Background. Game is 3-5 NL 9 handed. Buy in is 300. Been at table for a few hours and havent shown a lot of hands. My Image is TAG and chip stack is at 650. Villian is playing a lot of hands and overbetting his strong hands to win safely to prevent draws. Has about 520 or so.

3-5NL (9 handed)

Hero is dealt 55 utg, mp calls, sb calls (Villain), bb calls

Flop(15) 3c4s5h

Checks around

Turn(15) 8d

V checks, bb checks, hero bets 15, mp folds, sb raises to 40, bb folds, hero calls

River (95) 8s

V bets 95, Hero makes it 215, V all in, hero? Is this an automatic call? Should I have raised turn?

I am calling, but I have no regard for money...

His line does suggest 85/84/82 or a str8 with that turn raise. I think his hand range is polarized to 8x, with 87 and 89 the most likely in the 8x combinations and a boat with a 8 in it, like 85 or 84 most likely. You can toss in some str8s too, like A2, 67.

If your read is he is only doing this with the boat, fold and move on. If you think there is a fair chance he does this with a str8/trips, call.

Spend that money wisely sir

I guess my question is how strong is that hand in a spot like that?

On the turn more times that not its a pretty strong hand, on a scale of 1 to 100, I would say its somewhere between 60 and 75, as the only hands beating you are 88, 67, and A2.

On the river its one of those hands that with all things considered is pretty close. These drive people nuts, but because it is so close, its not a huge mistake no matter which choice you make. Its more or less a coin flip choice in a vacuum. Maybe a little more towards his hand winning, but not a lot, like 55/45 in the villains favor.

The betting line your villain took is pretty much the same if he hit the str8 on the turn or two pair with the 8. So on the river, its either a str8, bigger boat or air.

I call this river bet, too many naked 8's and straights in villains range to fold this.

FWIW I probably also lead this flop. In a limped pot a flop like this is often getting checked around which is terrible for a set on a 3 to a straight board.

Yea I def agree with leading the flop. I was thinking the same thing when I was reading this. Make people pay to draw at straights.

The problem with the river is you really have no idea what this guy can have. He might have backdoored 2 8s or he might be overplaying 67. Regardless I call this. The only way that I could fold this is if he would never ship river with less than a boat on this board. But even then you have pretty close to the nuts...Is he limping 82, 83, 84 in the SB?

This is an obvious and very easy call, if he shows up with a hand like 84s or 83o etc because he's the unraised SB, fantastic for him. We have $260 of an effective $520 stack in the middle already.

That. I'm not sure if you're checking the flop because you're slowplaying, because you're scared of a flopped straight, or because you expect a bet that you can CR. Whichever of the three, it's bad. we need to be building a big pot to be getting stacks in on the river against worse.

As played the river is a yucky spot, but it's easier to play if the pot's already 200ish. Then you just call his pot sized shove.

There aren't any straights made on the turn, though. I'm always surprised by the extent to which people will go to play their trappy lines, as though the deception is worth more than money. So a flopped straight is quite possible. I'd probably put 33 and 44 in V's range that we beat too, but I'm an unwarranted optimist.

Your image is tag but your game play says otherwise. Bet flop. Reraise turn. Snap call river shove.

If he flopped a str would he have let it check through twice? Somewhat doubtful.

You have to lead out on the flop here. You want to lead out to size your bets better later, not give out a free card, and on these boards you're getting raised a lot and you can play for stacks.

On the turn, you need to raise. Your hand is vulnerable to a lot of hands and getting action from a lot of hands.

The river is an autocall. You're getting like 6:1! You're beat a lot but hopefully he has 33 or 44 or a straight.

He almost never has an 8 here, people.

Mandatory call. He could so easily have a straight, 33 or 44.

This was a pot that looking back I wasnt sure about the river, but now I realise I should have lead out on flop and turm. Next time...thanks

River is such a snap call, i think its so unlikely he would play 84 85 83 pf

if you were 1000 deep this would be a lot more interesting.

THIS.

With this many people in the pot and the connectivity of the board, he flop is a must bet. Personally Id raise the turn as played. I call the river without any doubts its the right play.