1|2 10-handed. It's fairly early and most have about the $200 starting stack.

Hero ($200): 21 y/o white guy. Winning reg and probably viewed as generally loose and aggressive, but I do have limping ranges for all positions at passive tables. Villain has potentially seen several bluffs from me including stuff like gutshots and airballs. Not sure what he thinks of me though as he doesn't talk much.

Villain ($200): Quiet, 60s reg. Tight but more TAG than OMC. Capable of semi-bluffing. Sometimes overvalues hands. Definitely better than average and probably a slight winner.

ACTION:

4 limps to Hero in the CO, including one super-station mega-donator reg, Hero limps with T8o, BU folds, V in SB completes, BB checks.

My limp is pretty loose even in LP, but BU is kind of tight-passive, blinds are hardly ever raising, mega-fish is in the hand, and I have at least okay reads on everybody since they're all regs.

Flop ($13):
J76
Villain bets $12, one call, mega-fish calls (literally nothing would surprise me from him from JJ-23), another call, I decide to peel one believing I have enough direct odds + IO.

Turn ($69):
9
Bink?
Checks to me, I bet $35, V thinks for a couple of seconds and calls. The rest fold. I don't recall whether or not I had a club.

I get the out I didn't really want, but everyone checked so I think I can go for some value. If anyone but V or mega-fish calls I don't plan on betting any rivers.

River ($137):
Q
V checks, I bet $85.

Since V didn't bet the turn and paused a bit before the call I think his range is capped to small flushes at best. I range him on stuff like 76, AJ, 77, 66, baby flushes, etc.

Thoughts? I feel pretty much every street is thin at best.

Fold pre, fold flop.

Bet more on turn.

I think river is spotty but if you don't think he has a flush then its okay.

Fine pre if you don't expect raises from btn or blinds.

Just fold the flop. You're drawing to the 3-outer against 3 players and probably only have one street to hit. It's hard to play for stacks in limped pots because you need PSBs called on the turn and river to get the IO you need.

I'd bet a bit more on the turn. You need to get value now and can't let any club draw for free. River bet is good. I think small flushes raise the turn. You did a good job trying to squeeze value out of your hand. Note that if V calls the river with worse, you barely got paid enough to justify the IO you needed to call the flop (in a pretty ideal scenario). Still a mistake to call the flop.

He might have a flush, but he's good enough to not slowplay a strong one. His facial expression and pause before calling make me think he's not particularly comfortable with his hand. Since I have the read that he sometimes overvalues hands I think he'd either lead the turn with a small flush or feel better about calling.

On the flop if I'm only counting on my three nut outs I need 15:1 to call. I'm getting about 5:1 direct, so I need to make $120 on my three nut outs if I make nothing on the 9. I think Villain has a strong range to lead into six other players on the flop, and mega-fish will pay off with any almost any piece on the turn. I'm kind of surprised he folded the turn, but it probably means he had nothing on the flop, or maybe he found a fold with bottom pair no I really don't know if I have enough IO or not. I think it's close.

My bet sizing on the turn was for pot control against potential slow-played flushes and to avoid turning my hand into a bluff by betting too much. Draws aren't getting the price to call because they don't have the direct odds and have no implied odds.

How does someone who is "Definitely better than average........" turn out to be only ......."a slight winner."

I would not describe you as "loose & aggressive." I would describe you as "extremely loose & generally aggressive."

fold pre, fold flop, more OTT, river is fine.