1/3 live

Villain (400 HJ) 65 year old nit. Haven't seen him play a hand in the hour he's been here and he definitely hasn't played a hand in a raised pot. The table in general is super passive and I haven't seen a single 3 bet in the hours I've been here.

Hero (500 CO) has been somewhat active but nothing crazy. I haven't shown down a winning hand yet but have picked up a few smallish pots.

The blinds are tight passive and bad.

Villain opens to 15, hero calls with KhKd, everyone else folds. I don't think a 3 bet gets called by anything but QQ and AA and it telegraphs my hand.

Pot:30.

Flop: As6sAh.

Villain checks. I think he would usually bet an ace to protect so I feel pretty sure I'm ahead but obviously can't be positive. The preflop sizings at this table have also been really small so I think his sizing takes weaker aces out of his range. I don't think for instance he would raise to 15 with ATo.

So now I have 3 options if the board bricks out:

1. Bet small for three streets.
2. Bet flop and turn
3. Bet turn and river.

Betting small for three streets would be ok but I risk getting called down by an ace. He might play his worse aces more passively or trap with AK.

Betting turn and river means I won't value own myself. If he has an ace he's absolutely betting blank turns.

Betting flop gives me the option to go for three streets and charge his draws. He might also think I would slowplay an ace so maybe it looks more bluffy idk.

Hero decides to bet 15 villain calls fairly quick.

Pot:57.
Turn: 3d.

Hero bets 25. Villain calls fairly quick again. This feels a lot like I have QQ and have to call but who knows.

Pot:107
River: 8h.

Villain checks. Hero??? If I bet small I don't think he's gonna sense weakness and bluff raise spades of 99 etc so it's a safe bet/fold.

I'm cool with the preflop flat for all the reasons you state, plus also that stacks are deep (the smaller the stacks the more we should just be 3betting to play for them, but deeper this is not the case, imo).

I'd check the flop quite a lot here. If we're afraid of 3betting preflop to lose better hands, then same for betting this flop as I think we just too often lose hands like JJ who give up now rather than risk facing more bets.

As played, same sorta thinking for the turn. He's a passive nit. Is he really going to call down 3 postflop streets with worse on this board? I'm not convinced and check back here to guarantee a river call.

By the river, I think we have to be very concerned that we're owning ourselves against a passive nit. Although one upside is that a bet might get the chopping KK to fold.

Getting 2 postflop streets from KK- on an AAx flop is about as best we're going to do against nits, imo, unless we have an extremely active bluffy image.

GcluelessNLnoobG

I think you are right and opted to check back the river. In hindsight I think checking flop and betting turn and river is the best line since he will rarely double check an ace. Sure every now and then I don't charge spades but that's a small part of his range.

Raise pre and bet small twice/thrice.

AP I probably would look for one street and that street would be the flop. Maybe two streets.

I'd have a slight preference for betting the flop and turn like you did, then check back on the river. If he was on a FD, he's not calling the river. He's never folding Ax if he has it, which at this point I doubt. It is unlikely he can ever call down QQ to 3 bets with how the hand played out.

Hero checked it back and won, who knows if he would've called. I've been working on going for thin value more but I'm glad you guys agree this would be too thin. I think the optimal line is bet turn and river but flop and turn or flop and river seems solid as well.

I xb flop, we have the nut bluffcatcher. I will go for 2 streets OTT and OTR, betting or calling; folding to raises and folding to big bets. My bets will be small.

I xb flop, we have the nut bluffcatcher. I will go for 2 streets OTT and OTR, betting or calling; folding to raises and folding to big bets. My bets will be small.

guys like that often have AK here i would check back on the river to control loss size