1/2 game

V (UTG, nit, $250) opens to $12,
Short fish (MP, $70) calls,
Hero (LP, tight image, $1k) raises to $40 with AAdc,
Both call.

Flop ($123): T66dd
Checks to Hero, Hero bets $65, V folds JJ, shortie calls with KJss.

I’m confused here.

How on Earth do I stack these nits if they’re only calling flop cbets in 3b pots when they flop a set?

I don’t like checking back flop and letting them catch their 2-outers, or let a third diamond kill the action either, but it seems like the only way to beat these nits is to slow play and make them “think” we have AK and their JJ is good/make them lead turn.

It's very tough to stack a nit. If he puts stacks in he's prob got you beat unless you have the nuts. The way you beat him is to to steal lots of small pots against him HU in position by simply betting pre and then C betting if he folds too often and bleeding him slowly.

I guess ITH, C betting flop isn't bad 3 way. Just lucky to get a call with KJ and unlucky to get a fold from JJ. On the other hand this is a pretty dry flop so what are the ranges that are going to call your 65? I don't mind the bet since it's 3 handed, but heads up I'd probably check back flop.

just be glad you got an extra $70 from the fish

That suddenly turns me into a spewmonkey playing/raising too many hands.

next time the nit raises pre just 3b him with 72o.....cbet the flop and when he folds his OP show him your hand......maybe he’ll respect your raises less then, lol

You must be such a boring nit. Try being light or fun or straddle. And 3b bigger.

Then I will start needing stronger hands everytime I do that because I’ll be getting called down on my cbets on other hands.

Ive seen somebody fold JJ preflop to a $50 preflop bet. I just shook my head. A lot of people in 1/2 are scared to bet big to build pots. Instead of $65 make it $30.

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Im going to assume we know this cuz V told you... after seeing your hand... ?

Bet $35 on the flop. You have Ad. There are zero bad turn cards. Checking flop is fine too. Pot is big enough to get it in on later streets.

In a $1/2 game you probably have AA KK QQ 95% of the time and AK 5%. I would have folded JJ too.

This.

Size down your flop bets on dry/static boards like this when your range is extremely weighted towards nutted hands (big overpairs in this instance), so its harder for your opponents to make herofolds like this and be correct.

Like are you C betting AQ or AK for $65 here into two other people in a 3 bet pot? I think the answer is very likely no, and non droolers (nits) will also come to the same conclusion. Nits biggest fear is to lose their entire stack,so because of that they dont mind making herofolds to avoid stacking off into QQ+ here, even if they are making the wrong fold some portion of the time.

Also checking this flop with AA some portion of the time is important, so that the nit can make the false assumption that you have AQ/AK because you didnt bet the flop and thus putting in alot more money with a hand like JJ in this spot.

The reraises you make with hands like AA, KK, QQ, JJ and AK should create some action for you. If you think not getting action with your big hands, adding reraises with A5s, ATs T9s or 87s will increase your profitability and disguise your strategy. Your opponents may or may not start giving you more action. But it doesn’t matter to you and you don’t care what they do. You actually don't care and I advise you to don't even pay attention and consider all of them as none existent (lol), ..., they don't exist. If they give you more action, great. AA and KK then become big winners for you. If they don’t give you action, then you get to bluff them out of pots with A5s or ATs and similar hands. Make sure your extra hands added to your 3! are all suited with big-card-value or connectedness-value. You want to have "equity-when-called" and the the best equity is suitedness. Also focus on raising or 3! in position, HJ/CO/BT with monsters and make it look like a steal attempt.

Put simply you don't stack nits, you stack calling stations. There's a reason nits nit, and that's because they often break even or are even ahead with the strategy. Look to take make money with 3 bets and c bets, but be careful when they start to have a lot in the pot.

more pre, less otf.

how do you know villain had JJ? did he show you? he could easily be lying after he saw your hand to make it seem like he made a good fold.

if he won't stack off with anything but the nuts just bluff him more.

Was it the right fold?


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Yes, but I’m confident he was telling the truth because I’ve played with him before and he’s indeed a nit.

You generally don't stack the nits with good hands, you grind them down hand after hand. Raise preflop to isolate and c-bet all but the worst flops, don't worry about balance until they start floating you, calling light or otherwise playing back. They will fold on the flop too often and you will slowly drain their money. It can be annoying when they fold a fairly good hand but just remember they are folding JJ on the same flop when you c-bet AK.

Nits can only profit when even worse fish put too much money in or when multiway situations force you to play face up.

Preflop raise is good. On the flop you can rule diamonds out of their range bc checked to you. I don't mind checking or betting flop, either way you got value. You probably wouldn't of gotten too much value off the nit unless the board ran out super dry. Overall I think the hand was played fine. You make money off the fish, not so much the nits.

You might be looking in the wrong place to exploit him. His fold may not have been exploitable at all because JJ may have been at or near the bottom of his range in this spot. If you start bluffing him relentlessly you might just burn money if he started out with a super tight range in the first place.

I'd focus on not giving them money rather than getting money out of them. Nits are missing opportunities to make money, giving you more opportunities to make money. For example, when you open CO and nit never 3-bets you light from the button or doesn't even cold call with some hands he should, you just make more money off of the blinds with the bottom of your range. Then of course when he does 3-bet you be okay making exploitable folds with hands like KJs.

This is a good post and should be re-read several times.

Youre probably only 3 betting him with QQ+ so he shoulda folded pre.

3 bet light and cbet flop for a smallish sizing with your entire range and stack him over time.

If you know he's folding jacks in a heads up pot just go ahead and check. Even a nit is going to bet on a lot of brick turns with JJ. It's probably worth risking the 8 percent chance that he hits his set by the river. Depends how deep you are and how big the pot already is though.

Obviously going into this hand you couldn't know that and this is a three way pot anyway. You played it fine, sucks that he folded.

I'm assuming you mean a $50 3 bet or did someone open raise to $50.

And there are plenty of people who I'm comfortable folding JJ to. If they are only 3 betting JJ-AK and only have a $120 stack then why would I call OOP with 36 percent equity?

Of course he isn’t going to easily pay off big bets. He’s a nit. It’s like complaining that the calling station won’t fold when you bluff.

Why do you think it turns you into a spewmonkey? Please elaborate on this. The nit won’t like it if you c-bet him a lot. They prefer to see you check the flop a lot instead.