I'm ultra lag 40/30, guy plays back a bit and I think I absolutely have to defend jto considering how often I'm raising preflop.



[converted_hand][hand_history]Party, $0.01/$0.02 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite. View Hand #37647595

BB: $2 (100 bb)
UTG: $5.28 (264 bb)
Hero (BTN): $3.67 (183.5 bb)
CO: $2.14 (107 bb)
SB: $2.29 (114.5 bb)
MP: $2 (100 bb)

Preflop: Hero is BTN with T J
3 folds, Hero raises to $0.06, SB folds, BB raises to $0.18, Hero calls $0.12

Flop: ($0.37) 8 9 J (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.27, BB calls $0.27

Turn: ($0.91) 7 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero ??

No, fold pre --> logic is flawed.

"Because I'm opening wide preflop I "have to" defend by calling more" = incorrect. If you're opening wider pre it should be to exploit the population. JTo is a bit too weak to defend vs. 3b

can go any sizing you want on turn, just don't check

Yeah thats one conclusion I came to reviewing the hands. Most people are still only 3betting their regular amount, rather than adjusting to my play at all. I'm seeing monsters all over the place when I call and for the most part I'm vs very strong hands.

Playing LAG has to be a better strategy at higher levels. I just can't see it working out well at 2NL, can it? People are just stations, myself included sometimes. I still fight the "it's only 50 cents, I call" thought process occasionally lol.

Also, I don't think people generally adjust very well to what other people are doing at 2NL as they are more focused on playing level 1, as they probably should be.

The second paragraph makes it significantly easier to play. With people taking passive lines, playing nitty (in a sense), yet still calling down light (so our valuebets make money) it's actually easier to play lag.

A lot of my steals are just me exploiting their play preflop, like not defending BB enough vs button or SB opens, or folding too much to 3bets from the blinds when one person limps, or defending KJo in BB vs button because button is opening wide, and when we hit our hand we can collect 1->2 bets confidently without them constantly triple barreling us and putting us in hard spots.

One reason why playing LAG is better on higher levels is rake. Many ppl want to play LAG cos it is so cool, they exploit lord knows what etc.
They do not realize that rake eats the small amount they can get by playing to wide. The only position I would advice to play very wide is SBvsBTN and better on zoom table.
Note that rake is big issue and easily can shift a weak hand from small+ to losing hand.

Are you suggesting BB should be folding KJo to a BTN steal?

Jto is definitely a hand you have equity to call with against a normal sized 3bet it's 3x your bet, you need 33.3% equity Vs his range to make the call which I guarantee you have, especially being IP

If you are playing a very lag style I'd personally like to see smaller raises preflop. Your range is going to be a lot weaker than someone playing 20/18 therefore you don't want to be putting more money in pre against a stronger range I'd say 2-2.5x rather than 3x

Pre I'm calling the 3 bet, flop is WP turn is a definite value bet, you lose to 1 hand, you have a lag image build a pot with it when you have the goods, going o be hard for him to lay down an overpair against such an aggressive opponent, he could even be checking to you to induce no need to slow play here.

JTo really has the required equity. Another thing is that the equity is correct only otr (or when AI) otherwise we must accept that our equity realisation is not 100%.
In my experience JTo is fold pre, better call weaker hand suited.

if you know btn is stealing just 3bet or otherwise fold it, its crap oop.

as for the hand, this is a fold and JTs is a call, ap bet turn obv, he can be taking this line with not only draws but also overs given the boards texture. if river bricks, bet big, make it look like we missed that spade draw, get some fat value, will ya?

Well the credo is "play big pots with big hands" so I would bet here
I think an overpair will call you at least one more time.
I'm not sure whether I would call. The flop smashed your calling range. The turn does not help. You have so many sets and straights here that it's hard to see a hand that would loose from KK or AA. However it's KK / AA !!!!!!!! you don't fold those , especially not against some wild agro way too laggy player

KJo is very easy defend in BB vs BTN