1-2 game at a local backroom of a bar. Unlike most times I go to this place, this is actually a tough game with a few good players. That said, still plenty of multiple way flops and limping, just not filled with all the usual droolers. Hero's been playing tight today but did get caught in a bluff early on by the main V. With AQ on a KJ824 board, V called a $25 bet into a $40 pot On the River with 99. Through the 3+ sessions or so I've played against V, he's shown he's a solid player, left a winner each time.
STACK SIZES: Hero $275 V $300

On to the hand: (6 handed)

UTG limps
HJ (V) limps
Hero makes it 12
BU calls
SB folds
BB calls
UTG calls
HJ calls

Flop: 8h6h5x

checks around to hero

Hero bets 25
folds to UTG, he calls 25
HJ makes it 80

Hero?

Is the sizing a bit small?
Should I expect V to show up with more combo draws? Maybe 87?
This is the first time I've seen this V checkraise in this session.

If he's a pretty solid player then his range should have you crushed here. I wish we had better reads on the other players in this hand because depending on how they play, this is not necessarily an automatic cbet on this flop, IMO (also, how UTG plays could impact HJ's range in this spot).


BTW, your suits are relevant.

+1

If it's the first time you've seen him check-raise this session there's your answer right there - you're never good vs his value range.

$12 is too small pre and $25 too small OTf, if you choose to bet flop.
Pretty easy to range V on hands like a set, two pair, A5hh, other Axhh, 87 (pair and straight draw), 97 (flopped straight played fast against flush draws), and more.

It's a rough flop for your hand and I think that the stems from the preflop raise sizing. Making it $12 after two limpers is clearly not enough and by the time the domino effect kicked in and three people called ahead of him, HJ had odds to call with almost ATC.

This flop, with four opponents, is trouble.

Not many reads against this V. If he's a smart thinking player, this could easily be 87 or A5hh. But that's almost the best case scenario for your hand here. There's a decent chance that V is going to outplay you here and you'll fold the best hand some of the time but at worst, he has a ton of equity against your hand, and the rest of the time, he's ahead now.

Bigger preflop. Playing AA five way is rarely fun.

Sorry, I thought I had put it in the post, I actually have AsAh

As for other reads, UTG plays a LAG style every other time I've played against him. Today he seems tight. He's a solid player though and in the past when he plays LAG he does it profitably.

HJ seems to be a good thinking player as mentioned, fairly tight, capable of making plays, but as said, until this point I had never seen him check raise.

BU is a relatively unknown, seems a bit weak passive, he's a couple buyins in.

BB is well known, he's the one who sets these games up. He's a good thinking player, when he wants to be, too often he calls down light. He raises often but I have never seen him fold to a 3 bet pre!! He calls preflop raises light (An example from earlier in the day, Hero raises to 15 over one limper (V) on the button with 35o. Both blinds call and V calls. Flop comes out 334, checks to hero, hero bets 30, V calls, Turn: 2 Hero bets 75 V calls, River: 9 (no flushes on board) Hero bets 110, V calls and shows 46)

It's a 6 handed game at the moment. Hero's a small winner to this point after an initial $200 buy in.

$25 into $60 on the flop is pretty small.

I would prefer a check.

It is unlikely that you have hit this flop and your opponent know this. You can be exploited very easily.

If you are prepared to stack off, bet $50 on the flop. Because of the wetness of the board, you are probably stacking off here.

As played, you can call the flop and ship any safe turn cards.

Results:

Hero tanks for a couple of minutes and folds, UTG folds. V in HJ mucks.