2/5 game at Wynn at 3 am. I just moved to the main game maybe 10 minutes ago. Villain is 30s, Asian, looks like a competent grinder. I am also 30s but well dressed and definitely do not look like a grinder. He has ~2000 and I cover. Max buy-in is 1500 so being 400 bb deep is fairly common in this game but not really for me.

Half the table is straddling, including this hand. Villain opens to 40 in mp, I flat with A10cc on the button, straddle calls

Flop (125): 10 6 2

Villain checks, I bet 65, straddle folds, villain raises to 220.

Plan for flop and future streets?

May sound strange, but this deep I might have checked back the flop. We aren't getting 3 streets unimproved and really have no idea where we stand vs a PFR and a straddler. I would keep the pot small and play the turn IP.

AP, i think you have to call and re-evaluate turn. At this point though, I am likely folding unimproved to any serious turn or river pressure. And I wouldn't absolutely hate a fold to the flop raise either (nitty yes, but do we really want to play a big pot with our holding?).

you just sat down , no info on either V so I agree with shorn here

I think i prefer a 3bet pre, but flatting obviously can't be bad.

Definitely bet this flop. V can call with underpairs, and this board hits the straddler's range a lot. If you want to protect your checkback range, use some hands that aren't as vulnerable as this one, like sets or A6.

I don't particular like folding to the x/r when we do block top set, but don't block any draws. Unfortunately, there are so many bad turncards that we might end up folding on a lot of those anyway. Also we likely have bad reverse implied odds whenever we do improve.

If i had a decent read on V i would strongly consider 3bet/f to 800. Without a decent read, folding is probably best. Calling is probably the worst option.

All of what you say above is why I don't like a b/f line on this flop. We have zero info on V's so why not just play a small pot for now with good SDV?

I probably nit-fold here, especially if villain is type to apply pressure on later streets. Your hand is rarely going to improve and V will put you in a really tough spot OTT and OTR.

I also like a 3! pre. Gives you way more control over the hand.

These spots when the PFR x/r flop are so weird. Hard to say if they are polarized here or will also do this w/ JJ-AA. Regardless, I may call to see their turn action, but we'll be folding so often readless on later streets, I doubt it's bad to just fold flop.

Make it $450.

Please explain your thought process here.

I would 3bet pre, and without any reads, and especially because of this I would fold. Especially since you look like a recreational player to the villain (and your being forced to play out of your comfort zone with a med strength hand deep). FD's would likely cbet, even AK, rather than turn them into a bluff so I would think he has more value than bluffs.

I think checking flop expecting to get a delayed c bet on the turn

Surely this V is leading most of his flush draws

Isn't this V leading all his value hands here though? He's going to want to bet whiffed overs on this flop a lot, so he'd bet with his overpairs/sets etc. If he held TT he's not going to risk the flop checking through against two players and a FD out there, and he has no reason to expect that Hero will bet for him and enable a c/r.

Also there's no way I'm checking this flop 3ways.

I call and eval turn/river, typically looking to call down but there's some sexy runouts that could enable us to raise turn/river also if we want to turn our hand into a bluff.

1) We block TT.

2) As a field bettor last to act, we could be betting a lot of hands and V could be deciding to attack that.

3) V’s c/r looks FOS since he’d cbet this flop with value hands vs 2 players almost always.

4) If we call, we have no clue where we stand and will be forced to fold to pressure on later streets a lot OR call down on safe runouts hoping V is bluffing.

5) Bet/3betting may get V to fold better hands like JJ/QQ and continue with worse hands (FDs) sometimes too.

6) It freezes the non-sets and we get to the river cheaply in position in case V decides to continue.

7) We can safely raise/fold without playing anymore guessing games.


Basically, V’s hand looks like a combo draw or nut flush draw here so just calling on safe boards is an option, but I think it’s weak and borderline stationy. I prefer to take control of the hand right now and find out where I’m at. He’s never 4bet shoving worse than a set here.


Also, I find it hilarious that people want to check back this flop because we got checkraised. So much results-orientation.

i would not check this flop and i would prob just muck to the x/r. its exploitable but who cares. its ok to make nitty folds in $2/5 until someone proves they are very aggro/maniacs

Those are the key words. We're deep, with a pair of 10's, facing heavy aggression from an unknown.

Do ANYTHING but this

PS..I fold this preflop especially when I just sat down and dont know anyone.

Checking flop is fine as long as we arent being results oriented (think of reasons why we check outside of the fact the we got x/r). We'd also want to check more with the 6

As played snap fold. Pfr dont take lines like this as bluffs.

In theory it's a call otf, but you probably need him to be c/r hands like jqdd/45dd and other weak hands for it to be good. Would not be folding atdd.

You're 200 blinds deep

Checking the flop feels insanely results oriented, we have a hand that needs protection and also wants to make the pot bigger in case we win, which we often will even when our flop bet gets called. Once we get raised, I'm very happy to flat and go to the turn with an SPR of 3 in position with a lot of our range - yes villain can barrel us off of our specific hand on plenty of run outs, but we have a lot of hands in our range that he can't barrel us off of

I can go either way Pre. Flat is ok. 3 bet is okay. For sure matters who is in the blinds.

In this hand you're really just 200 bb deep. I disagree with checking flop; you're at near the top of your range (66/22) and this is a board you'll want to stab at a lot, so I like that your TPTK is in your bet range here. As played I'm for sure calling this initial raise and seeing how he reacts on future streets, assessing his sizing, etc. this is a spot I'd probably get milked if stuff bricks off and he bets like half pot twice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is most likely a flush draw that is trying to take control of the hand.

Calling and folding spades is fine - Your half pot bet is kinda small so could get attacked.

Folding now is fine as well but very unlikely that a set or overpair is taking this line.

The one guy that said fold pre until you get reads on the game is a good strategy. I've got put into so many bad pots in my first orbit because I don't know the players very well.

I would probably call and then proceed with caution on later streets. Honestly folding here can't be that bad until you have a better idea of how this villain plays. Be very cautious against unknowns.

Even against someone with a whale-ish appearance? I should have mentioned in the OP but I've been drinking heavily and was getting a massage when I first got to the table in addition to looking like I came from a business dinner. Also my bet looks weak af -- seriously, it looks like I mostly have exactly J10-A10 here -- and I'm obviously not defending my stack with it. Many are saying I should fold flop but can't the villain be thinking that I won't want to play a big pot with what looks like top pair?

Never ever checking back sets of A6ss with SPR almost 20:1. If that's what it takes to protect my checkback range, then I'm fine being super unbalanced here.

Also, why would I 3-bet to 800 even with a strong read?

You bet over half pot, why would the bet look weak?

A drunk whale businessman is never folding top pair. These are all more reasons to fold.