V1: strong player, definitely a winning reg and one of the better players in my pool, has been on a huge downswing this month though and has been playing more of his "B-" game because of it. Plays solid and straight forward, but can occasionally take some strange or tricky lines examples of what I've seen include:

-Limped UTG and then popped to 145 after a bet of 20 and 3 callers behind, still not sure if he had a monster or just limped 44 and then saw an opportunity to steal.

-Potted flop with an overpair and then over shoved AI on turn when it bricked out with QQ on a 934cc T board.

OTTH:
Hero(500) limps 99 utg, V1 bets 25 OTB, only hero calls.

Flop(55) J43 Hero checks, V1 checks.
Turn(55) 2 Hero checks, V1 bets 40, Hero raises to 125, V1 calls.
River(305) J Hero bets 65??!!

Logic: On checked flop I think MHIG like always as I don't think V1 is ever checking back a J on a wet board, which gives him most likely AQ/KQ/AK type hands or possibly 66-TT. Great turn card for me, and Ax hands picked up a gut shot so I check with the intent of check/raising his 10 outs and putting him in a hard spot....which goes to plan, at this point I didn't think he would call, but he does so that's slightly alarming.

River is another really good card for me, but I think I butchered it and have no clue looking back why I went for thin value, I guess I was certain on my read and wanted some 77-88 or A high hands to call down? River value is really really bad as I think at least checking allows him to bluff off missed overs+gutshot....like wtf does 65 accomplish? Anyway tell me what you think from the beginning!!

I hate the turn c/r. Your hand has showdown value. c/c and evaluate river.

I don't mind it too much. Since V raises pre, you might check a J on the flop because you expect him to c-bet. I like the thinking on the turn, although just leading into him might be better. If you had a real hand, you'd hate for the turn to check through, but does he know that? River is a good card, but your bet is too small. Either bet a "normal" value amount or check/call. Would be sick if he was good enough to raise this small bet thinking it was a blocker and assuming you can't call.

Well if your goal was to confuse the Villian you probably did a good job of it. The $65 doesn't make a ton of sense to me. It's either a blocker bet or someone betting super small with the nuts so the the opponent would call or try to bluff.

The problem I see with that is since it can be viewed as a blocker bet you are enticing him to bluff. If he ends up pushing you will be in a tough spot.

I would almost rather a bet of 150-175. That way if he pushes you can be confident that you are beat. I am assuming he has you covered, don't remember if you posted that.

Didn't clarify but yes he does have me covered, otherwise I'd have stated

What's ur take on the flop and turn lines ??

I think what bothers me a little is the check/raise on turn when you/he didn't bet flop. Not a whole lot of hands he can put you on that are strong that would risk a check through on the turn. Of course, this is why the J on the river is such a good card, because a J is one hands you might check/raise on turn after he doesn't c-bet. River bet too small regardless.

Pre - raise > L/C.

Flop - fine as played. I'd C/C if he bet. I think he is betting TT and club draws.

Turn - as played, what value hand would C/R turn? I prefer to lead after the flop checked through. If he's aggressive post, C/C.

River - as played, your hand looks more like a missed draw with that sizing, so he might look you up with A-high.

grunch. I don't hate the whole thing. your line makes no sense, and a perceptive villain should call you down with some worse pairs and A-high hands.

Yeah that's kind of what I was going for.....really thin value, I honestly have seen him have a tendency to make hero calls so I though I could get looked up from 66-88 or AK

I check the flop there with the intention of calling.

On the turn I wouldn't check raise. I would probably lead out. Can't remember the size of the pot but probably 1/2 - 2/3 pot (that is usually my standard bet sizing unless it's a crazy loose table I bet bigger).


By check raising the only hands that are calling that you beat is a flush draw, 55, and maybe Ax. It was a good size raise there, so I don't see him continuing with Ax or 88-66.

So my line would be bet turn and river (with the J being a safe card).

Would love to hear what he did with the $65 dollar bet though.


EDIT: 99 is always fun though!

If you think he might call $65 w/ A high and doesn't have the cojones to raise with worse than 99, it was a great bet

That seriously was my intention, and I honestly might even call a spazzed out big bet if he came over the top (read dependent)

***Spoiler***

Hero bets 65 OTR, V1 snap calls with KK takes the pot.... :?

I misread the preflop action. I thought you were the Pre flop raiser. I don't like your line as much with the limp/call pre. V can check back a lot of strong hands on the flop for pot control.

Talk about weird lines -- what was V thinking? (He might have gotten the most he could, though.)

Grunch..

99 is certainly strong enough to open UTG, why not do that instead of limp-calling? Better to have an uncapped range

Flop check is fine. Turn x/r makes no sense at all. Are you bluffing or betting for value? No shame in check/calling here.

River, again, when we bet out we're so vulnerable to x/r. Just check to induce a bluff

most of it was covered, agree with raise pre, agree with as played c/c turn, as played dunno, wouldn´t be in this spot. if I found myself here, would prob just shove and hope for whatever dunno...

Question is does he call with KK if you make it like 125 instead of 65?

riv sizing is borderline criminal, particularly against a "good" player. You have to bet 250-shove to fold out his entire range, but you have to know he's good enough to at least consider folding JQ+... there should be zero hands <99 left his range that can call any reasonable amount otr...

i wouldn't limp 99 UTG

Villain had KK.
It's always interesting to reverse engineer what Villain was thinking when they take a strange line like this.
Pre looks normal enough.
Flop. This is the weirdest street. The club draw alone should have had him betting. Was he trapping? This just appears to destroy value. Do you think he had a (bad) read on you?
Turn. So now that he's given you a free card - you c/r him. I bet he was internally kicking himself for opening the door to a suited 56 or A5 or 22
River. Your bet must really have messed him up. I guess a call just seemed the most sensible thing at this point.

Did he talk about his flop action after the hand?

Pre: raise with 99 UTG, limping here is just bad. take the betting lead early so it makes it harder for good players to abuse position on you

Flop: had you raised pre, make a cbet here, this is a good flop for 99. as played, check with intention of calling a flop cbet is fine

Turn: barrel turn and evaluate river if called again. as played, just check/call here. there is no reason to check/raise. you will only get called by better hands and you will fold out all of his bluffs.

River: keep up the aggression by going for thin value here, but i would probably bet 1/3 pot. as played, i think a check/decide would be best. be happy to get to a cheap showdown when he checks back. consider reads and ranges if V1 fires out a bullet on the river and decide from there

Grunch - I don't mind the flop check in a wa/wb situation.

I really dislike the turn x/r. I don't think you have many value hands you check flop and turn here on a wet flop. You're really only projecting 65 here. You also have the second nut bluff catcher behind TcTx.

If we bet this flop and get called, can you share your plan ott? I'm
Not disagreeing, genuinely curious.

Not really sure what you are doing throughout the hand. I am probably raising preflop. After the flop goes c/c, I am betting ott here. As played, I don't think villain is ever calling otr with worse. I wouldve liked a bet turn then bluff catch river line much more here unless you are setting up villain to spaz and are going to call it off if villain raises our river blocker. I think even with the turn c/r I am probably bluff catching otr even though I think a bluff would be much less likely than if we had just bet ott and villain called. If villain is as good as you say he is I feel like we are insulting his intelligence with this blocker bet otr. I am a little surprised villain didnt raise otr with KK.

I guess it all comes down to the dynamic you and villain have. I dont know how villain views you but I just dont see your line being here.

This is really fishy.

Limp-call utg with 99, then checkraise turn and turn hand into a bluff, and then to top it off you bet 1/5 pot OTR as a blocker bet. This is the exact line I see from recfish/whales and its so obvious what they have.

If you're goal was to try and level him into bluff-raising you because you so blatantly don't have a jack or a boat and intend to snap off a massive raise.... then uhhh, idk what to say lol. It would have worked vs me though, so wp OP