NWI NL 1/2
Hero buys in for $200. This is the 6th hand. Very few regs in this game. Hero has AK in the BB.
EP limp
MP limp
Button raise to $20
Small Blind folds
Hero reraises to $60. With my stack is $60 right? I'm trying to improve, let me know.
EP and MP then fold.
Button calls $60
FLOP Q4Q
POT $125
HERO????--1. shove the remaining $140? is that spewage?
2. Checks? Or
3. Bet an amount like $80. What's best practice when you whiff the flop with AK?

That BTN raise looks big for a 1/2 game. What were the standard raises like? I kind of hate this spot OOP because they usually call a 3b in position and put us in bad spots postflop when we whiff. If I 3b, I’d make it $70-80. But I think against this sizing, I might just flat pre.

Once he calls, his range is a lot of 99-QQ, AK. I don’t think he’s folding much to a cbet on this flop but he might. Since you block AK, he’s very PP heavy, and with this SPR, he’s very likely to just put it in.

If you check, it’s also possible he checks back his TT out of fear and let’s you catch up.

I’d say checking this exact flop is kind of better since you could/should check AA/KK here sometimes also.

Very good point on the flop and i'd certainly check QQ there lol. Thanks for the feedback man.

A button open could be very light, so 3 betting AK makes sense generally. If the Uber-large 10x open suggests very premium hands, I don’t HATE a pre-flop fold here. Why play a drawing and oop?

As played, I like a jam here, as:

1. You are way behind his calling range (agreeing with 99-QQ, AK ranging), so th only way to win this is to bluff.
2. Only one combo of V’s range (QQ) is comfortable. The rest may fold to your jam.

Your jam only has to work 52% (with no equity on the AQ) to be + EV. If V calls “light” (i.e., with 99-JJ), your AK is live.

Hmm. This is a spot I used to get into pretty often. What range are you 3b here in the bb vs a huge btn open? pretty bad flop, you wouldn't think v would fold 99 on this flop but lots of times they do. Impossible to really say without reads , I would probably shove tho.

^ Yeah, re-thinking about it, I don't mind jamming the flop either with this SPR.

If V is capable of folding 99-JJ to a shove, I like checking AA on this flop for the same reasons and shoving AK.

Is V older/younger person? Hate generalizations, but generally younger would be probably more LAG, older TAG.

With TAG (esp. old WM at 1/2), he probably PP or AK maybe AQ. I’d just call (or even fold PF...$20 bet reeks PP 88-JJ), check/fold flop.

A LAG...His betting range going to wider (any PP, Ax, Kxs, any two broadway cards, most connectors, suited one/two gap connectors, etc.) I’d 3bet a little more (due to being OOP...don’t hate $60...better then $40), then shove flop.


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The fellow was a 40yo WG. He was probably a 30 VPIP, there was lots of action in the game but he certainly wasn't out of line. Because he's on the button i 3! but I probably could have just called here too.

What is this nonsense? Easiest 3!/get it in preflop spot ever. You have AK with 100bb. V is obviously raising with stuff like at, aj, aq, kt, kj, kq, the list goes on and on. Our equity is massive and stacks aren't nearly deep enough to ever fold pre. No matter stack sizes you have to 3! Pre or you'll get owned over and over. Honestly I'd probably 3! even bigger pre to try and get it in. Making it 75-80 or even more is fine, and honestly just shoving pre is better than calling

Flop is somewhat interesting but shoving seems best and just hope he folds.

Just to reiterate, flatting pre without very, very specific reads (that we don't have since we are on hand 6, and likely even then, given stack sizes) is beyond awful.

I think this is correct. If Villain's range is 99+, AQ+. You are probably going to fold out 9 combos of AK with which you would have chopped. I think 99-TT fold enough here, too, to make it profitable. There are only 6 combos of AQ left. Anything you're ahead of, too, if drawing live.

Totally agree with this, too. So much advice on LLSNL treats AK like it's dead preflop. ATo+, AXs+, 98s+, J9s+ all are in his range.

I agree 3! is best pre here but can't really be suggesting that we shove $200 over the $20 raise can you?

As played, not sure I love the flop shove but maybe that is all you can do given stax.

Yeah it was the flop shove I was really looking at. I wanted to know though what you guys thought about
a. possible shove preflop
and
b. shove on a dubious flop
I never shove 200 here pre myself, but i wanted your opinion

Depends what we think Vs range is in this spot. I think it all comes back to preflop sizing. I would probably 3! Bigger pre and shove every flop. As played I don’t think we have much FE at this point. If we were deeper we can run some type of bluffing line depending on V but as played it’s probably a shove or c/f. That being said, I think we have to size up pre when we 3! And jam every flop.

Flop shove? Seriously?

Jesus

You're not doing well in this spot at all.

How you play the hand here is going to be very V dependent.

Against a fear nit who over raises because he hates losing with AA, you are never getting called by worse so raising is bad. Call or even fold in extreme cases.

A lose, sticky player who will often put you on AK is going to do very well against you post flop. He'll never pay you off when an ace flops and he can't beat it, unless maybe he has a good draw. Similar with a K but a little less so. In these scenarios, he calls another 40, folds the flop and loses 60 total.

When you shove with a whiff and get called he will usually win 200. A shove looks like AK.

When you both miss, you will win 60 by shoving.

So, I think as played, you can bet the flop a lot smaller against this kind of player and fold to a raise, revauluate the turn if called. You could even bet $40 here, saving a $100 bullet. It looks like you are trying to gradually get him all in by the river.

You're not just shoving with AQ or AA here, right? Try some of the things you'd do with those hands.

When he totally misses with something like KQ, JTs, AJ, or he has 66 and the flop is Q T 3 he will often or always fold to almost any bet, so shoving here is wasteful vs. those hands.

Another course of action against such a player is to make a over sized raise preflop, if you are sure that the $20 for this guy means he is stealing or just trying to take it down pre with a medium hand. Let's say you make it $80 more. If he folds, you avoid paying rake (one of the most underestimated aspects of 1/2 [if he calls/loses $40 the house will take about 15% of that 40). Also, when he "knows" you have AK, he is no longer getting a great price to stack you on the flop.

If this is a game where your call is likely to trigger calls by the limpers a call isn't bad imo. Now you only have to risk $20 and the pot will be $60-$80 on the flop. You have a great hand that's somewhat disguised. You will occasionally win big pots with trips or broadway vs second best hands.

This. I cant believe people suggest a call here. If hes going to 10x pre Id probably just punish him by shoving. OOP id make it $75 and shove non ace flop at a min if I dont shove. Shoving though looks like a pair and could get called by aj,aq.