Earlier in the session, I had raised pre with AA, AA, AKhh, and 88 from EP. All 3x-4x BB sizing. Only AA and 88 hands went to showdown. AK I four bet a 3bet from the button, then ended up check folding to all ins OTF when the PF 3better flopped a straight.

That being said, I hear you about having to categorize villains, thinking about what they're playing with, what their weaknesses are, and having a plan to exploit those weaknesses in the hand. You're right that I didn't do that here and that I simply raised pre in EP with 98 because (1) I had been winning some hands and (2) I had raised from EP with strong holdings the last few times (though that was not clear in my OP).

Anyways, I'll continue with the PAHWM, but please, any other additional advice/perspectives from others is appreciated. What everybody has contributed so far is great. Thank you.

Hero checks. Button checks.

Turn is the 6

Board now reads:

K J 10 6

Pot still at approximately $130.

SB now bets $50.

Hero?

I like it when good respected posters lay out logical, well reasoned strategies that kind of coincide with my old school, gambler type methods.

Great point about this flop not giving a lot of leverage, I kind of mentioned it, but didn't delve too deeply. This texture definitely inhibits our FE/aggression/ability to get paid off if we hit. A 566hh or the like would definitely be better for my playing style.

One interesting question I have, does the SB call of the three bet make you more or less likely to call as well? I have mixed feelings, love being heads up with the three bettor, because it makes hand reading easier, but the extra 45 in there is nice too.

raise, call, bet, call

sb is the 3bettor, btn flatted the open

A. Raise to 180 and bomb river if called and checked to.

B. Call 50 and try to make hand, betting roughly pot on river if SB slows down/checks when I miss, as usual.

I like A a lot but sometimes play bad and slip into B.

What are you putting the SB and the button on? Serious question.

oops, now I really like my plan of raising his turn lead. Can he ever have better than one pair after taking this line?

we rep like literally nothing (66?) by raising the turn. we had a bunch of strong hands on the flop, but on a board this dynamic (esp one that at least one player is likely to have something on) we would rarely/never check a hand that is strong enough to now raise the turn. the 6c improves only 66, and hands like KQs/QJs that we might have checked the flop with would probably just prefer to call again on the turn anyways.

can we?

We have virtually no fold equity here on a double draw board. V is likely to put us on a semibluff with a flush draw and just call us with ANY value hand.

Take the draw, hope to bink a non club non heart 7.

If we brick river, I'm not a big fan of going for a bluff on this board, too likely to get hero called since we checked flop.

Sorry I missed that the SB was the 3-bettor, most likely means SB has QQ, however again didn't get enough description of SB to be sure.

so meh, we are on a draw, have the odds to draw (if we include some implied odds if we bink), so take the draw. This is doubly true when we have little to no fold equity...

AP to turn: This bet is really weak sauce. Even though we don't have a very good image for it right now, it's like he's inviting us to take it away. If we were HU, I would semi-bluff at it here, even given the history of V calling turns when he can't beat TPGK. Given that there is another player to act who also doesn't like to fold, however, I really don't think we can do that.

Call. We don't want to play for stacks if we hit a flush anyway, and we're getting nice expressed odds to hit, and decent IOs, esp if we hit our st8, rather than our flush. If we hit either, I'm b/f river for about 2/3 pot. If not, obv folding.

RIO is not the same as equity, relative easy to calculate for most now. To say to just avoid RIO spots post-flop is just giving yourself bad excuse to play bad.

is this intended to address the call of the 3b preflop?

could you please elaborate more on what you are saying as it relates to specific actions for Hero to take?

Are you saying if we hit the flush we should be willing to stack off?

I agree that we don't rep that much to a thinking player when we raise this turn, but does it matter? It is much more credible that a caller would check the flop to the button than the SB checking AK, KK, JJ, or TT here. Most low stakes players would be betting the flopped nuts with the rare AQ here as well. I just don't think he has much, and I don't see lower limit players sniffing out when QQ is good here and manning up very often.

As far as the button is concerned, he's not supposed to have a hand he can call our raise with, and his presence has the added value of strenghtening our range in SB's eyes when we make our semi bluff raise.

I would feel very comfortable making this play, and if I am wrong there are a lot of cards that bail us out anyway.

QQ and nothing. I think I am right a lot.

Dont play a 500 max raise game?

Grunch.

Pre-flop: Fold IMO.

Also... You showed down the JT hand recently so you probably don't have a "very good image"

This actually kind of covers something I have been meaning to make a post about recently. Something I have been incorporating into my game is folding weakish hands after I have been seen playing many hands within a short period of time. Raising this hand from this position is largely a meta play. If you have got no credibility, you are simply relying on making a hand to win the pot and you are OOP. Your hand can also result in some "cooler" type situations with you on the bad end. The fact that I had recently played a higher number of hands would specifically factor into my decision to fold.

Grunch to the flop...

Check the flop. This flop slams his range. Definitely take the free card if you can. Sucks the we are sandwiched here though.

Flat turn.

Ide also like to mention that I had a posted typed out about how I didn't actually hate flatting the pre-flop 3bet, and liked flatting the 3bet better than opening this hand in the first place, but I deleted it...

+1 to DGI's post covering that avenue.

RIO exist in any scenario where we are not drawing to the nuts, meaning if we improve our hand, we would pay off villain. RIO also increases when OOP, so combining a hand in which we rarely draw to the nuts + OOP, it's just a really bad situation.

I don't even see how discipline plays a role, unless by discipline, you mean to fold if you don't flop nut draws?

Really cant believe all the 'fold pre' advice ITT.

I am assuming from OP that H is one of the few good players at the table and that most are weak/passive and generally play bad.

We should definitely be looking to get involved with a hand like 89s, even if we are OP if we are head and shoulders above our opposition at post flop play...other players will be playing their hand face up and often at these tables, they get their bet sizing wrong and give you good odds to chase draws.

Stacks are deep enough to play this type of hand and its good for H's image that he can raise with a hand like this in EP, whereas he has shown previously aces, 88 etc, though some V's may not pay attention or are too inelastic to change.

I dont mind a limp or open, especially since when we raise, we are very unlikely to be 3bet..only this time it seems a V woke up with a good hand. Whatever. Then with a raise and call, he only 3x's the original raise which is small and with these stack sizes is a call. As we see in the hand, flop gets checked and turn bet is only $50, so again proves my point that post flop these players dont put us under much pressure or bet us out of chasing draws.


If youre not raising a hand like this in EP, it becomes so easy to put you on a narrow range and for a decent player to outplay you post flop with position...though i assume you guys are accounting for the fact these players probably arent good enough to do that, which i understand. Then a limp is a bit more justified but certainly not a fold.

As played, just call turn and hope to hit.

As others have said not repping much and not liking the FE.

With no reads, 3better checking flop and then leading turn doesnt have to mean he is weak with 1 pair hand. Even if it was a 1 pair hand its probably like AK so he has a good pair, good kicker and a gut shot...which probably wont fold. Could see V do this with a set, hoping to c/r flop.

???? If they are good enough that you need a balanced PF opening range, H is not "one of the few good players," nor are we likely "head and shoulders above our opposition at post flop play."