Preflop:
BTN-2, Hero LAG, opens with Ks8s. BTN-1, TAGfish, 3b! Blinds fold, Hero calls.

Flop:
7s9s9d
Hero checks, TAGfish checks

Turn: 3c
Hero checks?, TAGfish checks

River: 2d
Hero checks?, TAGfish checks


Reads are that TAGfish usually plays quite straightforward postflop, but has random fits of aggression. He will check back and check down a lot of hands, including AK HU. After he checks flop, I put him on an Ace-high that is always calling me down, or a slow-played overpair. A friend suggested that I should donk and 3-barrel this hand. I'm also thinking I need to have a wideish 4b range pre, including premiums and suited garbage at the bottom.

Seems like your read on him is pretty dead on; he probably happened to have the one hand not intending to call down a turn and river bet on a low board run out. The way to exploit TAGfish who take passive, showdown-bound lines like this isn't to bet K-hi into them in this spot, it's to bet 55.

lol @ donking flop.

Phunk, a theme I believe I've noticed in this thread and other of your posts is that you're very results-oriented. I think working on that would definitely help improve your game.

Why do you call him a TAGfish if you don't know how to exploit this?

Against someone capable of checking back this flop I think establishing a donking range or a preflop 4 betting range makes sense. I would not donk this particular hand because I want to have some draws in my checking range and it therefore makes sense to check those draws with some showdown value in them.

I would include my lower flush draws in my donking range.

I don't see how I'm being results oriented in this hand. I feel ok with my line, but could see merits of leading turn/river to put pressure on his unpaired hands. Donk/double or triple was an interesting line a friend suggested that I thought was worth bringing up.

The biggest reason I hate being draw / weak value heavy for a donking range is because that's exactly what a TAGfish puts people on when they donk.

in the OP you posted what he had, and based on that you were suggesting different lines (after the fact) to try and defeat that hand. that's the definition of results oriented

You played it great and owned villain. Aside from winning the pot this was an excellent result.

I think the range vs range equities are tipped in the cutoff's favor, so I don't like having a donking range.

If you don't know what to do in these spots postflop do you really need to open the K and the 8 2 spots off the button?

I don't know which line to take. The good thing is, I'm choosing from multiple +EV lines.

I need to have a donking range vs this villain, and three barreling puts a lot of pressure on him. I'd imagine any hand with poor SDV I could *profitably* donk and 2/3 barrel on low dry flops. This also exploits the fact that he doesn't bluff-raise enough. By extension, I can also 4b pre semi-wide.

If I check, I can gain reliable info and crush. I can choose to get free cards; I can try to attack and barrel one or two streets in case he does fold some aces.

So your saying that donking this flop is unquestionably a + EV option?

Haven't seen results. I'd certainly consider betting this turn against villains who aren't going to call two streets with ace high.

I would play it the same and be happy about how it went down.

I donk. I expect him to fastplay his overpairs ~80% of the time, delay only about 20%, and bluff-raise very rarely. If he raises flop, I can play against his face-up hand. If he flats the flop bet, I'm getting 9.5-2 on a turn barrel. I like my chances against a guy who doesn't know how to value bet AK on dry flops.

SPOILER for Original hand: Villain shows KQo. This information is pretty important. Really, discussion of how to play him in the future is more useful than how I should have played the previous hand.


Hand 2 vs TAGfish:

Bad Loose Passive limps EP. Phunk raises 88 BTN-4. TAGfish 3b's BTN-3. All call, 3 handed.

Flop: 47Ar. LP checks, Phunk donks, TAGfish calls, LP folds.
Turn: 2. Phunk bets again, TAGfish tanks and folds.

What do we think about turning 88 into a bluff here? Is this one of those fabled merge spots, since I am simultaneously bluffing against 99-KK, while protecting my hand against unpaired overs.

I think you did a good Job of using hand 1 to find a way to bluff him off of KQ in hand 2.

What exactly is a Tight Aggressive Fish?

why not k/r flop to make extra monies and get villain off 99-kk

or donk turn to get villain to fold kq if he xb flop

Dude, to improve your game, you should try to put the villain on a range of hands, rather than one specific hand. =) I'd also expect him to muck flop with KQ.

He's a fish who gets lost when he doesn't have top pair. i.e. he is likely to check flop with 99-KK. If I lead turn after he checks flop, he'll probably cry call turn, and I have to barrel 2 BBs to get him off the hand. If I donk, I only risk 1.5BBs, or 0.5BBs in the event that he raises flop (which is almost always an A).

Tight aggressive preflop, but a fish postflop would be my simple answer.

Dude to work on your game you should try to understand the point of my post. Here's a hint (his rnage is KQ and worse)

i don't see what else you're supposed to do. looks like dude is planning on snap calling down.

Smiley face missed here!