In the wee hours of the morning playing with the East Coast's finest slippery blue chips (40/80) we pick up 66in MP2 and open raise. We get a smooth call in the SB and the BB calls as well.

Here are my reads -
Me: Slightly stuck. Just ordered my 3rd Johnnie Walker Black. Probably garnering less respect from the table for strong opening hands. Table sees me as generally LAGgy.

SB: Winning player in ring games who plays TAGgy but he's on a real steamer at the moment. He knows better than to smoothie in the SB so it's a clear indication he's not on his A game.

BB: Knows what he's doing and plays 80+ when given the opportunity. Has been drinking heavily and keeps asking us to play higher. Has been pretty passive and quiet tonight in general though.

Three to the flop which comes Q108
Check, check, we check back with our sixes.

Turn: 8
Check, check, we bet, SB raise, BB fold, we call

River: 4
Bet, we call

Open to thoughts on all streets. Appreciate the feedback.

J Lot

Bet/fold turn. Villain is aware that your check back range OTF is narrowed to small PP and occasional monster's for balance. He is more likely to delay his Tx and 8x hands until the turn.

I like it. You're not checking this hand back on the flop to fold a dry turn. Villain has more than enough draws to bluff with and I'd imagine this hand is higher up in your checkback range.

This post is somewhat contradictory. Villain knows we have a weak range, so we should bet/fold in the middle? I'd never bet this hand to fold it.

Plus, if villain knows our range is full of weak showdown, why would he ever check raise value?

Betting is debatable on the turn, but never folding to this turn action.

Yeah, I can't imagine there are any monsters in OP's range. OP has pretty much what he is supposed to have given the play of the hand, so it's just a guessing game that against many, many opponents involves folding the turn. This guy seems like a guy that has earned the right to be called down (decent player who is aware of our range is probably enough, but add to that he is tilting and might be more prone to try and take away the pot).

Folding this turn would be very exploitable, though I'm often doing it against morons.

Plus a moron is way more likely to go for the expert trap with a hand like A8 or J9 here versus someone at least trying to play well, since there's no reason to believe the turn will be bet if we check as SB.

I like the flop xb. Board texture really favors the steamy SB and its MW.

I don't like the turn bet, even though we frequently have the best hand. I'd rather xb turn and be able to pick off all his 97ss/J9/K9/KJ (which makes up large part of SB cc range in population) on the river when we are good, which we will be often enough to profitably call. I don't think its correct for villain to bluff all his missed draws on river, but given that he's steamy its more likely.

As played, I think you have to call down. He's repping enough combos of strong hands - but he has to parlay that with the likelihood that you will bet an inferior hand after xb flop in order to make his line believable. He prob didn't even think of the turn xr until you bet w a capped range (besides our 8x). Then he tried to push you off the type of hand you have.

I was torn about betting turn also. In retrospect checking back turn and calling all non J or 9 rivers seems ok.

the question i'd ask myself is how aware villain is of my turn play after a flop check back.

i've been owned so many times here and i realize i cbet the turn a ton when checked to after i check back the flop.

i'm not sure what i'd do with 66 in this spot.

my hunch is easy b/f turn against loose passives, and
check or b/?? turn against thinking players.

i don't even mind b/f flop.

+1

I agree with everything you wrote except for this:

He still has to respect the big blind; big blind hasn't revealed anything about his hand yet; it's a decent spot to check raise the turn still for the small blind.

I think it's well played but JW black is gross

Borgata finest

Looks good.


Would you have called down ?

maybe it s a sign you are unbalanced or bias with results

you're insane. nectar of the gods.

I usually just b/f this flop like a fish, but this is probably a better line.

nh. i play it the same (def good xb. good spot to have a few hands in the xb bucket for sure). you know they will give you glenlivet chilled neat when playing 20+ right? not sure why you're go to isn't that, or at least glenlivet rocks.

no coronas means it def isn't going well . straight to the hard stuff.

You play good

Here's a question for everyone. What does your check back range look like on this board? Now out of those hands, which, if any, make sense to check back twice?

I hate checking back 66 on this flop. Basically the only turn you like is 6x. I mean board pairing card is next best but I'd way prefer to check back a hand like AK that has more turns to improve, is just about as good on board pairing card and usually has more outs to improve when behind. If our plan is to check back and call twice, AK is just a way better hand to showdown.

I don't want to just give up either because my hand is best frequently enough on the flop. I would just bet-fold flop and really don't think I'll be exploited by doing so because I'm also betting strong hands and strong draws that they will be burning money with if they start check raising too light. I'll get bluffed occasionally by draw+overcard combos that are a slight equity dog but these hands are going to win this pot a lot anyway by either improving or betting bad turns/rivers if I check back.

This is what I've been thinking about and I'm not sure I have a good answer. I think I'd check AK AJ and maybe 99 and lower on the flop, but I'd bet them all on the turn.

Just for the record, I think if OP never folded a pocket pair on the turn given what I think a player type like SB would be up to given action, he'd be doing it close to right.

If we are going to bet fold, I'd rather do it with 77 because it has bad removal (as I think a hand like 97s would be a hand SB might try a move with). 22-77 is almost the exact same hand here showdown value wise.

I'm pretty sure ak and even aj fare way better against a k/r than 66 against a typical k/r.

However if sb is a sicko, he'd k/r a hand like 22-44 for FE vs 66 and for value vs ak/aj.

thoughts?

A8/K8 (maybe 1/2 of the combos?), pocket pairs 77 and below, some A hi, all Kxss w bdfd where x<8.

So after the turn looks to be checked thru, maybe 66 should be hi enough up to bet for value/protection.

We could limit the turn xb to some of the remaining A hi and the Kxss that turned a FD.

i do not like 66 in my check back flop range here.