Hi all,

0.25/0.50 home game Saturday night. Hero is alternating between TAG and LAG. Probably one of the more aggressive players at the table. V and hero have history. V knows hero is capable of bluffing at any time. V is a solid TAG on the nitty side. He has it when he bets big. Hero playing $60, V $40.

Hero is dealt JJ in EP and raises to $2.00. V calls in EP+1. Everyone else folds.

Pot $4.75.

Flop: 4-7-9r.

Hero bets $3.00, V raises to $8.00. Hero calls.

Turn: K. Hero checks, V checks. Now hero eliminates all sets and Ks from V's range leaving underpairs (88s through 10-10) and maybe A-9, which V probably wouldn't raise with anyway. V would not raise with AK on the flop either. V normally 3-bets big pairs, so I don't consider those to be in his range either. Pot $20.75.

River: K. Hero bets $8.00 hoping for a call from worse. Sized well? Is this a situation where I should be going for value or should I be in cheap showdown mode?

Thanks,
DT

Think you played it fine, thin valuing TT/9X. NH.

Yup looks good. LOVE the v-bet on the river...get looked up by worse and we can confidently fold if raised. WP.

If villain is capable of semi-bluffing T8/86/65 then I would give him a chance to bluff the river. There’s three separate OESD’s that all bricked and I don’t see a worse hand calling unless he thinks you have all those straight combos yourself.

+1

I'll add that if you're alternating TAG / LAG play your opponents probably just see it as LAG which may mean you can size up your value bets and still get action from worse. If I knew I had this image I may size up slightly on the river as V will have weaker hands and bluffs in my range.

I agree that you're b/f-ing river and that it's a great spot for thin value. I think you can size it a little bigger though to squeeze a little bit more out. 10 probably gets called by the same range that calls 8.

Is this what's referred to as a merge spot?