you get too fancy with the bet sizing, you would run into an extra layer of dynamic: is villain calling with bluff catcher or is villain slowplaying his set?

Our hand is not strong enough in a limped pot, especially a straddled limp pot, to want to create such dynamic.

Bet 25 and proceed from there. Pot is 33 not 39 if I'm reading this right. It's multiway in a straddled pot so we're up against wide ranges with the best hand most of the time.

Preflop is fine. With Ace-rag suited, I would rather limp and see the flop cheaply. You don't hit monsters often enough, and usually the only way you stacking somebody is if you catch flush over flush. Of course, with a bad calling station in the game, that goes out the window, and a raise pre wouldn't be terrible. However, since the station likes to raise and we don't want a large bet pre with this hand, calling is probably better overall.

The flop is an obvious bet. We have a station behind who will call with lots of Aces and draws and other crap but probably won't bet himself, and we would like to get everybody else out of this pot before somebody beats us.

I would go $30 here, if not $35/$40. Betting light is bad here because the station is going to call, and that means the villains after are going to get better odds. We don't want the Btn or SB to have tempting odds to stick around with bad hands that could draw out on us.

*Grunch* Nice reads. Standard would be to bet about 3/4 pot, and I would usually do that. If we think there's a good chance SB c/r bluffs if we bet weak, I might make it $15.

I left out one caller accidently as I only listed actions of 6 players. Pot was 39

Grunch:

PSB, based on the reads on the player types in this game, so basically $35-40 to build a nice sized pot.

Fire away... if you have a 'usual' bet size, go with it... I think $30 sounds about right.

Evaluate your read if you get raised (or check raised). I think sets more than big Ace (limped pot).

If you're thinking about folding A7 once you hit top two pair, you either screwed up the IO analysis and/or should have folded pf.

bomb it to rep 64.

i love how so many players fail to recognize how strong leading out into the field is OOP in a limped pot when villians have ATC, which could hit the board umpteen different ways.

so, take advantage of it.
don't be surprised when you get action.
betting smaller accomplishes nothing positive, and mostly ppl are calling if they want to continue irregardless of the bet size, so betting smaller out of fear of losing action isn't too legit, imo.

well posted hand/ descriptions and deets, btw

I'm going to let this go over night and will post the next street in the morning.

Preflop seems about a million times more interesting than flop.

Just bet the flop the maximum absolute value you would normally bet the flop. $36 doesn't seem like a very big flop bet at a 1/3 game at all. I guess the dealer at the table will recognize that you're betting PSB, but whatever.

Bahh, I'd rather see next action and let that street get discussed for longer. The flop seems to be almost a complete concensus of bet out, so ill give my plan...

We probably get called by station with any piece, and I'm guessing button or sb are calling due to price with their drawing hands.

I barrel almost all turns, any K-9 card is absolutely no worry yet. I'd be more cautious if any 8-2 peels off (except a 7 obv) as that makes trips and straights more likely - but I still barrel to put my opponents to the test as they basically won't raise if I'm still ahead.

I'm hoping for a big card to turn and give the station a worse two pair.

Only way I check or bet small is if an A comes, maybe with a 7 I bet smallish.