Playing in a private, loose-splashy 1-2 game. I’ve been card dead for nearly 3 hours, and the last two times I played a hand, the Villain blurted out (“Oh, he’s finally playing a hand”). Villain has already lost at least $300 and is playing with $200 he borrowed from another player. I have $310 and this Villain covers me. When I first sat down at the table, he playfully stated he was eyeing my money ($900) when I bought in at the table for $200, and when I said “Put your money on the table” (there is no buy-in cap), he jokingly noted that he couldn’t match it.

In the first of the two hands I played in the last two hours, I 3-bet with KQo from the SB after the Villain’s apparent weak BTN raise over one limper, and I folded to a MAWG’s min-raise 4-bet from the BB.

In the other hand, I similarly raised this Villain’s weak BTN raise with KQs, was called by one limper who generally plays ABC against me but is drunk and up a lot, and when I c-bet on an A-high board, he raised me and when I folded he showed Q8s (missed the board entirely). Consequently, the Villain could easily see me as a weak-tight nit.

Hero is dealt QQ from UTG, and raises to $13. Folds around to the Villain in the SB who calls. BB folds.

($26) 9 7 6

I bet $15…Villain checkraises to $40, I call.


($106) 4

Villain bets $50...

Given my image at the table, folding seems bad. However, if I'm behind and planning to bluff-catch, I could be fading at least half the deck. And while GII would force him to either call with worse or give up his equity, it would be a large overbet with a hand which could be drawing dead.

Ugh...

I would argue that your image means less than you think: unless villain is a beast or a crusher. 99 percent of 1/2 players are not adjusting appropriately in order to exploit your image, even if they needle you verbally for being a tight nit. I hear the same thing on a regular basis, and its extremely rare for anyone to adjust their game against me in any serious way. They generally still play the same ranges, the same lines and so forth.

Villains tendencies is pretty much all that matters here in my opinion, and if we have a firm grip of how he plays certain hands and/or have him solid profiled it should help us alot.

Does he ever stackoff light? Have you ever seen him take this check-raise line with a draw or even a pure bluff? Is he capable of overvaluing a hand like 1010 here? Does he ever slow down on later streets if he check-raises the flop, or is he always keeping the foot on the aggression? Do we have reason to believe villain is playing tighter since he have borrowed money in front of him? Or is he the guy who is chasing his losses instead since he is down in the game?

Without any further information, i would default to fold the turn due to the LLSNL populations long time tendencies to vastly underbluffing and being weighted towards made nutted hands with this kind of line.

If I could answer all of those questions, I would have had an easier decision

Kidding side, I didn't think he was playing tighter once he borrowed the money (from the guy who bluffed me off the A-high flop). He was a WG in his late 20s, and after he called and the BB folded, he said, "I guess I'm going to need a K to win."

The one hand I clearly remember in the hour prior to our hand is that he tank, openfolded to a large, turn all-in against his buddy on a Q-high board with KQ, after which his buddy turned over AQ.

FWIW, I'm not assuming he's running a cold, stone bluff. I'm assuming if he's behind he has more than just a couple of outs to win.

Tough spot. Not folding for that sizing. Not sure I like gii either

I'd flat and evaluate. No need to raise -- you don't gain much unless he's calling with draws.

As stated in another post -- being tight, I check call or just call down against a lot of laggier players and it usually pays off.

The villain is betting $50 OTT into a $106 pot and a board like 9764 because he's either got a combo-draw or a big made hand and he wants a call. He's either even with you or way way ahead of you. You got a small, so to speak, hand. Don't get sucked in deep into the pot.

If you’re up against AA or KK with a pair of QQ, you’re 4 to 1 underdog. And if you’re up against AKs and he's drawing, you’re only 6 to 5 favorite. When people play the way he did so far, they usually have one of those hands. Or he's got a flopped made hand like a set or two-pair.

There are better spots to get all your money in.

Standard call.

If we call the XR, why wouldn't we call on this turn.

cawl