Hi everyone,

I wanted to get thoughts on a hand I played last night. It's a $2/$4 NL home game with a $300 max buy-in (weird structure but plays similar to a $1/$3)

Villain and hero have extensive history. Villain is loose and limps a lot of weak hands but otherwise plays very aggressively, especially post flop. Villain often re-raises on turn/river with a wide range of hands (e.g., re-raising another player on river with third pair about 2 hours earlier). From our history, we know he has a pretty well-defined 3-betting range to include: AQo+, JJ+.

Villain's perception of hero is a LAG.

For the hand in question, the effective stacks are $520 (villain covers hero).

Hero has Ad Kd on the button.

Folds to Villain who is UTG+1. Villain limps. Folds to Hero who opens to $15. Folds back to villain, who calls (Pot $36)

Flop: Qc 10d 6d, villain checks, hero bets $15, villain calls (Pot $66)

Turn: 2h, villain checks, hero bets $35, villain calls (Pot $141)

River: 5c, villain checks, hero bets $80, villain raises to $180, hero?

What do we think about my play up to this point? Hero has $375 left and the pot is at $401. We've bricked out on everything but wondering if we have enough fold equity to make a better hand lay it down if we come over the top for $275 more.

We know that villain likes to re-raise on the river with a wide range of hands, so I'm not as concerned as about the check-raise as I would be if it was another player.

From the pre-flop action and my blockers, I think we can remove over pairs, QQ and likely AQ from villain's range. I think he can have random Qx hands, maybe some middle/low pocket pairs, and suited connectors that missed a flush draw. I'm also taking T T out of his range because he would have raised pre-flop and Q T is a possible, but I think he would have gotten more aggressive earlier in the hand if that was the case.

I think my line of AA/KK or a set makes sense if I choose to rip it all-in. Do we think we can make these other hands fold, or should I cut my losses here?

Bigger otf; bigger ott so that it's an even easier check back otr. The turn is a good spot to pot, and it tells us that villain is going no where. Regardless, even with the small bet size, I don't expect villain to fold Qx on this runout.

When you say re-raise throughout, you actually mean raise, right? He's putting in the second bet on the given street, like he did on the river in your HH, not a third, I presume.

So the thing is, you've told us that he raises medium strength hands, but you haven't told us what he does if someone re-raises.

Yes, sorry for the confusion. He likes putting in the second bet on a given street.

Honestly, outside the two of us and one other player, it's a really passive game and re-raises are not that common. That being said, I can remember him calling a re-raise about 50% of the time and he usually had a big overpair or better, but this is a limited sample size.

We did have $600 pot a few weeks back where the river went hero bet, villain raise, hero all-in, villain call (hero had flopped straight, villain two-pair).

If he's raising and calling a shove with 2p on a SD board, I don't think I like the idea of trying to barrel him off this one.

Thanks for the input. I ended up ripping it. He called, flipped over QJo and said "I think you have Aces or Kings, but I got to see it".

Obviously, lesson learned that he is never folding Qx here, but trying to figure out if this was just a complete punt/overplay of AK.

I like the suggestion of sizing up on flop and turn and checking down the river.

Given your description of V and how he perceives you V is probably bluffing with the best hand here. You have too many blockers for him to be drawing so the question is how often do you jam rivers, because if you only do it with the nuts then you're going to get looked up by Qx, Tx a lot.

Agree -- I think his bet to $180 was a bluff, not for value. I'd guess the villain has seen me jam rivers maybe five times over 7 or 8 sessions. The only time my jam made it to showdown was when he called with 2 pair and I had the nuts (a straight).

Against a generic opponent their river raise will be two pair+ too often for a shove bluff be profitable. Your representing a good set or backing into a straight against an opponent who will often have a good set or have backed into a straight. Particularly with a laggy image people are going to call too often.

Against this specific opponent it's all about his play and the history between the two of you. Hopefully you learned from this and figured how to adjust you strategy. He is raising too light but calling off way to light. You need to be raising and reraising him wider but for value. Since your playing this one guy a lot I would still mix in the rare bluff but only to keep him thinking you may be bluffing.

I fold to the river raise, I think we mainly end up here with value hands that all call vs. this guy so I don’t think folding bricked A high makes us exploitable.

Without any specific reads, I don't understand the reason for betting as low as 1/4 pot on this flop and turn. I would be betting 2/3 pot on both streets with the range I am double barreling which would include strong Qs and above and good draws like this. I would usually give up on this river then as if they are calling large bet on the turn they are either on a draw (and we are ahead) or aren't likely folding a made hand.

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