I was recently in a full ring 2/5 no limit game. A man showed up and started raising and re-raising like crazy in just about every hand he was in. He busted about 4 times already but kept on jumping back in for $300. He usually had at least a pair when he lost big pots that showed down.

I had 6c 6h on the cutoff seat. So far everyone limped in ($25 + $7= $32). I hadn’t played a hand for hours so I raised it to $25 ($32 + 25= $57), button folded as well as the blinds, the Crazy Raiser was sitting under the gun and he re-raised $25 more ($57 + $50= $107). The next two players folded, the third called, the next folded, the next called, I called. The pot was now ($107 + $125= $232). The flop came down 8s-7d-5h. Under the gun, the Crazy Raiser bets $85. The next player is all in for $75, player after him calls, I call. Pot is (232 + $300 = $532) side pot is $30. The turn is 3s. Crazy raiser bets out $185 for the rest of my chips. The next player is already all in, the next player folds. I called. River was 3c. Crazy raiser takes it with two pair, 7’s and 3’s.

I feel this play of mine was very bad and that I should have thrown the hand away when there was a re-raise, but I also felt that the Raiser was raising with any two cards. I also felt that the pot was getting too big for me to back out of. I don’t really know if the odds for me to make my straight or set were correct call those bets either. My line of thinking is quite superficial at this stage of my playing, but I would like to learn a little something from this hand. I am new to this site and excited to become part of the community. I appreciate any input. Thanks.

Calling after his back raise is kind of meh, given he's not very deep. Only $300 deep at 2/5 right?

As played, I would shove flop (to get crazy and back caller to fold and to isolate the all-in player with pretty good equity and lots of dead money) or just fold the flop.

As played, I would fold the turn. There is an all-in player, I doubt he's bluffing when there is a protected side pot.

Thank you for your advice. I highly appreciate it. The shove on the flop would have been a very good idea for all the reasons you mentioned, brilliant. Honestly, I would rather have been the aggressor in this situation instead of having to be the one to guess at what the raisers bets mean. I also see what you mean about folding the turn when there is someone all-in. The turn is where I have a lot of trouble, but I will work to improve in that area. Thank you again.

It's not a good mentality to simply ''rather have been the aggressor in a situation instead of having to be the one to guess''. If you're just guessing that being aggressive is the right move, that is as ****ty a spot to be in as guessing that being passive is the right move, in my opinion.

While I doubt you're folding out a better hand very often if you jam the flop, shoving the flop is good for the reason that it is hard for him to call with lots of hands that have some equity vs you. If you think he is limping any two cards and playing them this way as well as jamming any turn and any river (which I think is probably not a correct assumption), then I think it is correct to simply call him down.

Ok here is what I would have done...

Seen that TWO callers were in the pot despite a 3 bet from that guy (four players total if you call)....therefore I would know I would not win too many hands with 66 against that many players so my options are:

1 - put in a BIG 4 bet to eliminate more players from the pot and increase my odds of winning against that LAG.

2 - or fold completely

I agree with oldjude... doesn't matter if you are the aggressor or the passive player as long you make the right moves.

You made the wrong move IMO pre-flop so you didn't deserve that pot.

That flop was a tough one for you.
Don't know if I would call or fold.
Sorry man