Hi all,

Might be a simple question but would like some input

Hero: has two black KK in the SB. Actually second time in a row. I'm the effective stack at 245

3 villians all limp (main V is UTG) i raise to 21

two call.

(~65) Flop QQ10

I bet super small.... 20. Main V raises to 45 other V folds.


Hero should?

I guess I should be checking my entire range here some of the time. Haven't seen this V ever raise before so I'm just assuming he has like AQ or QJ which I do believe he would limp call pre some of the time

I would have checked the flop.

Yeah check flop, AP call

I'd raise a bit bigger preflop and bet bigger on the flop. With the small bet size that you used, you end up missing value from worse hands that can call you, and you might induce a raise from villains who think that your flop bet looks weak. As played, I'm calling the small raise.

Bet sizing is fine and good (aslong as you also do it w/qx)

Always calling flop, evaluating turn

x/c flop

You could be WA/WB and it should be a check. It also depends if you have any read on villain. Not so much his possible range of AQ, KQs, QJs .. but what type of player he is. He can easily bluff you on that paired flop and put you in a WA/WB situation where you don't know where you are. He can do that with ATC and you got yourself in a very horrific and difficult situation. Mathematically in this situation you must be aware that vs. only one opponent he is only 8% to have a Queen. So, you check and based on his profile you call and see if to go to the turn and river.

Villain's range is important as far as you think he's having a legitimate hand range but his profile as a player is the most important for the reasons I just told you. Cards and ranges and all that stuff is OK, not great but OK. How do you like that? Always remember this is a people game and if you cannot get into peoples heads and figure why he's doing a specific action and why he's betting the way he does, all the ranges in the world will do you no good. You practically cannot win. Most people try to play NL like this is some kind of math game with numbers and percentages and stuff and ranges .. wtf? . ,, Well, that game is called Limit Hold'em and has been solved 100% by Sklansky and Malmuth. That game is a math game almost like playing Blackjack using Card Counting the way S&M figure it out years and years ago. Why you think S&M play mostly if not exclusively Limit Hold'em all over Vegas? . ... haha ..haha

On the other hand, the NL is a people game. In NL you don't read the board the way usually people do, but you actually have got to PLAY the board on the flop, turn and river. Take the board like it belongs to you and see what 5 cards hand out of 6 or 7 cards can you represent and actually play them against that specific villain. That's the art and the secret where the money are hidden in NL. Always remember that.