Blinds 80/160
Early in $50 $25k guaranteed - $5k for first


Villian (~5k) middle position min raises to 160 - Been playing a lot of pots so far.
Folds around
Hero (~5k) - BB - Ad 8c - call 80.

Flop 10 9 8 rainbow...

Hero checks
Villian bets 200
Hero calls 200

Turn 10 9 8 8 still rainbow... we have trips.
I check to the better. Mistake? Plan is to check raise the LAG player.

Plan seems to be working, he bets 500. I c/r to 1400. He thinks a bit and flats (?????)

River Q diamonds... Q 10 9 8 8 .......

I'm lost. Don't know what to do. I can't believe he would just flat there. I priced him out of drawing for the straight. He min raised pre so I'm not putting him on anything big. I guess 10 J would make sense.

There's ~3200 in the pot and I have ~3400 left. I act first. My check/raise on the turn was strong enough to rep a set/boat so shoving here could easily represent that. But I would turning a hand with great showdown value into a bluff (and I hate doing that).

I end up opting for a weird small value bet type line and bet 1400. He thinks for a bit then shoves. Why would he shove there without a boat? If he had a boat, why not get it in on the turn when I check-raised?

I thought there was no way I was ahead here so I tank/folded and kept my last 2,000. Was my river small bet exploitable? I thought it could easily be representing a value bet with a straight or boat but I guess it looked weak.

I don't know if I believe him but he said later he totally bluffed it because my river bet was so weak. That just seems like a ridiculous bluff line but maybe I got leveled.

Flop: Fairly simple decision here. Check calling is the most standard line.

Turn: I prefer a check call here. Your hand is strong but we need to ask ourselves what we hope happens with a check raise? We aren't doing this hoping for a call. We are doing it to price him out of draws. The check raise is a fine move, but once called you better be very careful on the river.

River: This was your biggest mistake. There is little value to be had here. Check/Call or Check/Fold depending on your read. If he did bluff it was a ridiculous bluff line that will be -EV over the longterm.

That's kind of what you did with the river bet. As was said x/c or c/f river depending on your read.

+1 imo the river was check call or check fold. Such a wet board .. lol would prefer to have a cheap showdown as I have showdown value. Ofcourse with that board and preflop raiser still in the hand set seems to be distant second.

With a boat, you can't get outdrawn so you don't need to play it so quickly. Also, by jamming he folds at out any bluffs that might be x/r the turn. These bluffs might plan to bet the river anyway as well as your trips/straights.

I'd just fold flop.

OP, I have trouble following your reasoning.
Especially on the turn, when you check/raise and you are surprised about the call. What did you expect from villain? A jam? If he jams, what do you do? You call and expect to be beaten a lot of times? Or you fold and lose a lot of value against the semi-bluffs that the lag may have?
I think a check/call on the turn is just fine, especially if you are not expecting your check/raise to get just called. I could see a lead as well with a plan for the eventual raise by villain.
Also, your raise gives villain something like 2.7 to 1 odds. A lot of players will chase this with stuff like OESD + outs to a big boat or stuff like that, despite the paired board.

On the river, if villain was really bluffing, that was a bold play by him, but in general there's not much to gain from your bet.

Fold flop, as played x/c turn.

I was expecting a fold. He was stabbing at a lot of pots but not over-jamming or calling big re-raises. I would have jammed anything but a Q or 6. He just seemed like someone calling with an open-ender and a pair on the end.

In retrospect I should have definitely check/called turn and/or check/called river depending on read. I agree I didn't play it well (which is why I posted it).