9-handed, Hero needs a table change because almost everyone's competent.

UTG ($170) - young, solid, tight player. Recently won a big pot off BB, another young solid tight player who counted out $75 on the river and fired off a well-sized bluff... but failed to notice UTG only had $40 behind making it an easy call (ok maybe not so solid ).
Hero UTG+1 ($260) - only been at the table 40 minutes, folded most of the time, PFR'd once. Anyone paying attention has to think I'm tight and competent.
MP ($450) - middle-aged TAG. Takes stabs at hu/3-handed pots fairly frequently, bets into multi-way pots far less often. Probably solid. Seems to be doing well, by his chip stack.
BTN ($120) - very fishy, chases draws and admits it ("I had to see the river, I was open-ended")

Preflop
UTG raises $10, Hero calls $10, fold, MP calls $10, 2 folds, BTN calls $10, 2 folds.

Was going to raise this but UTG beat me to it. I don't like calling in EP but I don't like 3-betting either since I'm a bit deep, and live 3-bet range is basically KK+ AK+ so not a range I want to be against

Flop $38 A84
UTG checks, Hero checks, MP checks, BTN checks

I know UTG is a tight, knowledgeable player so his UTG raising range is probably something like JJ+ AQ+, maybe AJs or KQs. I decide against betting as UTG is probably not calling three streets with an out-kicked ace, and probably not even calling two streets with a pocket pair. I'm hesitant to bloat the pot multi-way OOP and I don't really have to worry much about any drawing hands peeling a card on this board.

I don't think MP is going to bluff here, he probably won't even bet a weaker ace here since it's multiway. If there was a draw on the board I would bet to get value from BTN but it's pretty dry here.

Turn $38 A84 Q
UTG checks, Hero bets $30, MP folds, BTN folds, UTG calls $30.

The queen's a decent card, I think. I'm representing it with a bet here, UTG has to think I bet an ace on the flop. There's a lot in his range that the queen hits, sure, but combination-wise I think I'm still pretty far ahead (it's only AA QQ and AQ he can have here and be ahead -- if his range is any wider than QQ+ AQ+ I'm ahead)

It takes UTG a few seconds to call. Maybe he's faking it, I'm relatively inexperienced live, but it looks pretty legitimate.

River $97 A84Q5

UTG checks, Hero bets $65

I'm not sure that was the right size to bet because UTG has $130 behind here and if he were to raise it would put me in a tough spot ($65 to call into almost $300... probably calling it but hating myself for it). But I sensed I was ahead on the turn so I think this is about as big a value-bet as UTG can crying call with worse.

Again, there are a lot of things in UTG's range that frighten me but I figured at the time thinking in terms of combinations I had to be ahead of a likely UTG preflop range -- stoving it now I'm 52-48 vs. JJ+ AJs+ AQo+, any wider than that is just gravy.

e: derp, JJ folds turn. Dropping me to 38-62. Guess I'm hoping there's a KQ in that range.

Pre is fine. I like the flop check if it'll give you action on later streets. River I'd bet fold $40 or so. I think he has KK, KQ a Ton here and can't call much

Pre is fine.

I don't like the flop. You need to bet for value. Yeah, it's super dry and there are few likely draws to get value from or major scare cards that will kill action / beat you on later streets, but you can definitely get tons of value from other Ax 4-way.

You might technically be wa/wb, but this isn't remotely a wa/wb situation, and I see no reason to pot control. If UTG does have 99-KK, the flop is probably as good a street to get value as any street. Against TT, for example, he may peel a flop bet but not pay off any bet on a future street when a J, Q and K hit. And, with that hand, unlikely as it is %-wise, you're also giving him infinite odds to bink a T if he's never calling a bet unimproved.

I think UTG rarely has Ax when he checks the flop, and I think 99-KK is a huge % of his range. The other villains can definitely have Ax and will pay you off big time.

You're right that you probably don't get 3 streets from UTG given his likely range, but I think you can stack the other guys, and I much prefer to start getting value from everyone on the flop. You're also not considering that you can get calls from the loose players with 87, 98, T8, 65, 76, not to mention Ax.

I see your thought process on the flop, but I'm not digging it. There's so much value to be had on the flop, and things will only get worse for you on future streets.

As played, turn looks good. Gotta start betting.

Betting river is good, but you can go like 45 and fold to a raise imo. You're targeting bluff catchers / decent pocket pairs that people don't shower, shave, and drive to a casino to fold for a 1/2 PSB on the river.

I think you are giving UTG a way too strong open raising range. JJ+ for pocket pairs? You said he's young and solid, not an unmitigated nit. He can have many more pairs.

Also, it'd be an incredibly strange line for UTG to take (check flop, and when flop checks through, check the turn) with a strong value hand. So go ahead and bet for value, no need to bet large, and if he tarped you, he'll let you know, and you can fold and lose the minimum.

lol what a difference two years makes

preflop can be ok but I'd probably be 3betting more often than not as I've found at 1/2 people raise preflop so seldomly that they don't really have a r/f range. Especially with that sizing, some people will have a large sizing that is a strong range that I would never 3b but $10 is probably pretty wide.

flop check is lolbad and the idea of not getting three streets out of a worse ace is hilarious.

turn and river logic are also hilarious, like it is just inconceivable that anyone can call with less than TPGK at any point.

I think this is actually a pretty good portrait into the mind of a mediocre live player who doesn't know how to valuebet at all.

Even the reads are funny.

Haha how the **** did this get bumped. I saw mid-February for the post date and figured this was brand new, and I was like damn, DK seems pretty solid wtf is this.