Hero - 60 yr old TAG image
Effective stacks for both hands around 500

hand 1

solid Tagish mid 20s player open to 15 from MP , called by villain in late 30's(tight pre, can overvalue one pair post), Hero calls from button with 5s3s, both LP blinds complete

Flop Tc5c3c (75)

preflop opener checks, villain bets 45, hero raises to 145, all fold to villain who tank calls

Turn 8d (365)

villain checks, Hero shoves for 340, Villain tank calls. Comments on hero's line and opinions as to how he is doing at this juncture appreciated.


Hand 2

main villain - late 20's TAG reg(preflop 3-bet range prob JJ+,AQs+,AKo or even tighter)

Hero open ThTd to 20 from UTG, villain 3-bets to 60 from button, hero calls

Flop Jd9d8c (125)

Hero checks, villain bets 75, hero calls

Turn 5s -both players check

River Ts

Hero checks???

Hand 1:
I'd prefer a flop call over a raise. You are in position and I don't think you want to play a huge pot on the flop at this point. As played, on the turn, I guess you are pot-committed?

Hand 2:
You are definitely checking to induce. I can't find a hand that you are beating that would check the turn and then pay you off on the river (ie villain is polarized). I think you can call a river bet b/c given your description of villain's range, you only lose to a-q, jj and qq. you'd think he would bet the turn with jj or qq. so his bets are most likely a-q or bluffs.

Hand 1 I prefer a call but raising is fine if u plan to get it in on a most nonclub turns. Hand 2 is villain dependent. If he never checks turn with qq+ then check call river or check fold depending on his bluff frequencies. Otherwise I prefer a bet fold of 140-150 to get value from qq+.

H1: Despite BTN, I'm probably folding pre most of the time. As played, I'd probably call flop. Once you raise and get called by tightish player, I'm likely to try and get to river as cheaply as possible. Is V capable of calling raise with AcTx?

H2: Check-call as played. If V 3-bet PF range is even tighter, I'd lean toward a fold since there are more hand combos you are behind, besides the lack of implied odds.

Hand 1

Preflop is meh-fine. I absolutely positively hate that flop raise. What is our objective-- to fold out all the hands we crush and to only get called by hands that crush us? When we flop two pair hands on monotone boards, our objective should be to just pot control and realize value on turn (when AX type hands lose 1/2 their equity). We should never be itching to pump money into a pot that we could be virtually drawing dead to. I mean, when you raise this flop you ensure you only get called by sets and flushes most of the time and the only combo of hands that we are ahead of are AT or KT type hands and the KT type hands are probably folding.

We have position, lets use it. Just flat and reevaluate on turn and river depending on V's betting and any reads you get off him. V is almost always going to have a sizing tell on turn. If V blasts the turn then he has a baby flush draw. If V bets 1/2-ish pot he probably has a AT type of hand and is doing a hybrid blocking bet/value bet on turn... If V bets 2/3 pot he probably has a decent sized flush. Also expect V to check back a lot of his naked FDs.

Hand 2

As played fine. River is a super easy bet/fold 1/3 pot.



p.s. check out my PG&C thread http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...inder-1333131/


EDIT: I missed the OP description that said V overvalues top pair hands. In that case, I'm more okay with hand 1's line.

Hand 1: preflop, fold > 3-bet > flat. I wouldn't flat here with a hand that weak unless stacks were approaching 200bb. I'm fine with the flop raise given your read that villain overvalues hands. I'd size it more like $160 though. Turn shove is good.

Hand 2: fold preflop again if that's his 3-betting range. You have 35% equity against that range and obviously if it's tighter you're just doing worse. I don't think you have correct odds to setmine. Flop and turn are fine, and I like a c/c on river, unless his bet and sizing gives you some kind of read that he's strong.

Hand 1: Post-flop play is fine. Raise can be called by Tx if he overvalues top pair as you suggested, especially on the monotone board. He could have JJ in his range, as I've seen many live TAGs flat JJ instead of 3-bet.

Hand 2: I like flatting. Keeps your hand a bit more disguised in case villain has a big hand himself and is aggressive. Bad river spot, but check fold if he bets. You beat KK+ and AK. Only the latter checks this turn.