$1-$2 NL Cash Game

Players:
Villain is a typical loose-passive player

Button straddles for $5
SB calls - BB calls
Hero in the CO with Q T and calls
Button checks
4 players
Pot = $20

Flop: Q 8 3
SB checks - BB checks - Hero bets $15 - Button folds - SB calls ($85 behind) - BB folds
2 players
Pot = $50

Turn: 8
SB checks - Hero ??

My typical line would be to bet about 30 into 50 and then take a free showdown on the river.
But when stacks are this short, I get a little confused on the optimal strategy.

A) bet a standard 30?
B) overbet push 85 into 50?
C) check to avoid getting it all in?


Please advise.

--CM

Board doesn't seem that wet to me, just a FD and a couple of inside straight possibilities. Obv don't want 3 streets with TPMK, and often not even two. I check turn for sure. More conflicted about whether river is a b/f or a check back on clean run-outs, tbqh.

Without any particular information on villain's betting pattern I mix between bet turn/check river and check turn/bet river. Either way a bet of $30 is good and fold if villain gets aggressive. There are certain fish that will aggressive with nothing but a flush draw on turn but they are the exception and that sort of maniac aggression is easy to recognize.

If villain is particularly passive and might play a better QX this way then mix in some check turn/check river.

This advice is based on this not being a dry flop but it isn't super wet either. If the board was something like Qd9d7h I would aim for check/check a lot. With a really wet board like that there is no telling what is a bad card. You now want to get to a cheap show down with your top pair.

I'd opt for C (check).

Generally speaking, the SB range should be pretty strong given the straddle config.

Shouldn't have many 8X OTF as the shorty, and the BB behind.

I'd weight him more towards FD/QX/33. Maybe even KK+ that he planned to L/RR pre?

Pre - I'd open to $20 or so.

Raise pre, as played yes just jam, he could have literally anything, he's a shortstacked fish and we dont concern ourselves with such intricacies when holding top pair.

Bet 30 and fold to 55 more is the worst option imo. Jam or check; totally depends on sb tendencies. Some will have hands like gutters and Q9 and some will usually have you beat. More info is needed

Your right. I didn't realize that SB was that short. If you bet here you have to be willing to go with it. It's a bad sign if villain does shove but your odds are too good to give up when villain may have a worse hand or be doing it with a draw. That makes me lean towards checking turn and having a few check turn/check river plays. It really depends heavily on villain though, you want to know how he will play a better or worse QX. what he does with 8X and what he does with draws.

I think this is all well and good if we tagged as a smart player, but given he's a generic loose passive at 1/2, I think there's plenty of eights in his range here.

Looks like the exact villain and the exact holdings that we should be bet/folding.