I admit I don't like playing ducks pre as a personal thing, but I feel like flop is where you want to get at least one person out. Other than the case 2 or some boards pairing, every single card has a chance to put you farther behind, especially on a two tone flop.

I am aware of the strength of how that looks, but it can also look like a draw as well. Him cold calling a raised flop bet doesn't really look any weaker to me. I didn't think he was doing this with anything worse than AK or a spade draw. I will admit not every set, even bottom set plays this way, but when we were behind, I think I saw more AJ/JsX for value, and some flush+straight draws if we were getting semi bluffed.

What are you talking about?!? The flop is A72ss. From the perspective of the V with 22 only a spade is a “bad card”. How are we “further behind” anything other than a spade draw if the turn isn’t a spade? I’m never expecting either the donk better or the PFR who just raised a donk bet to have JJ (only using that as an example because J was the turn, but the same applies for literally any other card that isn’t a spade) and there are no real straight draws (congrats if someone binks a gutter ball)

Additionally, the PFR just 2bet an Ahigh flop with the A being part of the FD. in LLSNL, it’s highly unlikely they would have a FD here. Most players aren’t taking KQss and turning it into a bluff here. So sure, maybe 22 actually could lose value if a spade comes (more likely because it shuts down action than PFR making a hand), but the alternative is the PFR just raised a flop. He will likely barrel a turn that isn’t a spade.

As for potentially check raising cold 3!ing looking like a FD. Yeah. Ok. Let me know how many times you see that in real life. That’s optimistic thinking at best.

I misspoke as farther behind. Obviously flopping a set here is great.

My point was that those 2s almost never improve. Even when it boats up, it's going to be the dingiest boat on the river. That's not to say you will lose with it, but I don't see people slow play sets of 2s that often, even when said flop action would look strong. That said, your interpretation of my post is correct, and that's on me for speaking. I get these weird brain spazzes when I type that sometimes just causes a typo, and sometimes misinterprets my own point.

I have seen far worse and yes, even 3raising with a naked fd. On this very forum, it happens in threads, and it even happens to V vs V, and one guy berates the player as he makes that bad play of doing exactly what you seem to be eluding doesn't happen. I am not saying we are always ahead and this was a rogue villain that 99% of the time, shouldn't do this with his hand. Merely that I was surprised with 2 spades, he checked his set on a flop, cold called, then checked again. Fish our notorious for not want to risk being sucked out on when they have a made hand. He was likely as surprised about the other V's donk as we were.

I don’t think this line from villain is surprising. He seems to be too passive (he was mostly limping PF in the description). And slowplaying isn’t that uncommon. Maybe he was planning a c/r on the flop and the action surprised him, and he got scared that people would fold so he called. It would definitely scream he has a monster if he gets aggressive on the flop, especially if he normally doesn’t show much aggression.

Even his turn raise wasn’t big. He doesn’t look like he is trying to blow anyone off the hand; instead it looks like he wants to get called. His turn play is more surprising to me.