Interesting spot on a Sunday afternoon in my local 1-2 game. The game has been pretty standard, not particularly nitty or splashy.

Hero: 30 year old male. Up a little bit this session. My image should be solid. Participating in just a little bit of table talk, but I've been mostly quiet and slowly building my stack. Approx $400.

V: Approx 60 year old male. Been at the table for a little more than one orbit. In only 10-12 hands, he doesn't seem like OMC. He's been active in several pots so far. He recently flopped a set of 7s and then rivered a boat. He took a c/b/r line in that hand. Hero covers V, who has $300ish. V appears to be either running hot or is liberal with his chips. A little too early to tell.

V and I have been involved in one hand so far. He limped from MP and I checked from the BB with KQ. Everyone else folded. Flop was AQ9. Check, check. Turn 8. Check, V bets $12. I call. River blank. I check, V bets $35, and I fold.

OTTH:

V limps UTG. One other limp. Hero limps 5h4h in the CO. Both blinds are in as well. Five handed.

Flop ($10): Jc, 3s, 2s

Checks to V who bets $15. I call. Everyone else folds.

I know not all my outs are clean. But I feel my straight is hidden if I bink it on the turn. V has a decent-sized stack, which could make this a valuable spot if I hit. I'm also prepared to fold the turn if I miss.

Turn ($40): 6c

V bets $25. Hero raises to $75. V pauses briefly, asks the dealer "is that $75?", and calls.

At this point, I'm ranging V on either a set, or a combo draw of some sort. Quite possibly Jx of spades.

River ($190): 5s

V looks at the board, subtly nods as if he is counting the cards on the board, and bets $65. Never looks at me.

Hero?

What do you guys think? He's bet about 1/3 of the pot, less than my total raise on the turn. I have $92 invested already. Do you guys read this as a value bet or a blocker bet? It's hard for me to envision him doing this without a flush. Could he be wanting to get to showdown cheaply?

I welcome feedback on earlier streets, as well.

Fold 54s pre. You have 5-high. Most strong hands you make are non-nut.

Calling isn't horrible, but I don't think it's +EV long-term this deep.

Calling the flop is OK.

A pot sized raise on the turn is 115. I'd be making it to 90-100; 75 is too small.

Call the river and let's hope he has a flush < 25% of the time. Raising is too thin.

Ok. Without willyomans response which I'm sure is very good. We have 13 hands which rule out OMC very quickly which is important. The next question we ask ourselves with this bet size imo is not whether we fold or call, but instead whether we call or raise. At 4 to 1 we cannot be sure enough to fold. We have a limited idea of whether Vil has 2pair or a set and is block betting vs a flush and a great price in addition to fold. So then the question is will he call w worse, OR fold better
Once again, limited information intuitively leaves us just calling. How can we confidently say this low stakes player can read our line and fold a small flush? We can't. These early spots can be tough but I feel like a call and adjust line is a perfect here. We gain info and avoid a 3 bet/fold spot in a questionable spot.

To add after reading. 54s is a call or raise spot definitely. Call is the worst option. Let's iso the villain and gain FE with our hand to turn it +Ev in this spot. This is more important info than result oriented post flop play btw.

Can we fold here?