1/2 NYC game. Game has played pretty aggressively tonight and lots of rebuys, so playing pretty deep. H has about $450, V1 has about $300, V2 covers, a couple of the other stacks at the table cover too. No relevant shortstacks.

V1 ($300) - mid-20s, relatively tight player who likes to show a single bluff over the course of the evening but usually isn't getting involved in a big pot without a very strong hand. Raises smaller pre than most others at the table.

V2 (covers) - Super loose aggressive player, though not really good. Very wide range pre-flop, will call raises with ATC. Understands relative hand strengths, but doesn't really care about position. H has called him down a bunch in the past, but he doesn't adjust.

V2 straddles to $5 UTG. 3 callers, gets to H in the CO with 88.

What's H's play? My plan was to limp, play a hand with a bunch of players, and (i) set-mine if it checks around, (ii) call a reasonable raise if one is made or (iii) potentially re-raise if V2 defends his straddle, which I expect him to do pretty wide if limped to.

Could also raise here, but my concern is that at this table with 3 callers already and a loose straddler I need a huge raise (say $40 or 50) to take it down or get it head up. If I raise, I'm also folding to a 3-bet from anyone but V2, so lose the ability to set-mine.

Thoughts? Later decisions follow.

Your thinking seems sound - the purpose of a raise would be to isolate, and that's going to take a giant bet with a straddle and 3 callers already.

Folding 88 preflop when there's no raise is silly, so that leaves calling.

I like the limp, re raise idea. Hope the other limpers don't call

raise with one green and four reds

embrace the variance

I just call the straddle. I agree raising is probably more of a pain than it's worth.

I think the limp-reraise might be overplaying your hand, though. Assuming you get it heads up, if he doesn't fold to your c-bet, you're screwed. You'll end up on the turn with like a $600 pot with a $150 behind and a pair of 88's.

This is a good spot to mix up your play and pay attention to your position at the table with respect to other types of opponents.

Limp re-raising is tough from late position since it 'should' eliminate AA-QQ, even JJ-TT from your range unless you have the right image to do this with. So you go into the AK-AJs-99-77 range of hands that want to go to the Flop against AKish types, eh? And people are willing to call, even OOP, against that range. It might make it tougher to play post-Flop.

Flatting here is good if you expect calls behind PF that will lead to someone who will stab at a checked around Flop so you can c/r. I just see late position aggressiveness as sets most of the time when I play so you have to try and 'trick' the table to putting money in the pot so you can c/r or flat/lead later streets.

There is NOTHING wrong with raising to $40 and taking down a $30 pot PF here IMO either. This opens up your complete range of hands which gives you more options OTF regardless of previous action (or lack of action).

Use your position to take down pots PF ... and more importantly take them down OTF when an Ace hits and you just use your position to bet at the Ace. That type of play allows you to get paid off when you land a monster against Ax hands and c-bet in the same manner. GL

Thanks. I can see the argument for raising. In game, I was worried I could make a big raise and still get called in several spots, so just limped. Button limps, and V1 in the SB raises to $14. Calls around to me.

In this spot I make a happy call. Only $9 more. Such a small raise from tight V1 in the SB reads to me like a strong-ish hand that can't stand a big raise pre- (another PP or a couple of Broadway cards) trying to freeze the straddler from making a huge raise.

On to the flop ($100) - 744, two diamonds. Checks around to me.

With my baby overpair, I very well could have the best hand here. This is probably the nut flop for me that doesn't have an 8, but my plan was to set-mine, and someone with a 4 would probably check anyway. On the other hand, if I check here the only cards I want to see on the turn are an 8 or a non-diamond 2.

Raise pre.

Bet flop.

This is very basic

I would have liked to Raise preflop

Is this one of those tables where you get 4 callers no matter what you bet pre? If so I agree with setmining. I would prob limp call here.

I would feel compelled to bet flop but would do so with little enthusiasm and would be looking to get to showdown for cheap after that.

This, pre I think is fine, good flop for us, checked to us, I'm firing 2/3 psb here, try to end this hand now and if called then check down depending on run out.

I prefer a limp in this spot pre. Limp raising would be pretty terrible because we aren't repping much (except what we actually have..which isn't much) and we end up putting money in the middle vs a range that crushes us. Also, in the games I play in, straddlers rarely actually raise. Everyone slow plays because they expect the straddler to raise but in reality most straddlers preflop raising range is generally pretty strong like AJ+, TT+.

Yeah, I only would limp-reraise against this particular straddler since I know he can and will defend very light. Definitely a player-specific move, and once V1 (who's tight) shows some interest pre-flop, I'm limp-calling or limp-folding here pre.

The flop decision is a textbook example where "protecting your hand" is actually a real thing, since a bet will get a lot of dead equity to fold correctly. Getting players to fold random overs is much better than giving them all a free turn. (Though of course it's also possible we can also get some value from draws, 7x, or lower pairs.) As you said, with this many players in the hand, we hate almost every turn card.

At an aggressive, deep table, a raise pf is just lighting money on fire. Nobody is going to fold (as you saw). MW 88 is rarely going to be good on the flop without a set. Easy calls both times.

On the flop, it depends on whether you can clear the field with a 2/3 PSB 40% of the time. Even if the table is fit or fold, it means the villains need to miss 80% of the time individually. To me with a paired board, I think it is close to 0 EV. I'd make the bet and see what happens. Unless the turn card is a non-diamond low card, I'm not continuing.

id limp 88. 99 is close but probably a limp. raise to $45 to $50 pre with TT-QQ, AQ+ and $35 to $40 with KK+. the goal is to get it heads up, but with KK+ against loose players i dont mind playing it against three players either

Definitely on board with how hand was played. I don't hate a raise here either if you raise preflop and hit an 8 in a raised pot you can get all the moneys! As played I definitely bet the flop and fold to any serious aggression from there.