2/3 NL 400 max buyin

BB (415) - Early 20's kid, has the aggro look to him. Just moved to table with a 600 and immediately got felted in a cooler situation a few hands prior. He reloads for 400.

UTG (1k) - Middle age white guy. Far too loose and quite aggro but pretty bad. Quite stabby.

SB (215) - Older white guy. New to table; seems ABC tight but super averse to folding in big pots.

Hero (650) - I have a little history with UTG, prob views me as ABC aggro. No history with anyone else

Hero is dealt A3

UTG straddles for 6, 2 folds, MP calls 6, 2 folds, Hero calls 6, SB calls 4, BB calls 3, UTG raises to 16, MP calls 10, Hero calls 10, SB calls 10, BB calls 10

Flop (80): T74
SB checks, BB bets 40, UTG calls 40, 1 fold, Hero?

I'm kind of torn here because BB is going to show up with a draw here alot, and UTG is going to be super weak. I'm not sure if I should be raising to get value from BB and fold out UTG's weak range, or just overcall and hope for a flush over flush situation? Also SB still has to act if I just call.

You cannot expect to win in this game over the long run if you call/limp preflop.

That's a truth universal recognized and mathematically demonstrated many times over and over. If you play like everybody else that limps/calls to see a flop and try to flop something you will lose like everyone else. That loss will be exactly 100% the value of the rake around $15/hour. Of course you win and lose in between different amounts that create the illusion of winning or losing but all you do guys are exchanging and moving chips across the table between yourselves. In the end you all limpers/callers will be down $15/hour. This is a solid math fact. You can't play like everybody else and expect to come ahead because you will not.

If you decide to play AXs, you should come in for a raise if no one has raised ahead of you. You make money by raising and punishing opponents that play too many hands when they limp or call the big blind.

I'm giving you an extreme example:
Even if you know your opponent has say ATs and you have A4s and if you see him limping you should raise. What's going to happen is that if you both miss the flop and he checks you c-bet and he will fold. Limpers usually get rid of their too many hands on the flop when they missed or on the turn if they flop a small hand like bottom pair with no draws. And since you both will missed the flop 66%, you win when you c-bet and you also win when you flop your kicker. Both you guys missed the flop but you win due to the fact limpers play in a certain sick way.

So, that's it. I made you a better player in a single 2p2 post. Congratulation.
Try the next time what I just told you and you will see instant positive results.

Limp OTB is reasonable, raising is better. There's a decent amount of dead money and only one player has voluntarily put money in. If there were 2+ limpers to you I'd like limping more, but there's a decent chance of getting this pot heads up.

Putting in a strong raise seems clear OTF. UTG presumably is folding to a raise and even if he continues your equity will be OK. BB's lead is weird and I have little idea what he has, but I doubt he's strong - with a strong hand he would either check and try to trap everyone between him and UTG, or he'd lead with a real size bet. This halfpot size seems like some sort of "see where I'm at" crap. So basically there are no indications that anyone has much, so just put an application in to be awarded the pot immediately.

Given a straddle by an aggressive villain I would either raise or fold to begin with. You are not really deep enough to limp/call fishing for a good flop because the bad AXs won't flop well enough often enough.

On the flop either is OK. Flatting is fishing for a flush over flush but you are getting good odds. Raising is a semi-bluff but it isn't a bad situation for it. Which is better will depend on a couple of things. Do you have FE vs BB? What is the risk he will reraise? Any read on how much he might bluff a scare card on the turn? How much FE do you have vs UTG?

SB doesn't worry me much. Given the pot size he either has a hand he is going with or he doesn't.

If we're in LP I'm ok with an overlimp; otherwise, just too good a chance we're going to get raised preflop / end up OOP to someone postflop / etc. I'm also sigh calling the raise.

I think I just take my good odds here and call the flop. I think stacks are a bit too big too be getting too aggro here.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Problem with just calling is your hand is too face up. Also, donk bet is nearly always Tx. Straddler is weak pretty often too. With a tight image, I like a raise.

Even if it is, we're getting the immediate odds we need to chase (which may be padded if SB calls).

Course the question is whether raising is more EV than flatting. I'm not sure.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Pre is weak. Raise it up.

Calling the flop caps us to a weak Tx or a draw. I like a big 'ol raise.

Preflop I normally raise this with just one limper. There must have been another limper I'm missing to have overlimped but whatever. Also the initial limper was short, like < $100, which dissuades me from wanting to raise this type of hand.

On the flop, I think BB's half pot lead is going to be a draw a lot of the time so a raise here would be for value as I expect to get called by worse. Also disagree that we're too deep to raise, as we can profitably raise/call it off VS anybody but UTG who is super weak anyway.

I opt for a call which I dislike, and SB overcalls.

Hero is dealt A3

UTG straddles for 6, 2 folds, MP calls 6, 2 folds, Hero calls 6, SB calls 4, BB calls 3, UTG raises to 16, MP calls 10, Hero calls 10, SB calls 10, BB calls 10

Flop (80): T74
SB checks, BB bets 40, UTG calls 40, 1 fold, Hero?

Turn (240): 8
SB checks, BB bets 75, Hero calls 40, BB calls 40

SB's flop overcall leaving 175 behind is suspicious. SB leaves 300 behind after his turn bet. One of these guys has a flush but I'm not sure which one. Minraise?

How often do $400+ stacks go in during your game? My game, this pretty much never happens. So if someone is happy jamming that size stack, we are *crushed*.

As played (you might want to clean up your turn HH, I think there are mistakes in the write up), I'd probably go for all the marbles now. We don't want to risk an action killing card, imo. Against someone who can make crazy good hero folds, you could argue more for a flat here.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Sorry I messed up the HH:


Hero is dealt A3

UTG straddles for 6, 2 folds, MP calls 6, 2 folds, Hero calls 6, SB calls 4, BB calls 3, UTG raises to 16, MP calls 10, Hero calls 10, SB calls 10, BB calls 10

Flop (80): T74
SB checks, BB bets 40, UTG calls 40, 1 fold, Hero?

Turn (240): 8
SB checks, BB bets 75, Hero ?

Flatting is interesting but if SB folds the pot will be $390 and BB will have $275 back. He may slow down and even x/f if you bet too big. Even still, I think I roll the dice and flat here.

hh still makes no sense, UTG has vanished.

sorry UTG folded turn

Not much option but flat and hope for the best. I don't see the point of jamming, it looks strong 3 handed and you're getting BB's money anyway if he has something good.

$160 OTF; shove all turns.

As played, flat.

FWIW, I count at least 31 scare cards for the river (any heart, any J/9/6/5 putting 4-to-a-straight, and any board pairing card, and I'm not even including random high scare cards).

Gwaytoomanyscarecardstoflathere,imoG

Flat is the right move on the turn here. Raising basically turns your cards face up.

I agree with this. In hindsight I think the flop is a raise. Barring that, the turn is a smallish raise.

As played, I call and SB calls. We all get it in on a brick river and I stack both of them with flush over flush over flush. But I still hate my line.

Wwyd If BB bets 40 OTF and UTG raised in front if you?

I'd call flop, shove turn.

Raising flop is okay, but the board offers a ton of draws you dominate and a lot of cards that give you the nuts give others second best hands.

Shove turn because putting money in with the nuts is a good thing. Not sure why everyone likes to slow-play the nut flush.

^ because in either Vs shoes, I’m bet folding sets/2p/baby flushes OTT in 2017.

But you (presumably) are not a horrible fish, unlike 98% of V's in this player pool. Seriously, these SoCal games are very soft and spewey.