Hi Folks, keen to hear thoughts on a recent hand I played (probably trivial but whatever)

Context; Live 2/5/10 (Straddle) game where most players buy in for the max (1k), a typical good weekend evening game with a mix of recreational players (inc. me) with a range of abilities (loose fish to more 'thinking' TAGs), and a couple of full time grinders.

Game has been running for about 2 hours and Villain likely perceives me as TAG, have chipped up to c$3600 in largely straightforward situations; allowing a SLAG fish to barrel 3 streets into my flopped nuts, squeezing a few times in some obvious spots pre and post flop, and calling 2 flop 4-bet jams for 150-200BB pots w/nutted hands. Have not played with Villain before, but seems to be a competent ex full time grinder who is a 'thinking' LAG. He has twice folded to a 4-bet Jam pre flop after squeezing from late position/button, and perhaps something I should mention is that I gave him a friendly needle after the second fold saying 'You'll surely have to have it next time you do that'?

Anyway, for those of you who haven't gone to sleep yet - on to the hand.

Pre Flop
Hero (3600) Straddles to 10
UTG(800)+2 limps, UTG+3 (1600)limps, Villain (850) makes it 65 OTB. SB (1000) Calls 65, BB(whale with 2000) calls 65, Hero looks down at AJss.

Hero 3bets to 235, folds to Villain who after making some (out of character) obvious weakness tells (I don't think he was aware), tanks 4bets to 650 (leaving 200 behind). Folds back to hero.

Hero?

Especially keen to hear thoughts on his 4bet sizing given his SPR?

Cheers

Villian is definitely pot committed after that bet, so I'm not sure exactly what he's trying to do here. Maybe based on early verbal action he wants to give you a chance to jam or maybe he wants whale to come along for the ride, but the move is a bit weird either way.

I think at this point you need to think about the kinda of hands villian might have. If villian shoves with AA-JJ and AKs, then you are about a 2.4 to 1 dog. You are about 2.5 to 1 to call (with villian's odd bet size), so I think calling is a bit of a judgement call based on how tight/loose you think villain's 4bet range is here. Villain seems on the tight side based on earlier action you mentioned, so I would lean toward folding, but would love to hear others input on this.

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Thanks for replies both. Yes in hindsight my 3B sizing was crap...

Is he ever correct to 4b to the size he did with his stack size (unless it is some weird line where he thinks the whale in the BB is likely to call rather than vs a 'stronger' all in move?)

Results; I folded and he showed 64ss.

It was one of those live hands where my 'gut feel' told me I was good/flipping at worst - but the bet size spazzed me out. Don't know if I am ever right to be calling/shipping there regardless of the player...

Three-bet size is fine. Once you call, there's 260 in the middle, and you're making it 170 more to go. You're giving better than 2:1 there. So long as you size your premium value 3b that big, it's fine.

AJss isn't a terrible candidate for a 3-bet, but it's not really the best either. It has decent removal, but there are probably stronger hands to raise for value and worse hands to raise as bluffs. You really have to throw it away to a four-bet, which, as you realized, will be for most of someone's stack at that point.

Calling 55 more to win a pot that is already 215 (plus the potential of the limpers calling) is a very nice prospect, especially when AJss flops so well. You're in MP post flop, and if players are over-calling with suited Ks, suited Qs, and suited one- and two-gappers (like they do at my 2/5 game), then your implied odds are really good if you hit your nut flush.

The biggest problem is the one you discovered. AJss is a hand that can't call a four-bet OOP. Hats off to villain, call the 55 next time. AJs is about as strong of a hand as you'll ever flat out of the straddle, and four- or five-way, you can make a lot of money when you hit your flush.

Thanks for the reply Ety - your points are great, particularly re AJss being in my flatting range in that spot, quite obvious now in hindsight.

Cheers!

I like calling AJs and 3betting AJo

As played I'd fold

Generally 100 deep when were OOP we want to 3b an IP open to 4x the raise. So 240 as a standard plus maybe 40-60ish for the cold callers and I think 280-300 is a better size.

In terms of using this hand, I think AJs plays better multiway than HU because we can make dominating two pairs, broadways, and flushes for big pots. As the previous poster said, I'd definitely rather call AJs and 3b AJo as a bluff - plays significantly less good multiway.

As played, obviously we cannot call. His sizing is absolutely shockingly bad as well.