Hand 1) About an hour into the session. Hero opened 2-3 hands and had to fold on later street aggression. Hero is relatively unknown to the table.

Villain has been quiet mostly. I only saw him call from the blinds once and then folded to a c-bet. I have no other reads on him.

9 players - Blinds $5/5

Setup
HJ - Hero [A♥︎J♣︎] Effective Stack $1000

Preflop (Pot size: 10)
SB posts small blind $5
BB posts big blind $5
Folded to Hero in HJ who bets $20
CO folds
BTN calls $20
SB calls $15
BB folds

Flop (Pot size: 65) [8♥︎4♣︎2♠︎]
SB checks
Hero bets $40
BTN folds
SB calls $40

Turn (Pot size: 145) [Q♥︎]
SB checks
Hero bets $75
SB calls $75

River (Pot size: 295) [8♣︎]
SB checks
Hero bets $225

By the river, I figure villain likely has a pair and when he checks to me I definitely don't put him on a 8. But he could have a lower pair or something like JJ or TT. With no flush draws on the flop, I don't think Ace high is good enough for a showdown value so I go for the three barrel. I would play my Queens and better the same way except that I wouldn't bet so large. But I wanted to size it large to maximize my fold equity.

Thoughts?

Hand 2)

9 players - Blinds $5/5

Setup
Hero SB [Q♦︎T♦︎]

Preflop (Pot size: 10)
Hero posts small blind $5
BB posts big blind $5
UTG+1 calls $5
HJ calls $5
Hero checks
BB checks

Flop (Pot size: 15) [Q♥︎T♥︎4♣︎]
Hero bets $15
BB folds
UTG+1 calls $15
HJ calls $15

Turn (Pot size: 60) [3♣︎]
Hero bets $60
UTG+1 calls $60
HJ calls $60

River (Pot size: 240) [A♣︎]
Hero checks
UTG+1 bets $125
HJ folds
Hero ?

The villain in UTG+1 has been limp calling like 70% of the time he has been at the table. So his range pre-flop includes broadway cards, Ax and some suited cards. I saw him chase couple of hands and even check back when he hit the straight. HJ has been playing a loose passive game. Limp calling and giving up when he misses.

When both players call the turn I know I have the best hand. They probably have some Qx and heart flush draws. It is less likely they have a club flush draw. I plan to give up if the heart hits on the river.

When the A♣︎ hits, I contemplated between betting and checking. It completes some straight and some better two pairs. HJ only had about 150 behind while villain in UTG+1 covered me with effective stack of $925 behind. I decide to check with the intention of calling if HJ bets and decide on what to do if villain bets.

When villain only bets half pot , it seems like for value but then again he could possibly be bluffing thinking I have given up. When he limp calls and continues calling down flop and turn , he could have all combinations of KJ (16), Ah4h (1), Ah3h (1) that has me beat. I only need about 6 bluff hands to make this a call. So something like 98hh, 97hh, K9hh, K8hh, 56hh and few AXhh hands. But I doubt if he would bet with AXhh. He could some AQ hands in there. So all of this makes this a close call. Should I call here?


Hand 3)

Setup
UTG+1 - Hero [K♣︎K♠︎], effective $600 where I cover the villain in UTG.

Preflop (Pot size: 10)
SB posts small blind $5
BB posts big blind $5
UTG calls $5
Hero in UTG+1 bets $25
BTN calls $25
SB calls $20
BB folds
UTG calls $20

Flop (Pot size: 105) [T♣︎3♠︎2♥︎]
SB checks
UTG bets $45
Hero raises $130

In the past sessions, I have given up on donk leads if I don't have a pair. But going into this session, I wanted add some raises. So heads up, I am doing this with over pairs and AK, AQ hands. But multi way this is never a bluff. I hated the idea of calling and letting other players in with some Tx even if they are less likely to have it. Also, this way I charge the villain for any two pair he is drawing to. Given that my raise is never a bluff, is this raise okay or should I mix in some calls here? Not much read on villain except that he has been limp calling few hands and opening others.

1st hand is typical ****ty sizing with air most people have. Bet smallish flop to hedge against getting raised or called down, little more than flop but still small on turn, then big on river hoping now it's big enough to make them fold.

2nd hand is opposite cause you have value and proudly potted it twice.

3rd hand fine but bigger on flop.

Thanks. What do you mean by opposite for the second hand ?

H1 x/f flop
H2 flop is probably better as x/r
H3 x/c flop


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

H1: I wouldn't cbet (could be ok if V's are playing fit or fold) and I think it's a bad 3 barrel spot. Your value range is probably perceived to be very narrow. Straight draws on the flop missed, Axs missed, and I disagree V can't have an 8. This is about as clean of a runout as one can hope for if he's got a bluff catcher.

H2: Would UTG raise a hand like KJ, AQ? If so I am calling. If he's super passive and limps stuff like KJ, AQ then it is a bit harder. I think I just have to sigh call this all the time. I like the flop and turn leads because I don't expect limpy players to bet draws on the flop.

What I think wait means by opposite is you can only have value by potting flop and turn into two players. In the first hand you are betting weak with a weak hand then polarizing yourself on the river.

H3: I'd make it bigger pre in a two big blind structure. Small nitpick. I agree with wait flop raise is a good line but should be bigger.

Thanks.

As for H2, the betting is weak because it is unusually large for a dry board, right? Sometimes people say weak because the bet is on the smaller side.