Hi guys played an interesting hand the other day at a 1/2 NL live table and would like some feedback on the way I approached the hand.

Hero: $600
Villain: $400
LP: $450

Villain UTG limps, MP limps, LP limps, and Hero raises to $30 holding A A The raise to $30 might seem large but against these heavy action players it was best to get a good amount of the money in pre-flop with the best starting equity. Villain UTG calls and LP calls as well.

The flop comes: 2 8 8 $95 in pot

Villain checks. LP bets $30. I opt to flat because the board is dry and fairly safe and LP is most likely to fire the turn if they improve. Villain raises to $110. Hero ???

Now given that villain limped pre-flop 8x hands are definitely part of his range. Villain plays a very wide range from any position and has called a big pre-flop raise with marginal holdings in previous hands. He has played Q2s UTG in a previous hand.

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

Dear god! How do you get 2 limp callers to 15x. I saw a blind bet of 25 get called and a limper 3bet pushed. Nice game selection!

The flop is awesome. The 30 donk is either inducement or a pp trying to find out where he is at. I don't see much value in calling, I guess you could call with overcards but your call is more likely an overpair so he probably wont continue with 77 unless he hits his 2 outer so I don't see a reason not to raise it.

It's hard for me to believe that anyone limp calls to 30 with less than AK or a pocket pair but it is 1/2 and more than 200bb deep so the hands that are ahead are 89s, 78s and 22, can we go wider than that?

I assume LP folded.

Players who are so loose pre are apt to be bluffing when they detect weakness post. LP and you have not shown serious strength on the flop so I would play like he's bluffing and call to see if he will continue and get it in on the turn.

Aside: you were asked for results on
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...known-1449006/
I hope you'll share them.

In general I'd fold but would need reads on villain

If he opens 99+ all the time and doesn't bluff post flop I think you should fold.

You're hand is mostly a bluff catcher at this point and since most villains have a very small bluffing frequency you can just fold here

Need more information on villain here. How often is he bluffing and what sort of hands would he bluff? Could he have a big over pair also? How is he going to play turn and river? How does he react to weak lines like this, where there is a small bet and call.

With no other information, this is a fold.

i am never folding AA in a game like this on a flop this dry. Literally never.

I am not folding here. I am calling, and calling and calling.

Keeps his spazz air / worse pp in. And if he has an 8 so be it. Shoving flop is worse IMO because it folds out air.

The other option is to jam turn after he bets turn - which he generally will.

Really not folding - I don't think you see an 8 here all that much, and when you do, you go broke and tip your cap to the guy for fast playing a monster on a wicked dry flop.

Great job pre, and I'm fine with the initial flat OTF if you have faith in LP to barrel, otherwise I'd like to get some more money in with the likely best hand and also steal initiative so that we can pot control if we feel the need OTT.

What did LP do when faced w/ V's raise? I assume fold since you did not mention it.

SO our options are to station off, reraise/fold, or fold.

Tough spot, definitely going to be highly dependent upon our villain. As described, I can't fold to the flop raise but I am releasing fairly easily OTT if our V continues to tell a convincing story.

Pre is great.

I'm ok with a flat otf (as someone said, it could be a "find out where I'm at" bet) but fold to the check/raise. I don't know how you get "dry and safe" when the board's paired. Maybe it doesn't mean what I think it means, idk.

Those saying "never folding here", I don't know what to say. To just outright dismiss 8x hands because of the preflop raise is likely projecting your own tendencies on your opponents. People limp all kinds of wierd hands and don't know how to fold once they VP$IP. Then they get trappy when they hit gin, not appreciating that it's more +ev to just lead out.`

If we assume V has 8x (no reason not too unless he's already been spazzing with air, which is not mentioned in Op), we're dead to 2 outs (8-10%, or ~9:1), but we're only getting 265:80, or ~3.3:1 to call. Easy fold.

I only consider a call if he's got hoody/shades/Dr Dre's and looks like he thinks he's God and all other live players are just donks.