1/3 Effective stack is $400. This is a hand played in the past that has come to my attention again.

Hero: Asian guy early twenties. Playing tight and snug. Probably appears to be conservative.

Villain: Rec player, a bit spewy.

Hero looks down at black kings in the cutoff. Two players limp and I make it $15 to go and both of them call.

Flop $45: T53
Checks to hero who bets $25. One fold and villain pops it to $50.
Hero smooth calls. (3bet here right?)

Turn $145: 8
Villain says 'bad turn' and checks. Hero bets $70 and villain snap calls.

River $245: X

Board - T538X

Villain instantly jams $237. Hero?

Could be the classic play of looking weak but having a strong hand. I would 3 bet the flop but nut flush draw will most likely call since he has an overcard if he believes u have a pair. The fact he raises so small on the flop suggest he isn't protecting his hand from a flush draw. I think I'm folding the river when he jams

I'm 3 betting flop and checking back turn to bluff catch river.

The thing about live is, when that 4th spade hits you need to look at the unactive players for the guy that mucked the A of spades cause some one always genuinely reacts to that spade. Imo

So long as Button/blinds are tightish, I don't mind the smallish raise as it actually sets up a more manageable SPR with these deeper stacks that if we raised a little bigger. Typically I would go $20+ here after a couple of limpers (as my main goal is to thin the field), but if those behind are tight, a 3way pot for $15 creates an SPR of 8.5 whereas a 3way pot for $20 creates an SPR of 6.3; the former is much easier to deal with postflop, imo. Still, I might just go $25 and hope for a HU pot (with an ok 7.5 SPR). Anyhoo.

Our SPR is 8.5. I think we have 2 choices. We can bet/fold the first two streets on this drawy board, and then consider checking back the river; the problem with this idea is that if we bet big enough on the first two streets we could easily unwittingly commit ourselves by the river. So I think I'd rather bet the flop biggish (say 3/4 PSB+), then check behind the turn, and then bluffcatch / go for value on the the river.

As played, I'd fold to the flop raise. Calling a raise creates a $145 pot with just $335 behind, where opponent can now make us play for stacks (which we don't want to do having given them 27+ implied odds preflop). Ya, we'll be in position and be able to evaluate the turn card / action, but is a check/raiser really not betting the turn all that often? If we're going to fold most turns (and I would otherwise we're pretty much committed for the river), then we might as well fold the flop.

As played, I check behind on the turn. Villain could really be scared of that card. We've thankfully been given the opportunity to pot control, lets do that and try to get to showdown cheap. Plus we have a redraw that we'd hate to be blown off of.

Are we good on the river 1/3rd of the time? Debatable against most opponents. But I think we've unwittingly committed ourselves to a call here thanks to calling the flop / betting the turn / getting in this much of our stack.

GcluelessNLnoobG

What's our reason for folding flop when raised? Isn't that playing too tight? Villain can have a bunch of Tx here right?

Bet more on the flop. At least 2/3PSB.

As played, I guess call the flop raise. It is a min raise and we have the backdoor spades to bail us out. I'm strongly considering checking back the turn though. As played I think we should fold the river. V's comment on the turn and then shove on the river looks like the nuts to me. Kinda gross to fold against said villain though, which is why I lean towards checking back on the turn.

GG is the pot control master. I think we should take his advice about the turn. The V in question is an ideal candidate for a pot control/bluff inducing line.

I guess just try to keep track of how many people raise flops without nuttish hands; more often than not, a check/raise is a nuttish hand trapping, imo.

Do people really raise flops (a check/raise at that) with just TP? And if they do, aren't they fairly likely to continue betting the turn, which will put us in a horrible spot?

If we're playing an opponent that we're not comfortable folding to a check/raise to, then I think we either (a) shouldn't bet or (b) have to decide before betting whether we are willing to commit stacks (and committing stacks giving 27:1 preflop seems pretty bad to me).

ETA: The Villain also minraised the flop. Unless he's on some super expert level, is he expecting us to fold to the minraise? If he's not expecting us to fold, what does that tell us? Course, I guess a few levels below it could be a "minraise to see where I'm at", so I guess you never know.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Don't fold to the flop raise. He could be raising to find out where he is at - which is a play I hate, but so many people do it.

The comment on the turn is alarming. I would not be betting this turn.

EZ snap calls are signs of draws. I would put him on a hand like AsTx or a flush draw on the flop.

As played you don't have to be right very often to make this a profitable call on the river. I think you have to call now since you made that stupid bet on the turn. And that turn bet is really bad btw.

Would he insta jam an As??? That looks pretty strong to me and usually rec players try to appear weak. He may be trying to make you fold a weaker flush.

I call but expect to be beat about 25% of the time. Obviously reloading and hoping villain stays at the table as we now have good reads on him if he does have the nuts.

Is a turn bet always bad in this spot? The bet size was quite small though giving FD bad odds to call. What if I make it 3/4 PSB? Sets or two pairs are never slowing down on this turn right? I'd be getting value from Tx and NFD?

I require moar knowledge

I like the flop call. I do notice that double check raises, 25 raise to 50 total is usually a super strong hand. I think he has something like A10 of spades.

I think I am check the turn and folding the river assuming he still jams on a checked turn.

If he bluffs me then so be it. Nice hand.

AP, I'd fold the river. Since he flat calls the turn spade and jams the river, that to me seems like the A

We're basically targetting hands like AsTx, which is so thin a range to target. Other than that, it's unlikely he's on a flush draw that isn't already there, but if he is, whatever, we're ahead of all of those but one (so no risk in giving the free card). And as you say, scared sets and two pairs are never folding, nor are they going to fold to a river bet either (unless perhaps the 4th spade comes up).

GimoG

My sense is that most players raise with either hands that beat TP or draws and rarely raise with TP unless their stack is small enough to reasonably shove.

This hand is totally how some players would play AX, especially AT.

Please never fold kings to this flop min raise.