Villian is an elderly guy who has been limp-calling almost every hand. In this hand he and one other player limp in EP, Hero is on button with AQ

Hero: ?

Raise for value for the largest amount you think you can get OMC to call.

UTG limps $2
UTG+1 limps $2
folds to Hero on button
Hero: raises to $15 with AQ
BB: calls
UTG: calls
UTG+1 calls (old man)


Pot: $61
Flop: A94
BB checks
UTG checks
UTG+1 bets $15
Hero ?

stack sizes: Hero around $300, villians in the $120-200 range

How passive is villain? If he is very passive call flop and fold if he bets again. Against a more typical villain call and evaluate on turn and river. If villain likes to donk small with weak made hands then go ahead and raise. $40 should setup a small enough turn bet and river shove that a station will call off with lots of worse hands.

Guy doesn't bet much, he's usually in station mode. His bet to me looked like Ax trying to control the bet sizing

Raise PF ... Every time .. as much as it takes to 'still' get a caller or 2, not more

Betting small into this board does you no good. AQ4 is different. Bet 1/2 pot min with 4 ppl still in the hand, get value. Are you getting raised here somehow? Never ... GL

stack sizes: Hero around $300, villians in the $120-200 range

UTG limps $2
UTG+1 limps $2
folds to Hero on button
Hero: raises to $15 with AQ
BB: calls
UTG: calls
UTG+1 calls (old man)


Pot: $61
Flop: A94
BB checks
UTG checks
UTG+1 bets $15
Hero calls $15
BB folds
Turn: K
Villian bets $20
Hero calls $20
River: 6
Villian bets $25
Hero calls $25

What is villians hand?

Most OMC would bet bigger with 2 pair (certainly on River), so he should have an unpaired Ace. GL

probably a set or 2p, but it really doesnt matter on the river. he's betting 25 into a pot of 130. you have to be good here 16% of the time. its pretty much a call all day.

if V can have the range of {AA,99,44, AK, A9, A4, 94s, AQ, AJ} we're getting the right odds. point being: all he needs is a little spazz factor for this call to be good.

AJ or AT enough of the time to call, if he shows aces up ul

Edit: also could see A4s

Call. I'm calling all the way down and loving it. Not raising for fear of blowing him off a weaker ace. You will lose in this spot some of the time to AK or two pair. But you will win way more I suspect.

Villian turned over AK which threw me. I also was putting him on a weaker Ax that was trying to control the price of going to the river

Villain has no clue about bet sizing. File that away for future reference.

It is also possible with this sort of loose and passive villain that he doesn't bet turn and river with less then two pair, so you might even be able to fold this on the turn or river. It is too soon to judge that though, as he could take the same line with AJ/AT type hands.

Thank V for you to loose the minimum and make a mental note. But be aware of the fact that youre being too passive as well, against such a weak donkbet on the flop, you should be raising a hand as strong as AQ for value, looking to get stacks in by the river. You will be good in most cases and taking the c c c small bets line you'll be missing value from AJ AT. Good hands dont come along as often a night playing live, you should be looking to extract the maximum when you get them.

This doesn't sound like the type of villain we want to get all in with with one pair.

I might still raise flop but I'm probably not setting it up to shove river unimproved if he seems to like his hand through the turn.

edit: Just reread OP/hand history, I probably valuetown myself here sometimes but probably checking back alot of rivers

Doesn't surprise me at all, lot of old man coffees don't understand bet sizing at all.

Judging by his betsizing, V is clearly clueless. I agree that we should not always look to get stacks in depending on turn and river, but on the flop we have to raise to leave this option open. As we are in position we can still control the betting and the pot on Turn and River. The line hero took here just seemed to passive to me, and most of the time will miss value.

OP, you may wish to read the stickies on how to prepare a HH. You will get better responses that way.

When people bet they think either:
1. I have the best hand and I'm making money when you call
2. I'm likely to have the best hand by the river and it's okay with me if you call, thought I'd prefer a fold
3. I'm bluffing

There's zero reason to think that he's trying to control the price whatever that means. He's happy to put money in the pot. He's betting for reason 1.

Whether he bets that small against everyone or is afraid that you specifically will fold to a larger bet I can't tell from your OP. If he's seen you open light from the button maybe he's afraid you'll fold your weak hand?

There's not enough info in your OP to tell what he's thinking except he clearly thinks/knows he very likely has the best hand, because he wouldn't be betting otherwise.

What you should be asking yourself? Do I have a stronger hand than he might suspect I have? In your case the answer is No!

nh

AQ is never good against an OMC betting into you here. They limp AK exactly for situations like this because it's "not a made hand." They also bet the exact same on every street regardless of pot size.