This hand occurred last Friday and I would love to here some thoughts on the best way to play it.

Setup: 2 hours into $1/2 game that is playing somewhat loose preflop, but mostly weak/tight postflop. I started with $300 and now have $400, only showing down K6s which I raised to $20 from MP after a $4 straddle and flopped 2 pair. Otherwise, I have been pretty card dead and playing tight.

Preflop: Hero dealt A10

EP ($120) limps. (awful older black lady - skill level 4/100)

Hero ($400) raises to $10. (35 year old white guy, most attractive player in the room - skill level 81/100)

Comments on raise size: Larger raises weren't getting much action, I felt this was a good spot to keep the lady in or play a multiway pot with a nice suited ace.

LP ($130) calls. (30 year old Hispanic guy, has massively overvalued top pair post flop, on a rebuy - skill level 18/100)

BTN Villain ($500) calls. (MAWG playing tag, seems like he studies the game but has lost a few sizeable pots recently and shown emotional volatility - skill level 58/100)

SB ($200) calls. (MAAG playing 2/60 style, having fun while losing and somewhat sticky postflop but not getting out of line - skill level 24/100)

EP lady limp/calls.



Flop ($53) - T 6 2

Checks to hero who thinks for 15 seconds and bets $15.

My thought process was that I smashed the flop so hard, I want to keep some of the weaker draws and pairs involved. In hindsight, I think betting $20 or $25 might be better. I considered something like $30-35 but felt like I would only get action from sets and fold out all hands like 88, JT, 67, etc.

LP calls, BTN raises to $50, folds back to hero who thinks and calls. LP calls, leaving himself around $80.

I felt that this was a WAWB scenario and calling was clearly better than reraising this deep.

Turn ($203) - T 6 2 A

Hero checks, LP checks, BTN bets $100. Hero calls, LP reluctantly folds.

Again I felt like this is a WAWB situation, with BTN having some sets, random bluffs, lower spades, and odd hands like JT, KT. The sizing to me felt like he did not have a set that often since most players would bet larger to protect against the flush. I'm not really sure about this street, it was a weird spot.

River ($403) - T 6 2 A J

Hero - takes ~20 seconds and grabs a random amount of red chips, stacks it on a $100 stack and slides out a bet of something like $155.

I'll reveal what happened after some replies. I'm definitely interested to hear thoughts on all streets. Also interested in what type of range hero should be putting the villain on.

Your flop bet is obvious price setting. Either check/call or bet something like $25/$30. The sort of fish you are playing won't give up on JT on the flop. If they are so weak that they do then start c-betting 100% of flops. Calling the raise with the nut draw is OK but not automatic. You run the risk of LP shoving and BTN may have a good idea where you are in the hand.

Turn call is obvious, you want LP to come along. With top two and nut flush draw you can consider raising. There are so few other hands villain can have that will call a raise but sets that calling is fine.

River is automatic bet. After the way the hand played you can't expect villain to bet behind you. The sizing is small, something around $200 is better. Villain is bluff catching when he calls so you want to make it look like your applying some pressure. Less then twice the turn bet makes it look very suck bet and you have been representing a flush draw the entire way.

You only have $240 left on the river. Just jam it.

Flop bet is way too smaller,but you may have inadvertently induced spew,take a minute and shove and expect a lot of folds.

turn is debatable, but x/c looks strong, I think I'd rather x/jam
clear river jam. why bet less?

Bet sizing errors on flop and river are significant

Based on this hand 81/100 skills assessment seems way too high

Pre is fine
Flop sizing is not, if you bet would suggest a minimum of 25, even though we have a monster we can lose a lot of value giving free cards

As played calling the raise is fine

As played, turn is fairly close between a call and raise, if opponent has a lot of non-set hands just raise for value from worse 2 pair, aces and draws, a lot of these hands shut down on river

River sizing depends on villain fold ability, I think 150 is often better than shove

Good analysis, thanks. I agree with all of this and wish I had just bet $25 on the flop, I definitely lost value by getting cute with the small sizing. There were a few other hands in the session where players bet $10 into $40 or $50 on the flop and everyone folded, so I may have been too concerned with losing the fish by betting large.

On the flop, I wasn't worried about LP shoving since I have top-top with the nut flush draw I'm obviously never folding and might get the button to get caught with a much weaker hand.

River sizing I felt like the villain was more likely to call with a set/2pair if I didn't shove all in. Plus he might put me in for the rest if he did have an underflush which have only a few combos.

haha yes, that is probably true, I'm very rusty at live poker only putting in ~100 hours in the last year.


Pre is fine
Flop sizing is not, if you bet would suggest a minimum of 25, even though we have a monster we can lose a lot of value giving free cards

As played calling the raise is fine

As played, turn is fairly close between a call and raise, if opponent has a lot of non-set hands just raise for value from worse 2 pair, aces and draws, a lot of these hands shut down on river

River sizing depends on villain fold ability, I think 150 is often better than shove[/QUOTE]

With the turn, my thought process was that the villain can have soooo few combos of hands I beat that will call a raise. Basically, if I raise there, what can he call with that is worse? Villain folds all bluffs, all 1 pair hands, and only calls with sets, A6/A2/A10, and a few flush draws like KQs and 78s. Also, I wanted to try and get the last $80 from the LP fish who I think would get away from his hand much more easily if I raise.

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