1/2 game with a $5 rock

Villain - 20 something cuban, babbling non stop. Think he also smoked up before playing. This is my first time playing with him and he bought in about 15 minutes ago for $400. The player next to me says he is a wanna-be pro with FPS. I've only see him play a few pots, winning 2 with a cbet on flop after raising pre.

Hero- late 20s white guy. Villain hasn't seen me any play any pots worth mentioning so I'm not sure how he views me. Hero has $370, villain covers.

Rock is out for UTG who has added $3 blind for $8 rock. MP calls $8, Villain calls $8 OTB, Hero raises to $38 from SB with QQ. MP folds, Villain calls.

Flop - $86
Kc, 10d, 10h

Hero bets $50, Villain calls.

Turn- $186
Kc, 10d, 10h, Ks

Hero checks, villain checks.

River- $186
Hero bets $50, villain raises to $150, hero?

I was hoping to induce since his line didn't make much sense to me and i was told he gets fancy. However, the raise sizing seems like he is going for value than a fold and I am starting to second guess myself.

Thoughts? How many Kx or 10x should be in his range given pre flop action? We are both pretty deep so now I am wondering if I shouldve included JTs, KQs, A10s, 109s. I don't think he is ever flatting AK otb.

What was river card?

Whoops. River was a brick 5.

Fold

Anytime you don't have the nuts post-flop and a Villain is raising $100+, you really need to slow down and ask yourself is he really capable of bluffing here. Most of time, if you do this, you will realize your cooked and you have to fold.

When he calls the flop bet, what sort of range are you putting him on? With a paired board, his continuance range is pretty wide. The critical thing is how cally is he pre-flop? Does he call with KQ, KJs, JT, etc?

Your turn check does show weakness, but I still wouldn't level myself into calling here*. Your most likely cooked.

* - On a message board. At the tables, my biggest leak is calling when I should fold.

river raises are usually the nuts. you dont actually no that he has fps, you trust the guy next to you word that much? clear fold.

I hate when someone at the table tries to give me a description of a new player it always seems to make my decisions altered.

This does seem like an odd spot given the action as you figure if he had 10 on the flop he would have raised you. Most players in live no limit aren't putting in big raises from the blinds unless they have a monster, especially considering your description.

I think his line pretty much comes down to king in his hand or qj and not much else. There is no flush draw and if he has 10's full doesn't make much sense for him to put in a raise on the river. AK would most likely have raised pre and you have blockers to KQ as well.

I think the way you played it though it could be very likely for you to have AK so for him not to be worried about your river bet makes me think he has a king in this spot. Most likely KJ or suited king.

I wouldn't b/f the river bc what's he calling with that we beat? So if I was to bet the river, especially a tiny bet, I guess I'd snap it off.

Thanks for the responses. So I am shutting it down after the flop? Or betting the turn?

And on river- Should I be c/f, c/c, b/f?

Also... am i correct that I should be leading flop, and if I get raised am I folding?

Sorry for all the questions, 3bet pots are always a mind fk for me.

C/call river as then we get him to bluff with his gutshot and underpairs tht got counterfeited.

Bingo.

Although a c/f wouldn't be that horrible either.

Not sure how much this affects the decision, but I also want to mention that this is by far the toughest 1/2 game I've played at. I know it's not saying much, but 1/2 @ AC casinos like Borgata does not compare.

The only reason I play there is the generous chip bonuses for early birds and proximity to my apartment. Players at the table routinely float flop/turn to rep scare card or pull a big river bluff off.

grunch: fold

without much reads or a hunch that he has the guts to bluff big on rivers (not just play fancy) i'm folding this.

if this is at the venetian with the guy who babbles, looks drunk and high with glazed over eyes i'm definitely folding. that guy may very well be drunk and high, and plays ridiculously loose and controls the table, but he uses that image. he's good. a big bet on the river from him is almost always looking to get paid off. don't be fooled by his appearance.

just read all the responses including OP's last one... so this is, i'm assuming, an nyc homegame. sounds like the game in the east village (but they're all the same). the spanish regs in those games are quite capable as part of their general style of bluffing rivers. i'd still probably fold here... they're going to be so aggressive that you can afford to wait for monster hands. but you might be good.

Calling min or 3x sized river raises is so unprofitable at 1/2 it's not even funny. Just fold it. You are not good here as much as you think you are unless you know he is capable of stuff like this (probably not)

Thank you for the responses. I used to fold river raises by default, but the more I play the more often I seem to get myself in dumb spots like this.

This is the heart of it I think... If I have villains that are willing to make these moves, I should just be more patient and wait for better spot to let them bluff their chips off.

Why did you bet the river? When the board double pairs you can't get any value from 22-99, so what is going to call your bet...JJ exactly? Ace high? Just check/call river so that he can bluff his counterfeitted PP's and missed draws. If he has a boat then you'll probably pay him off but it's better than getting raised on river and being in a tough spot like this.

His turn check and the pre flop action (how often will he flat AK otb or call my largish 3bet with Kx or 10x?) made me pretty confident I had the best hand. I put in a weak bet on the river with the hope he would spazz as river bluffs are common at this game.

Thinking about the hand again, I probably should have put more Kx and 10x in his range and just played my hand like a bluff catcher.

c flop