I'm on the BTN with effective stack of $191. Villain is a young 20's male, UTG and has me covered.

I have just sat down at this table and been seated for about an orbit. Only hand I've seen Villain involved in, he made a weird play with AA where he cold called a MP raise in the HJ, got 3-bet by BTN and then 4-bet shoved pre-flop. That's all I've seen him do since being at the table.

Hero: AJcc on BTN
Villain: UTG

Villain raises to $6, 5 people call including myself, SB fold, BB call. 6 handed to the flop.

Pot Pre-Flop: $37
Flop J95rb

BB checks, Villain bets $20 folds to me I call, BB folds, we're heads up

Pot Flop: $77

Turn 9

UTG bets $60 I call

Pot Turn: $197

River J

He puts me effectively all in but I have $5 behind and in blackhawk the max bet is $100 so its actually a spread limit game but it plays like NL. I shove my remaining stack for $5 dollars and he asks me to show first and mucks when I show Jacks full.

So before the flop my first thought is that this guy made a pretty small opening raise for 1/2, $8-$10 was standard for this table. Usually that might means a speculative hand that could make a big hand such as small PP's 2-T's suited broadway's KQ KJ KT and maybe small suited connectors 98s T9s etc. It didn't scream strength. It could also mean AK or AQ if he is one of those types that are afraid to play those hands. Due to his unpredictable play earlier and small raise size I kept his range fairly wide even though he was raising UTG.

Flop comes, a pretty dry board and his bet to me seemed like he either was trying to take the pot down right then and there or he might have a big hand set of 5s or 9s. He could also have other middling PP's like 6s 7s 8s Ts. I can't fold TPTK on this flop.

Turn is another 9. Now he bets pretty big on this turn and to me it felt like from his demeanor that he was trying to buy the pot, he seemed like a macho type of guy and I wanted to see what he would do on the river. Value hands he could have: K9s Q9s T9s maybe even 98s 97s type hands still keeping pocket 5s in his range, I think the small and middle PPs probably are out. May have KJ but less likely with the blocker I have. He possibly got married to AK and turned it into a bluff. I don't really understand what he was trying to accomplish with such a big turn bet because if he was going for value I would think he would bet smaller, also he may be a Donk so that could also explain it but at this point I did not know for sure. Having position I think it would have been too nitty to fold if he bombs the river I fold, if he checks I check back (Is this the right way to think about it?).

River comes the beautiful J and gives me the nuts he puts me effectively all in and I call. He does not show.

How did I play it?

Raise btn if you wanna play AJcc.

It looks better than it is in reality.

Another scenario an ace hits and you're priced in and stack off on later streets.

You got the best case scenario from playing this hand. But it was mostly luck.


His $60 into $77 is pretty weird but puts you in 'read' mode. You really didn't know what he had because you hadn't defined the hand pre-flop.

You got lucky and made the good call on the flop.


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Limping Pre is fine.

flop is fine, turn is fine, river is obvs.

WP

It sounds like you have him bet betting pretty wide so calling turn is ok.

Calling pre is fine if it's the typical SL call fest CO game. Please don't turn AJcc into a bluff either pre or post. More than likely all these guys are calling a raise and you'll have near zero FE.

Villain's raise is pretty small. He could be repping a bunch of smaller pp's and maybe even a bigger pp hoping to get 3bet so he can 4bet because of the way he played that previous AA hand.

Honestly the real question is this...

a) if the jack doesn't hit the river are you calling it off getting 3-1 OTR assuming the board doesn't come a A,K,Q? I don't see too many V's 3 barrel bluff at that level. If we are folding the river does that mean we should be folding the turn facing a nearly 80% pot size bet?

b) if he checks the river when it doesn't come a jack, and the river is not a A,K,Q, are we betting? If so how much? (I would bet like half my stack... and puke if it's a c/r).

I think those questions are ton more important. Pre and flop are pretty standard. Big decisions in this hand don't really come into play until the turn IMO.

Lastly... Not saying I would have thought about it at the time, but save that $5 and call him so he has to show first. I'm thinking seeing his hand was worth way more than $5.

I agree that there isn't much FE at this level and that raising the BTN would have still been multiway cause people generally hate to fold pre in 1/2.

In regards to (a.) I was thinking of folding to a 3rd barrel on the river if it bricked out and if he checked I would check behind (is that too passive?). As for folding the turn that is my big question and where the real tough decision is. If he has Big PPs QQ+ and sets then I should fold since I only have 10% equity.

(b) If river bricks and he checks I check because realistically what could he be calling with thats worse?KJ,Ts? not much. If river comes A do I bet? With not having seen this guy play much I would say no but if he had shown to call down lightly then yes but I think that would be pretty thin.

Without more information, V's preflop raise seems weak.

H probably maxed value by playing passively.

this was such a juicey spot to go $35 on the button, works like always

after that though you played it fine...he made it $6 pre your probably gold on flop and turn unless he was overplaying 9-10s or something.

*btw did turn bring a flush draw?

Well played. I wouldn't 3! pre into six players. You should 3! for value in this spot, not as a bluff with AJs. Flop and turn are all calls. Raising only gets called by better and you let his worse Jx hands fold. The river plays itself and you're getting as much money in as possible.

I agree these are more interesting questions.

Hero is losing to 17 combos on the turn, JJ+/99. Villain has 30+ combos hero beats, KJ/QJ/JTs/KQ and some AK/garbage. Hero should call.

I would call all river bets, unless a K or a Q hit. I might sigh fold because villain almost always beats a pair of jacks. Hero should never rule out spaz bluffs, but I think you lose too often to make calling profitable on K/Q rivers.

I would bet/fold if villain checks back non-K/Q rivers. Target worse Jx hands that might call. Villain almost never bluff check-raises and should fold all of his missed hands.