Looking for advice on this hand as I think I played it poorly on multiple streets. I have very little live poker experience and am interested in others approaches to this hand in general.

First ever PAHWM so I'll try my best not to **** it up


Table: 1/2 (100 min 500 max) 10 handed

Pretty decent action so far, someone got stacked with 62o v 85 on a 345 3 5 runout for ~500$ pot right as I sat down. Unfortunately he did not rebuy. The action was largely due to 4 players waiting for 2/5, sitting 250-500bb effective and splashing around a fair bit.
They were on the other end of the table and I had 3 shortish stack recs to my right.

Hero: (25 yr old WG) bought in for 225 and chipped up to ~300 by this point without getting to showdown. This is my second session of live poker in like 3 years and I have 50-100 hrs live experience lifetime.


OTTH

UTG straddles to 5

Hero is in UTG +1 and looks down at AcAh

Don't expect a ton of debate on preflop but I could be wrong. I have not open raised a straddled pot yet but my standard open unstraddled has been 10.

Welcome.

I think you can raise exploitably large here. You're up against a number of splashy players, it's a straddled pot, and you're first to act, so there are eight players who can give you action. I'd make it $30.

How likely are the 2/5 guys (specifically the first one who the action will be on) to raise this up preflop? A short stack is the perfect time to go for the l/rr. The best case scenario is you limp, there is 1-2 more limps, the first 2/5 guy puts in a raise to $30-40, there are a few callers behind and you backraise jam.

Really need more info on your image, UTG straddle tendencies and table preflop tendency.

I'm not a big fan of l/rr in general but if you have a nitty image it might be a better play than open raising utg. Raise 20-25ish or call 5 are both reasonable.


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Thanks for the replys. Glad there is some debate on pre-flop.

I like this. I have a looser image than I should due to not having to showdown any aggressively played pots and will rarely take it down pre.

A raise from one of them is possible although I can't really establish a frequency for it at this point. My concern with limping is the very real possibility of seeing a flop 5+ ways with aces and a huge SPR against competent players.


I play quite straight-forward. TAG I guess. My main goal at live 1/2 is to see flops IP for cheap pre-flop and value town post. My image should be looser than that due to raising a handful of good hands and c-betting/taking it down. Basically any hand I've played so far has been a pre-flop open with continued aggression or an overlimp IP and brick/folding post.


As all of these replys are different than my actual decision I will continue the hand below. I think I prefer the large open the most out of the above options.



UTG straddles to 5

Hero is in UTG +1 and raises to 15 with AcAh

Loose passive rec (~125 eff.) flats in MP

Main V (~500 eff.) flats in CO


Villain: (MAWG) Sat down an orbit or two ago. He knows the guys waiting for 2/5 and is probably a regular. Saw nothing out of line since he sat down but he calls pretty wide pre, hasn't 3b pre yet and seems capable of making plays post


Flop (~50): Ad 10h 2d

Hero?

Not a fan of the preflop sizing. If you were going to raise I would have gone $20ish. As played this flop is pretty damn uncoordinated and we significantly block top pair. I would toss out a smallish $20-25 to try and entice some action behind.

this hand is super standard so far.

open 4x
bet flop 2/3 pot

everything else is bad. I would consider a l/rr if We were super deep and some LAG big stacks are on our left.

betting flop is mandatory .. You won`t induce action by betting small or checking, because the only hands that give you action will call/raise your bet anyway and you will just give freecards on a kinda drawy (yes, they have KQJ-Combos in their range) flop.

so bet 35$ here

I think my sizing and lines in general can be pretty suboptimal especially live. Agree its standard thus far but was still curious about sizing pre and otf. I think pre should have been bigger and i agree this flop is a bet.

Proceeding with the hand to the most interesting street imo.

Flop (~50): Ad 10h 2d

Hero cbets 25, villain calls pretty quickly.

Turn: 10c

Hero?

Perfect card. We wanted to encourage loose Tx calls on the flop with our sizing so they could "improve" to two pair/trips.

$75 turn -> $185 (shove) river

After the straddle $15 is too small. If the table is tight then $20, if it's loose then even more. Getting only 2 calls on the $15 indicates a pretty tight table for 1/2 so it's not terrible.

Flop is monster but with multiple opponents and an A high flop it's better to bet something. Bet at the low end of what you might c-bet $25/$30. You raised preflop so it's not a good board to check/raise, anything that might bet is going to call at least one bet and the board isn't entirely dry.

The turn makes this a money extraction problem. If I think villain will call then another $50 on the turn, if not then check. I would mostly bet but if I thought villain gives up on turn a lot I would check sometimes and go for a river suck bet.

20 pre 40 75 ck shove all rivers

25-35 pre. check/call flop. 1/4 PSB turn. check shove river or bet 1/4 pot again if you think it will induce a raise.

bet 1/2 Pot OTT
Shove River

In a straddled pot I almost always limp AA in EP. Especially if the straddler is aggro and raises his straddle most of the time. Even if he isnt, there are a lot more preflop raises in straddled pots than regular pots. If nobody raises its not the end of the world. Play it like you have TPGK and dont go nuts.

If youre going to raise, $15 is definitely too small. Id go $25.

As played, flop bet is fine. Once you boat up on the turn and there is a FD on board bet enough to give him correct odds to draw to the flush. If he has a T hes going to raise. If you bet $35 or so, he may raise no matter what he has to rep the T. If he has a flush draw he will call drawing dead. Hopefully he gets there.

Im not sure what else he calls with other than the case A or a gutshot and you dont want to blow those hands out of the pot. I like $35 on the turn.

With a tag image against a v who probably pays attention, this is going to be a tough spot to make $$$.

Pre would be a l/r if you know 99% that someone will raise. Especially if the straddle will almost always defend.

Since you are out of position, size larger.

Fine as played otf.

The turn is a bad card unless he has Tx already. It's otherwise just going to kill your action.

Having said that, I still put a bet out there since Tx is a big part of his range.

3/4 pot.

Thanks for the replys. Turn was definetly why i posted the hand. I think the turn needs to be a bet but I do think there is some merit in checking.

Putting villain on a range ott is kind of difficult. 3 aces are gone as are 2 tens, making all combos of Ax and 10x much less likely. I think his range consists primarily of flush draws. Given that assumption I'm just not sure betting is the best play. I raised utg in a straddled pot and then 2 barrel an A high paired board...i think he folds his FD combos a ton on the turn to that action.

By checking we accomplish a couple of things. First, if he has a 10 he is betting 100% of the time. Depending on his sizing I can check raise or just flat and let him value own himself on most rivers. He probably checks back most of his medium strength Ax combos but there are so few it doesnt worry me too much.

By checking i think i make the most from his flush draws. He is a competent player who could easily decide to rep the 10, or if he checks back I can c/r diamond rivers for value.

Overall I think my logic ott is ok but risking not getting stacks in with top boat seems like a huge mistake as well.

Anyway, otth...

Turn (~100): 10c

Hero checks, villain checks back (****)

River (~100): 2d

Hero?

Hes not folding a flush draw if you give him correct odds to call.

2d is on the flop.

Do you suggest betting small to target his FDs? I agree that is better than checking. Basically reps a strong ace so he could still choose to raise and rep a 10.

It was a 10d otf 2d otr. Runout was A102dd 10x 2d

If you scroll back up, you will see that I suggested betting $35 on the turn. He will call with a FD thinking hes getting good odds when hes really drawing dead. If he has a T he will normally raise and he may even bluff raise without a T since it looks like a scared bet.

Not betting turn is bad IMO. As played I pot the river and hope villain thinks we're trying to steal. Live players can easily call with any hand here, hoping to chop.