1/2, 9 handed

2 limps,
folds to villain in sb who raises to 12
hero has KK and raises to 37 ($250)
folds to villain who calls ($200)

Flop $78
A98

villain checks, hero checks

Turn $78
A984

villain bets $50, hero calls

River $178
A984J

Villain shoves for $113, hero folds


Wasn't sure about this hand. This villain is a small loser in the game I'd imagine. He raises a lot out of the blinds for whatever reason. Bit fishy preflop and post flop and bluffs often enough that bluff catching could be profitable, but dont have a good enough read to know if he'd bluff in this spot.

I was thinking that after I called the flop, he'd consider that I have AA and seriously reconsider bluffing any further, so I figured he had at least an ace, if not 2 pair.

Any thoughts are welcome, but my question is: In general is calling turn and folding river burning money? Or are villains like this giving up often enough that this can be profitable?

It is quite reasonable to check flop, call turn and fold river vs some villain's in this situation.

V will have hands he'll bet the turn with that you're ahead of and these will mostly check the river (QQ JJ TT T9s J9s Q9s JTs QTs 76s XYss). Obviously it depends a lot on what his call-3bet range looks like and you don't have a good read on that. I expect a lot of V's will bet these hands somewhat weakly for fear of you having a slow played Ace or because you've shown weakness and can't call a big bet with worse (when V has QQ-TT 9Xs, draws may bluff bigger).

V will also bet turn with hands you're crushed by: AK AQ AJ ATs-A2s. That's a lot of hands and certainly he will bet them strongly for fear you are drawing at a flush or straight. Then he has 2pair+ which obviously also bet big.

I think without a great read I would be more tempted to cbet my KK for 1/3-1/2 pot and give up if called. I would be checking a lot of my weak AXs 3bet bluffs and even a frw of my AK/AQ combos on this flop so I will be in a position to x/c to showdown sometimes.

On the whole I think river is a good fold here. Of his bluffable draws 76s QTs completed, of his dominated hands J9s and JJ went ahead and he still has tons of AX+

Only JTs and his FDs missed. Your Ks and the As on board block a lot of his FDs so I think you're mostly crushed on this river.

well played. I liked the way you played every street