This hand comes from a 1/2 NL game. The SB was a tight, passive, and unimaginative player. He had $180 behind at the start of the hand. The BB was also a tight, passive, and unremarkable player. He had about $450 behind at the start of the hand.
As for me, I was playing tight and aggressively and had both opponents covered. Generally, my style of play is much like Ed Miller recommends in his various books if you are familiar with his writings.
Preflop, everyone folded to me, and I opened for $12 in the HJ+1 with A
6
. Both blinds were the only callers.
Flop [$36]: K
8
5
.
SB checked; BB bet $20.
Normally, I would raise here with the nut flush draw, an overcard, position, and the pre-flop betting lead. However, I decided to just flat for several reasons. First, the BB likely has at least a K and probably isn't folding to a raise. Second, SB hasn't acted yet, and given his nitty style of play, he has lots of Ks in his range and could very well be holding AK or KQ (along with 88 and 55, too), hands that would never fold to a raise, either. Finally, both players were relatively deepstacked. Thus, I decided to flat the $20 because I felt I had little fold equity and was not ready yet to play for a huge pot.
The SB thought a little and it appeared as if he were contemplating a raise. However, he ultimately just called.
Turn [$96]: Q
for a K
8
5
Q
board.
SB checked again; BB bet $20 once again.
I hated this card and the weak lead by the BB. The Q likely hit the SB. The $20 bet gave me more than enough pot odds to call, but set up a perfect pot for a SB shove in what would now be two rounds of weak betting.
How would you play the turn facing the $20 weak lead from the BB? Is call-fold to a SB shove the only viable option?
Would your decision on how to play the turn be different if the SB were a more aggressive player (i.e., one who might occasionally attack weak bets without a strong hand or be inclined to bet his draws)?