Playing in a fairly loose 1/2 game that plays with 2/5 stacks. New player sits down after a bit of a wait and starts to talk up the table a bit about being from Texas and playing in underground games that play 'super' big.

After about 3 orbits, V comments about not getting any cards yet but liking the action at the table. Hero in seat 9 (V is in seat 1) opens a lot from all positions and has about 700 while V only has about 210.

Button straddle to 6, blinds fold ... Hero raises to 16 UTG+1 with QT (yes, very loose)

V and 2 others call (73) ... Flop 689 ... Hero has 2x gutter

Hero leads out for 33 ... V pauses, moves in seat and calls ... others fold

Turn 4 (139)

Hero leads out for 48 ... Same routine, pause, adjust body in seat and call

River A (235) V has 113 behind

Hero feels 3x barrel will do no good here and checks hoping for a showdown.

V instantly stacks and picks up all chips and slams (firm) them down for an all-in bet while crossing arms on chest. (proud as a peacock)

Hero faces 3 to 1 call with Q high ... Anything we should pick up from the change in demeanor of the V? GL

You don't beat anything that calls flop and turn apart from a naked 7 why debate this call lol

he beats JT

Is $113 worth the info when he doesn't?

When I see a player pause and adjust in their seat (two streets in a row) I am thinking that they aren't very comfortable and want to make sure it's worth their while to continue. They take the time to evaluate and re-evaluate the spot before acting.

I think this is different than when a player (say a talking/eating player) all of a sudden takes interest in a board or Turn card that has just come out. My post is about a player reacting to my action, not the board.

I think we all have an opinion on 'quick bets' being weaker than thoughtfully planned out bets for the same amount.

In this case why slam the chips? To make sure I see the Ace? I had been running well, did I offend this player somehow that he was so glad to beat me? Did he really hit the Ace?

Sure A7 is a very good possibility. For what ever reason I eliminated 9x and over-pairs due to the Ace. Probably not the best logic since I would've bet an Ace if I had one in their mind.

Is $113 really worth the info? Probably not ... but sometimes I just can't let these spots go. I tank for at least 2 minutes while V is stone still and finally give into a call and V actually shows the JT for a missed OESD. Player gets up to reload and asks "what kind of room is this? while the regs all half chuckle about 'another' one of my strange calls. GL

Op, do You check/call if:

Villain normally stacks, slides chips into bet?

Good question ... I think I actually do call some of the time. I have previously posted similar spots.

I think your point (and mine) is the presentation of the chips across the betting line. I've seen opponents stack chips and then push them forward with that half-smile on their face like they 'caught me' on the River. Live tells are so 'in the moment' that saying you would act one way or the other in print is a bit too black and white.

In this particular spot I think the opponent went well out of his way to make sure I saw the change in his stance about the hand. He obviously was showing weakness on Flop and Turn and now 'is king/judge' by slamming the chips? Why would he make himself look so strong and then expect a call from me?

The same 'could' be said for stacking and sliding chips if done in a similar manner. Slow deliberate betting always deserves a 2nd look as far as I'm concerned. Like any other tell, we need to look at previous spots and compare to see if there was anything there 'to see'. GL

I was thinking there is a sign of frustration in his actions, having been pushed out of similar spots by aggressive players in the past. Sort of like he has been punished, and now he is returning the same medicine to you with pleasure.

heroic, nice hand.

Generally, without prior knowledge, if I see a player do something strange/unusual when associated with a bet (like slamming down chips like this), I tend to think they are strong and relaxed. Of course, there are some players more likely to act in agitated ways like this when bluffing, and it does happen. But in a vacuum, I'm more likely to think they're relaxed and don't really care how they're perceived. There is sometimes an element of goading to slamming chips down like this, and the more goading the behavior seems, the more likely it's strong.

Another clue here, at least to me: villain goes out of his way to claim he plays a lot bigger, but only has $200. This says to me that he's probably posturing. I see that a lot. (I remember a guy recently who was playing $1-2 and bragging about regularly playing big games in Vegas, but he didn't know that the Doyle Brunson hand was T-2, and he was absolutely horrible to boot.)

Also, your opponent claims he loves the action but can't find a playable hand. This also says to me he's probably just posturing and trying to make excuses for playing tight. These two points would make me more likely to think he actually has a flush and is not bluffing.

Regarding this question: many players (maybe most at low stakes) don't think about how likely you are to call a bet, or how their bet/hand appears to you. In these river bet situations, I think a major factor is that there is already a substantial pot to be won, and there can be genuine indifference on a villain's part as to whether you actually call or not. What I mean is: early in a hand, when the pot is small, players with very strong hands will generally act in cautious, less-ostentatious ways, because they want to build a pot and don't want to scare off action. Also a contributing factor: players with strong hands early in a hand are genuinely thoughtful about the best way to play a hand, and this makes them less ostentatious in general.

This tendency will tend to decrease the larger a pot gets. In these big pot situations, players with strong hands already are assured of a decent pot and thus act more ostentatiously or strangely. They also have less to think about and are less thoughtful. This accounts for a lot of crazy, weird behavior when players make big bets on the river. They are genuinely relaxed and do a lot of weird things that don't really make sense from a "why would he do that if he wanted a call" perspective.

Having said that, some players do act in these agitated/overly-confident ways when bluffing or betting weak. It does happen. There are some players I play with whose unusual/agitated behavior when betting I'm more likely to interpret as weakness. But in a vacuum, I'd err on thinking an unknown player is relaxed with such behavior.

Great points in both posts 9 and 10.

I maybe have a little too much 'TV Hand' or Hero Caller in me when I play ... and I wish I kept better records on stuff like this ... but I just tend to be right a lot. Of course I don't get to see many Hero Folds that were wrong, but I do get the comments when I show a fold or make a call in an unusual spot.

Is it possible that just like bad beats, we only remember when we were right when using a tell for a decision as opposed to when we were wrong? GL