2/5 NL

V1 - $1400 - Aggressive player. I have only been seated an hour, but this guy has the respect and admiration (?!?!) of the two guys on either side of me. He has opened fairly often, but plays more cautious as the bets get bigger.

Hero - $400 - Not sure what the table thinks of me. Earlier in the session I limp, 3! to take down $100 in dead money when V1s EP $20 raise was called in 4 spots before I made it $125 to go w/ AT. Other than that,, I haven't been active.

OTTH
V1 UTG makes it $15 to go.. A small open for this game.
V2, V3 call
Hero is SB looks down at AJ.. I cosidered squeezing, but figured I was okay to close action and see the flop.

Flop ($60)
AJK
I check. I want to see how the field reacts to V1s C bet.
V1 bets $50 - I expect him to C bet this wet board about ALL the time.
V2 and V3 fold.
I call

Turn ($160)
9
Hero - Bets $100 . I decide to take the lead and test Vs strength. I like my two pair here, but I am not prepared to check/call, check/call the rest of my stack. I would rather put the pressure on him. It is a blocking bet of sorts, and a value bets of sorts, but I don't know which one!
V1 - Pushes....

So it is $235 back to me.. Pot is $595.

V1 has got to be thinking that I am pot committed at this point.

What do I beat? AThh, KQhh, KJ (only two suited combos left, for an UTG lead), AQhh, A9 (leadig UTG? prob not),
What do I chop? AJ
What beats me? 99, JJ, AK, AA,

Would an AQ, KQ, or AT from a good villian overplay his one pair hands this much against a guy that is almost pot comitted? Any other hands that could be out there that I am not accouting for?

What does my hand look like if you are in villians seat?

Why are you not willing to c/c, c/c your stack?

You get to the flop with SPR ~ 5, when we flop this good we should be committed. You showed weakness check/calling the flop, and now your turn lead looks like a blocking bet. Against an aggressive player I think you have to call.

i prob lead flop
pretty unlikely that youre good here
you have what it looks like you have

I probably fold but Im a wuss and every time I have 2 pair and the pot gets big, I get crushed.

its definitely hard to fold two pair tho

How often does V have AQ or AT in this spot? Or KQ? His holdings are pretty polarized to big hands.

My bet looks like a blocking bet, but it also looks like I am pot comitted.

How often am I good here? How liberally can we stack off to an opponent that has shown strength THREE (Preflop, C bet into three opponents, turn raise) times?

That is a valid question.

It just FEELS wrong to check/call, check/call all the way down. Perhaps because when i am ahead he checks the river, and when I am behind he bets the river. Therefore, I lose the most, and win the least.

I thought my top and bottom pair would win the most by setting the price, and lose the least if they were behind and i could get away from them.

Fold pre or bluff 3! AJs has massive RIO potential against an UTG raising range. AJ has 31% equity against TT+/AQ+. More often then not, you'll be oop against three players with a dominated hand. It looks nice, but let it go. If you suspect UTG raises much lighter, say most pp, suited broadways, and some Axs, then you should bluff 3!. It shows immense strength. Villains will fold nearly 80% of their ranges, everything but JJ+/AK.

Well played on the flop. Checking makes sense to see how all the villains react since the flop hit most of their ranges. I would check-call as well. I think check-raising gets villain to fold all the hands you're ahead of, AQ/QQ/TT/AT(maybe). It's possible villains has KJ. There is only one combo of KJs left. I doubt villain raises UTG with KJo. If he does, then you definitely should have 3! pre.

I would continue checking on the turn. Again, AQ/QQ/TT may fire another bullet, putting you on a weak Ax. I think betting lets him get away from hands you beat. When he shoves, you need about 30% equity to call. Against the range you describe, you only have 22% equity and should fold.

It all comes down to whether or not he shoves with AQ, TT, or a pair+draw like AhQh/AhTh. I would eliminate KJ/99 from your range and add some AQ combos. You need to add almost all the AQ combos or all TT combos to reach 30%+ equity and justify calling. You have 9% equity against a more conservative range like AA/KK/AK/JJ/AhQh. I think it's rarely a mistake to fold. I can find a high variance call against a very aggressive villain who will shove with mediocre holdings.

Fold or squeeze pre.

Check/call turn.

AP, puke-fold.

+1 to this

I found the fold button.... I didn't like it..

V Never showed.

An interesting sidenote, the dude beside me leans over and says

"Good fold man, that dude is the best player in the room. He never bluffs"

The best player doesn't bluff?!??!? Huh?!? I guess god must love him more than he loves the rest of us, and therefore has the nuts more often?!?

If he never bluffs, he's not the best player in the room.

That was my point exactly!! (or, god could just love him more!!)

the best player in the room is the one that makes the most money and bluffing isnt where the money is at

This.

Also turn x/c is far far far better if your plan is to lead fold. You can boat up, he can checkback river with worse, or you can c/f river.

Squeeze pre is better than calling.

I think you probably made the right fold but your play was pretty bad to get there. The donk to "protect and see where your at" is very transparent. You probably fold out worse and get jammed on by better, not a good result. Sure it's annoying when the river is a Q or T and you loose but that's oop poker.

So if the river is a blank, you're c/f???

Against some yes against others no

^ against a 1/3 or 2/5 random?

You explained why you checked, but not why you called. Why do you want to take a card off? Do you really think playing the turn is going to be easier than playing this flop?

It is incomprehensible to me why you would call.

Honestly, if you're having trouble with this hand, maybe you should rethink that.

Probably reluctant call on a brick against utg. Don't see much in his range we beat but it's hard to make 2prs