Here's a relatively basic spot from a recent $2/5 game I was playing. It's actually rotation (half PLO), so stacks are deep and action is fairly aggressive but this particular hand is NL.

V is new to the table, but has played quite a few hands since joining. None went to showdown though. Younger guy who bought in for the max ($1k), no other reads.

Hero is a whale with a $3k stack.

OTTH: I straddle to $10 UTG, 1 caller in LP, V raises to $50 from SB, BB folds, hero looks down at KdKh. Action?

Obvious 3-bet seems obvious. I opt for slightly more than 3x sizing (given I'm in position) and raise to $175. Any reason to go bigger here?

LP folds, V calls after thinking a few seconds.

Flop ($360): Ad8s4s

V checks, hero?

I bet $200. Logic: I unblock spade draws and could get value from them + get to showdown cheaply. Checking back feels like opening myself up to getting bluffed, but maybe I should go for the check?

V quickly calls.

Turn ($760): 6c

V checks, hero?

Seems like an easy check to avoid inflating the pot against Ax.

River ($760: Ad

V bets $300. The second A seems like a decent card since it reduces V's combos and he seems capable of doing this with either missed spades or even QQ/JJ.

Thoughts on all streets?

In a 3b pot, the FD are usually weighted toward the nut/2nd nut draws. Since the flop ace is a non-spade, he likely has less FD combos. I like a X back on flop, calling that turn card.

AP, call river.

Btw, there are 2 Ad in your post.

Pre sizing is fine if you were shallower, but I like $225 playing 200 BB deep, and it's not bad with your image.

X flop. We can pot control, there are no more overs that could come on the turn that we can deny equity from, and he's gonna have very few FD's in a 3 bet pot.

I like turn.

Call river.

If you're going to bet the flop it needs to be waaayyy smaller, like $120 at most. I'd prefer to just check (and also check back AA). As played, call river because of the ace removal.

This is a bad sign for you but I would have played exactly the same.

Call river.

Sorry, must've been Ah on the river (just remember it being a red ace).

I don't love the flop bet and am definitely still torn on this spot (how to play KK/QQ on A-high flops against trickier opponents).

If we check flop, are we calling turn *and* river bets?

I also don't love checking AA with a FD out there since it's so strong that I'll be stacking off even if the flush does hit.

Grunch

Sizing pre is good but I think I'd go even bigger. You're giving 8 to 1 implied odds and a little worse than 2 to 1 direct. You have position on SB, but if LP caller calls again you're in a bad spot we're it's 3way and you'll have to stack off on pretty much all Ahi flops. I like 200 or 225.

I'd bet smaller on flop. I don't want to give free cards but the A smashed my range and he shouldn't continue with worse often. If he x/r I'm hosed. I like 140ish range bet.

I like turn.

I like a river call given turn checked through and the second A. Let's make this guy showdown and see what's the deal with his high vpip is.

I'd call turn and evaluate river when Xing flop.

It's a 3bet pot, so calling $100 with $1000 effective should reduce the # of non-NFD combos. Maybe KQ/QJ/JT/KJ? There are more AK/AQ/AJs combos that are ahead, which is why I'd X flop.

I certainly could size up (since I always like sizing up), but I had no fear of LP calling/knew I'd be in position. LP limper was the type to limp/fold a lot and only limp/call to smaller raises. He definitely wasn't calling *any* 3-bet I made.

Guys who are checking back flop, what Ax do you vbet and what do you check back. You *need* Ax in check back if you're doing this.

Since villain rarely has flush draw without top pair too I think I can get on board with 100% check back without As.

Vs an unknown, balance isn't important. My 3 betting pre ranges are very dependent on the player. In general though, bet AJ+ and check AT + my suited wheel As.

This obsession with sizing up must stop. It doesn't make sense.

3x the 2bet is fine for giving villain bad odds and for mixing in bluffs there. The problem isn't setting up the pot to get in by the river if there's a favorable flop, you can definitely do that with an even smaller size.

Moreover, the whole thing forgets that preflop ranges are bigger to begin with. Those ginormous bet sizes turn the game into a tournament game. Like if you 3bet to 200 or 250 you re setting up stacks to get in by the turn. That happens 40BB deep in an MTT.

Bigger sizes may make sense against calling stations who will call everything but not against regs.

This is a 3bet straddled pot, there are very few flush draws here. At least check back your two AA with As and bet the other combo.

I agree with reaper that it’s hard as hell to balance our line here. I like bigger pre and downbet flop as reaper and others have suggested.

Strangely I’d rather have V make a polarized bet on the river than a value bet. But there’s 2 AQs and 4 AK left versus 12 Qq/JJ so I’m sigh/calling getting 7-2 but I doubt we’re good here.

Let me start with I’m not checking flop. However, recently I’ve been checking back this flop with exactly AK, 1 spade. It’s sometimes easier to get 2 larger streets of value this way. Of course sometimes you trap yourself when V catches 2p, but so far it’s working OK. V is always surprised when I roll over AK after checking flop.

I'll keep to my large sizing thanks. I'll just polarize if they have a fold button

Sizing pre is fine.

x flop is reasonable with a lot of our range since we can have plenty of weaker Ax we decided to 3b vs active SB. Betting kind of sucks imo since we can't barrel and his range is A heavy. We are pretty middling/low in our range right now. We have plenty of Ax that we can choose to x so it isn't like we give him a green light to steal pot later.

AP flop sizing is too big, 1/3 flop is better but x is best.

AP river I'm pretty ambivalent and probably folding. He raised from SB and called a 3b and a sizeable flop bet on A high board... the missed draws he can have are basically KsQs, KsJs, and that's it? What are we expecting him to show up with that we beat?

Villain could have TT-QQ, busted draws, etc.
We need to have some calls here after checking back turn, we probably aren't checking back turn with Ax. I think folding hands with spades in them and calling the others is a good place to start. KK is also a reasonable place to start because best hand we have with this line.

So I call.

grunch.

I like this sizing pre so that we’re not committed. They’re still making a mistake set mining vs your sizing so I’m not too worried about that. Plus we’re IP as you noted.

OTF I go $110-140. I think merge betting is fine but it would be unfortunate if villain was folding all his pairs and only continuing with broadway spade draws and better (all his aces). $200 isn’t very much as a % of the pot but a large absolute sizing for a flop bet in a 2/5 game.

I’m only checking back my strong Ax hands with a high spade here.

Turn seems fine. River is a fold imo. People don’t turn pairs into bluffs often enough and even though you don’t have a spade in hand he doesn’t have very many spade combos given preflop configuration.

Price is good though.

Looks like discussion has died down. FWIW, I definitely didn't love the flop bet. At the time, I figured I'd check KcKx and bet this combo but maybe all KK should be a check.

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