$1/3 game - deck is hitting me square in the face every hand. Table certainly views me as LAG. Only played a short session but ran over the table. Have a question that is maybe insultingly stupid to some of you but I feel like I didn't fully consider my options in game. Don't hate my play here but I'm trying to get better so I'd like some thoughts on what I think is a really basic and common scenario.

V1 $200 on the button. Super passive calling station, straddles every UTG and BTN even though he's at 60-70 BB's. No concept of position or hand strength. Has paid three streets several times only to lose to K5 on a AKxxx board. Really not a good player, presents no risk, will never put me in a tough spot.

V2 $360 MP. Very snug player. Not fully nitty but cautious. Have seen limo AKo and AQs type hands several times. Always MUBsy. Respect his strength if/when shown. Probably makes a little money over time with tight passive ABC.

H covers in LP.

OTTH.
V1 BTN straddles to $6. BB calls, V2 calls Hero has JhJd raises to $38. Target is V1 for a call, everyone else for a fold.

V1 & V2 call.

Flop ($116)
Kc7d4c
V2 checks. Hero? Is c-bet here automatic? I have been running the table over. Most always have had it when called.

Plan - V2 is probably behind AQ/AJ/99/1010/QQ but chance of trapping with KK or AK(more likely). I expect he folds pre 44 and 77. Might flat KK to 'fade an A on the flop'. Could possibly have AXc looking for free turn. V1 has ATC and I expect a c-bet to be called with really any piece or any draw, even back door.

Hero's action?

I probably c-bet $50 here. If only V1 calls I'm playing for stacks since pot will be $215 and he'll have about a 1/2 PSB behind. If V2 calls I'm probably done putting money into the pot.

Thanks MB211.

Let me add a slightly different question in here - does that fact that hero has been running aggro over the table make a c-bet a better or worse idea than standard?

hard to say, especially because it's unclear that either of the V's you describe would pay attention, and if they did hard to know how they'll react. The "correct" way to deal with someone running over the table at these stack depths is probably to call down with your made hands on the flop (stacks are such that they can get in pretty easily if V just flats your c-bet) and raise with some combo of bluffs, semi-bluffs and monsters. Most people don't adjust correctly though. They'll call more pre-flop, play fit-or-fold post, and raise with their strong made hands.

In your spot in particular, hard to say how to play it given your image because you have a marginal made hand. Generally with an aggressive image you should probably bluff a bit less and go for value a bit more. JJ on this board is almost in between, but I think it's a value hand still, especially against V1 who could call with worse pocket pairs or middle pair.

I'd bet the JJ without a and check the ones with a . More chance of getting called by worse when we don't have a .

+1...

Personally at lower stakes I tend to play really LAGgy and have been experimenting with really mixing up my cbet approach. I now try to find more spots to NOT cbet when playing very LAG.

If the board was rainbow I'd probably check JJ as I think a flop check on a disconnected board followed by a really strong turn lead or raise (if one of the other players donks) is super strong and can look like AK a lot.

For me this spot is more about meta-game than playing just this one single hand. Against these villains I like what ImAllInNow said...

Agree with the feedback, thanks. In a vacuum I'd like to c-bet V1 and check behind V2.

Action:
Hero bet $62, V1 folded on queue and V2 check raised to $162. I went in the tank for a minute, put him on AK (flatted $6 straddle from MP, then flatted my $38 pre) and mucked. 90% sure he had AK (later definitively stated he had a K) and 10% sure he missed but knew I'd put him on AK and used me to pull off his once a month 'move'. Is so, nice hand. As stated above would have been a bit more interesting had I had the Jc. Thanks.

We have built a nice size pot pre.

Got bad flop for our hand. Decent flop for our range, more importantly a piss poor flop for their range.

Good news. Is both players are going to play face up, given reads.

I definitely would like to get to showdown somehow.

Think our best bet for showdown is to check flop. Button very unlikely to bet.

We hate to see and Ace, but besides that card, turn is unlikely to hurt us.

Think our other option is to bet $40. Small bet here is more likely to get called by worse. While still folding out some equity with AQ-AXS hands.

Small bet will also help us get to river.

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I think the c-bet is slightly big for what you're trying to accomplish. When you c-bet this flop, you're trying to (i) get Vs to lay down overcards to J that have equity against you (hands like Ax and particularly AQ) and (ii) get value from lower pocket pairs, 7x and club draws. A c-bet of $50 gets them to fold their overcard equity and is a bit more likely to get called by the junky hands, while costing you less when you get raised.