This just goes to show you how OCD I can be, over a hand that I likely couldn't have prevented that ate a big bite out of my stack. Could I have done anything different? This was 2/5 at Mohegan Sun, I have the villain on the BTN covered.

Hero is dealt QQ UTG+1. Hero raises to $25.

CO calls. BTN calls.

3 players, pot $75.

Flop: Q93

Hero checks. CO bets $50. BTN calls. Hero raises to $150. CO folds. BTN calls.

Turn: 10 pot $425

Hero knows that he cannot check and be afraid of a flush that likely will never appear. Hero also knows he priced out flushes with a flop c/r, and that what would really be stupid would be checking and allowing number 4 to appear.

Hero bets $275. BTN raises $509 and is ALL-IN. Hero makes a crying call.

BTN flips 54.

River: 4

I mean, I did raise the flop, and he said that he would not leave the board to a draw...his table image was relatively tight, and he picked a rather interesting time to "make a move"

Cooler. But dont check that flop. You were the Pf raiser , they expect you to bet. When u check it screams QQ. What if it had been checked through? Then you just gave the hand away without even charging anyone.

How do you think you ever priced out a flush their? You are so bad he always has a flush their. Uh Original Raiser opens and someone flats behind then he flat calls behind your 3 bet again uhh polarize hand much. Easy to solve 3rd diamond comes on the turn you check and try to get a cheap showdown. Most of the time they will prob give you a free river or at least a cheap one and you can call fill up and scoop pots and spend money on hookers and coke.

+1. Check the turn. The hand is not a cooler, you said his image is tight, you can get away if he doesnt give you a cheap river.

This is why position is so important.

Flop raise was $200, not $150, made a mistake because it was $150 on top at 4 am. I went for the c/r because CO's image was bluff crazy and tried to steal pots, otherwise I agree that lead is the best play.

This is all good advice, although I think he would have shoved if I tried to price him out on the flop...his turn action signifies he is not afraid of a higher flush. But I agree that as played, losing in that manner would fit the definition of a cooler, at the very least.

24 hours and you can only get three responses?
Where is the TPTK crowd advocating to keep betting when out of position? This is hand is similar but worse, because you lost more.

You make some questionable assumptions:
"likely couldn't have prevented"
"cannot check and be afraid of a flush"
"priced out flushes"
"really would be stupid would be checking"

It is unfortunate to get these big pocket pairs out of position. Worse to flop a set and lose. I have seen people bet less, say $15 preflop, which ratchets down all of the following bets.
You can lead the flop and reraise if raised.
You can lead flop and check the turn if just called. The turn bet will be smaller by the made flush and therefore you may lose25% to 30% of what you lost here.
It takes a big time player to fold a set on the river to a big bet when you don't fill up mostly because egos won't allow it.
Better luck next time.

One of the problems is stack size. We seem to be stuck with 100BBs as "standard" despite it being so difficult to play.

I probably lead $100 on the flop and shove most turns. Since you went for the c/r, I'm not exactly sad about a CRAI on the flop. It's an overbet, sure, but the problem is that the board is so drawy that you won't be able to price out ANYTHING on the turn. If you take the pot down, you win. If anybody calls, it's at the wrong price, so you win.

OOP is tough enough as it is, let alone on such a dripping wet board. On that flop I'm looking for protection more than I am value.

yea you have to lead the flop. lead/call or lead/shove is much better than c/r IMO.

Other than check-raising more on the flop (to 175), this looks pretty good. You should be betting turn unless he is a super-nit and when he shoves - it sucks but you got odds and outs to suck out!

But yeah - I will always lead flop/3b and always lead turn if called. C/R is ok, not great - but it's not as good as leading. If you raised to 200, it's good. Villain makes mistake by calling - if that is the case.

Thank you for all of your replies!

I will admit to raising for value, not protection, on the flop, and I made up my mind to lead the turn after the c/r. Villain is a calling station incapable of a raise, so I believe leading the flop would have likely led to 3-way action on the turn, although I would not be pot-committed.

Leading the turn felt was win-win, since I was the PFR and I could protect my hand in the event of no diamond or rep the nut flush/protect against a potential 99 sucking out in the event of the diamond. Villain's 54dd shove shows me that he obviously did not care about situation #2.

I guess an overall question is this: am I giving my opponents at 2/5 too much credit? I find myself routinely being called down with top pair and low draws even at this level, even by players who are regulars when I feel I am representing something better, and I play the normal TAG amount of hands, so my image is tight and not characteristic of spewing chips. I expected a higher level of play as opposed to 1/2, but the only difference I really see if that players are less-likely to play garbage pre-flop. Maybe I should stick to more fundamental poker and stop trying to be so tricky.

this is a pretty ez check turn/evaluate pot odds spot

agreed urz, check/eval turn. (see the "ducks" thread in this forum for a similar hand).

looks like the stacks are fairly deep - if I am reading this correctly, there was nearly $800 left to bet on the turn. and villain's call/call on the flop points to flush draws as main group of hands in his range.

if you think cutoff is bluff-crazy, you can try leading into him on the flop for $50-60 and see what happens. i guess your other option is to checkraise larger: $275 would be potsized raise and something slightly larger destroys implied odds

Bet 100 on flop. Reevaluate on turn. Folding will be a lot easiar if you check the turn. You flopped top set, but after the turn it isnt the best spot to put chips in. there will be better spots later.
In 3-5 Nl in my area it is best I think to stay away from being tricky. It justs gets you in trouble. Most time playing straight forward will pay off, with a couple well selected steals

Did you make this decision before seing the turn card? You cannot play the hand in a vacuum. You have to figure they are calling you with something.

Granted you got lucky (to flop a set) and unlucky the flush came and you did not fill up.

I am not sure I understand the too much credit question. People call with draws.

You say you are representing something better than top pair; here you had top set and were called by 54 flush. They will call ou down when you have TP, sets and two pair with straight and flush draws, basic poker.

How are you being tricky?

We have all had sets go down to flushes/straights and the key is to lose less or bet super big so that they really look bad when they miss.

I considered all possible situations, but I overestimated my ability to take the villain off his hand. Limp-calling pre-flop points to either a weak draw or a small pocket pair, and his line on the flop points to either, as well (with the small PP being a set at this point).

But I was far too aggressive and actually needed to be a bit more passive on the turn...is this a leak for live play? I am a converted online player, and showing weakness in this spot could potentially provoke steals by lesser hands who would interpret the line as fearing the flush in this environment--is this less common live? Am I actually over-thinking this?

And I guess this answers how I am potentially being tricky, as well. Also, "I find myself routinely being called down with top pair...even at this level, even by players who are regulars when I feel I am representing something better, and I play the normal TAG amount of hands, so my image is tight and not characteristic of spewing chips. " does not apply to this hand, but what I am seeing in general.