Roadtrip to Hollywood Charles Town W VA.

Villain (1000ish) middle eastern male, 40ish, appears to be a weak reg. Called down with TPGK and an overpair in huge pots in the first hour after Hero arrived. There was an enormous whale (stack 750ish) in the game so that may have effected Villain's play. Villain lost to the whale with TPGK and lost to another reg with the overpair.

Hero (865) had been playing aggressively, but not aggro, mostly raising in position, lots of cbets, but no triple barrels (not sure whether Hero had double barrelled). Lost a buy-in to a reg, when Hero had trips, top kicker. Lost to a FH.

UTG reg raises to 20
UTG +1 calls
Hero in MP+1 calls with T8dd
Villain calls in CO
BB whale calls

Hero thinking T8s is perfect hand to play this deep, in position against to regs plus likely whale.

Flop 96 (after rake) Tc 8h 5h
checks to Hero
Hero bets 100
Villain calls
others fold

Hero thinking need to protect and get value from draws (like 97, 67, J9) and worse hands (like AT, KT, QT, JT, T9, possibly JJ, or slow played QQ), heart draws. Hands is strong but not huge.

Turn (296) Tc 8h 5h, 7d
Hero bets 200
Villain tank calls

J9 just got there, but that's a small part of Villain's range. Still betting for value and to charge the draws.

River (696) Tc 8h 5h 7d, 7c
Hero ???

Comments on all actions please, but most interested in river action.

What's he tanking for? Trying to figure out odds? Surely. He wouldn't tank-call on the turn with a decision on whether or not you've got it. That's for the river. I like the play up until the river, until which I'd bet for value.

You've got 545 left and he's got you covered. If he's drawing to a straight or a flush, he missed. If he has an over pair, he's got you. But would he tank-call with an overpair after not raising on the flop? Tough to say, but unlikely.

If you bet all-in 545 into 700, he's getting 2.3:1 on his call. What would he call you with where you're good? Middle pair with a busted straight draw? Ah-10h?

If you check-call any bet you may have more of a chance with the opportunity of calling a bluff/not risking a 545 bet.

Bet 350? Maybe. Widens his calling range and forces you to call a raise. You've seen him make plays for large pot with mediocre hands, giving him an even wider range.

This is a tough play but I would bet it. Assuming you've got an adequate BR I think that's the most positive EV

Flop bet is overkill. You're folding out everything that you want in the hand. It also sets up getting stacks in by the river. You know the pfr has nothing because he didn't bet. If you had bet smaller you could set up a b/f on the river. Instead, you have to either call a shove or shove yourself, knowing that all you can beat at this point is a bluff.

I guess I check, but I don't get myself here on the river with 2 pair when one is top pair. If I had a set, I'm happy stacking off.

Venice, I think this makes a lot of sense. My reason for betting big on the flop was that there are so many draws out there. You charge more for a straight draw and a flush draw as opposed to when there is only a flush draw, but all the cards are unconnected. I knew that any card between a 6 and a J is a scare card.

I guess I can bet 60 otf, making the pot 215 ott. then bet 150, making the pot 515. Then bet 250-300 otr, leaving about 400 behind. Basically planning to b/f turn and river.

Crowbah, I like your thinking too, but now I'm thinking I should bet less otr, even as played up to the river. Maybe I b/f 250. Crazy to fold getting a million to one at that point, but I think this is best becuase it keeps his range wide like you said.

flop bet is actually very good to my eye. i don't think we want a jack turning with two other players in this hand.

Agree flop is kinda overkill... but given reads I really don't mind it considering your opponents inelastic calling ranges relative to your bet sizing

I'm definitely betting the river small for value...like 225-250/fold. Still many combos of 10x he's going to feel "committed" with. You just need his call/shipping rage to consist of >50% worse hands for the bet to be +ev.

In this case you'll definitely value own yourself some of the time, but not >50% imo

"Crazy to fold getting a million to one at that point" Is not actually crazy because if he ships you're never ever good...like not even one in a million.

with regards to river, a block/value bet should work against this type of villain. repeat the turn bet. you'll probably never fold out better (i can't see him folding jacks here), but you'll get called worse (don't see him folding KT or AT either, which he has more often than JJ), and you'll save the 300 bucks from when he had X7hh.

I agree with Venice on checking this river.

And if bet we can never fold to a shove. I donk think you should give any V <10% air in an V's range. A check on this board and a lot of people can spew all they see in moniez in the middle.

Results:

Hero shoved otr (about 545)
Villain tank called (again)

Hero showed T8 top two
Villain showed 97ss for trip 7s, wins

I think I should have thought that 97 and 67 were a big part of his range, but still not sure if I played this well or not. I can see betting less on all streets, as Venice says. But I also think I get more value from AT and maybe KT as played. Maybe the key is that Villain would raise the flop with AT?

Thanks for the input.

Betting small 225-275 would have been perfect here

hate to be captain hindsight, but I would have written this without seeing the result anyway... villain tanking on the turn to your bet followed by a call with that texture suggests he's deciding whether to call or raise, whether it's a big hand he's just made or whether he's picked up a nice draw (like in this situation). Thus I think this is pretty clear bet/fold on the river, where you might get called down by the unlikely Th + Ah/Kh/Qh/Jh combos but it's mostly a blocking bet. Maybe a $200 "please call me I have a boat" sort of bet.

River is a c/f against a weak reg. By definition weak regs don't turn hands into bluffs (not that they would need to really in this case), don't bet worse than OP's hand, etc.

Betting big here is lighting money on fire...ch/calling here is meh unless you have some specific reads.