1/2 NL
Hero ($450) UTG.
Villain ($250) UTG+3 playing his first hand, while waiting for his seat at the 2/5 game. Never seen him before, but dealers chitchat with him, making it seem like he's a good 2/5 player.

OTTH
Hero is dealt AK and raises to $10, villain calls, everyone else folds, going heads up to flop. Pot: $23 before rake.

Flop: K52
Hero bets $15, villain tanks and raises to $80 by quickly firing out 3 neat stacks of 25 each and placing a single redbird on top. Hero??

Call and call turn jam. If he has a set say nice hand and reload.


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This really sounds like a medium pocket pair or small king. I think you are good, but I don't think he bets again. I expect the turn to check through and then I'd bet small on the river.

Is 250 the max buy-in?

I wouldn't assume that because he's a reg at 2/5 he's necessarily a good player. There are plenty of fish regs at 2/5.

As you say, weird spot. Why raise over the pot, 65 into 53? It's not convenience (like throwing in three green could be) or, presumably, a math error since he tanked.

If he wants to play for stacks, he doesn't need to raise that much. And the flop is dry, so there's no need to make it expensive for draws with a set.

If he has any 2P in his hand, there's not much chance he's a good 2/5 player.

There's too much wtf? for me to be happy folding here. I think I call and commit, planning to x/c the turn (which may well be a jam) or bet the river.

That said, I think a fold is also fine against an unknown. Going broke with an obvious TPTK shouldn't be our standard policy.

V is just having fun with his $250 which is an amount that he could put into the pot in a 2/5 game before the betting is done. He called your $10 o/r with K2s, K5s, 22, 55 & is now giving yourself a chance to hang yourself. Poker sucks sometimes, but that's just the way it is. I doubt you have the best hand here. He may be an aggro-tard with KQ, but my bet is it's 2pr/set played a way you wouldn't, if you wanted to bet for value. He thinks 1/2 players suck & will stack off.

Or...

V is just having fun with his $250 which is an amount that he could put into the pot in a 2/5 game before the betting is done. He called your $10 o/r with whatever & is now proving that he can move you off your hand. Poker sucks sometimes, but that's just the way it is. I doubt he has the best hand here. He thinks 1/2 players suck & will fold.

I actually think your interpretation is entirely reasonable, although I think 250 might not be quite is inconsensual as you're suggesting.

Sometimes, you just have to guess right.

The sizing seems to wanna fold you out. Maybe he flatted pre with 34s?. Do you think sets would raise this big? However, you did raise UTG so you're range should be strong. Maybe he's banking on you calling it off with AA. K5s and K2s are within his wide calling range playing in a smaller game.

There's noting wrong with folding. Folding would be the better play w/o any reads. We have TPTK and we have to decide now if we're putting in 125 big blinds.

*chit chatting with the dealer has nothing to do with him being any good at all. Waiting for 2/5 doesn't mean he's good. He could just be a degenerate who plays all the time. There are tons of players like that.

I think Vs sizing is a little large. I would put him on A3 clubs or hearts, A4 clubs or hearts, or 34 clubs or hearts, and he is putting you on exactly AK, expecting you to fold TPTK. If a 3 or 4 hits the turn, this would put you in a harder spot since (if he is a good 2/5 player), gives V a reason to barrell the turn. If an A comes, giving you 2 pair, he can call any bet or shove his stack, especially if he picks up a flush draw along with the wheel bluffs. There are some players that I play cautious against, and will fold TPTK to avoid harder decisions on later streets. Maybe a little tight to fold, but if you call, and no matter the turn (besides a K), you check and he shoves, then what?? After $80 raise on the flop, I would expect him to shove any turn putting max pressure on you. I think I am folding, looking for a better spot..

If you’re folding here, what board does it take for you to get tptk in? You have basically the absolute top of your range here, how can you fold? V’s range is huge on the flop so I’d give him even fewer than normal combos of value here (of which there were already so few).

If you’re folding here you might as well rack up and head home imo.

FWIW, folding and waiting for a better spot is a tournament concept, in cash if a spot is +ev we should take it 100% of the time unless we feel that another strat is higher ev


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No. Has more to do with stack size and familiarity with V than with the absolute value of our hand. Also, top of our range is KK so we are somewhere in the middle (with AA, AK, even QQ).

Indiscriminately stacking off with top/top for 125 blinds should NEVER be standard policy IMHO. Dare I say it, this is another good flop (wa/wb) to check a good hand....ok guys flame away!!

Please don't fold for this reason ever in a cash game

Maybe "looking for a better spot" was worded a little wrong... I am looking at what moves V makes on future streets. If I flat, there will be $183 in the pot, and V has $160 left. I am thinking the V, will be shoving any turn card besides a K. If I shove with TPTK, I am thinking V will call considering he has $90 in the pot. Im risking another $225 to win $250. Either way, $250 of my stack is at risk with one pair.
Thinking that V shoves any turn, it would be an all in or fold situation and I am not sure I want this decision against a player that just sat down. I would elect to fold here.

Nicely done! Anywho, we can't fold here. The board could run out 66 & we beat his K5

What do y'all think about a shove in this spot? Too aggrotardish? Why are we calling his bet? Are we trapping with just TPTK in a huge pot? Let's say he does have a set, is anyone capable of putting me on KK and folding? Are 55, and 22 ever folding in this spot?

I'm never folding bottom set here. You might fold out 2P, villain dependent I guess.

I think shoving is basically spew without better reads. He can get away from his bluffs or something like a PP if he's overplaying that, and continue with his crushers. While he might have something like K5, even if he is playing with the fishies, I think that's not all that likely.

I'm calling because stacks aren't that deep (125 BB is about the upper limit I'd consider doing this) and his action doesn't really make sense. I think there's enough chance he's trying to push us around that I'm willing to stack off if he wants to stick it in. He might well have a set, but I think he has enough other hands that he's overplaying or bluffing with that it's slightly positive to call him down. But shoving pretty much only gets called by better, and removes all the times he might bluff off to double us up.

This is an odd spot.

Meh, all options are defendable.

I would normally fold with an SPR of 9:1, but the fact that this is his first hand, he is waiting for 2/5 and he enjoys talking with the dealers makes me think he might be a bit of a baller/maniac for whom $250 is not a lot of money.

Think Harry from live at the bike.

Oh and they don't usually tank with 22 and 55. He could have air. He could have A3, A4, 34. If he has the ridiculous two pair, we have outs.

Before making my decision, I would take into account the rest of the table and whether there is an image I want to create with them. If it's deep and I want to look like a sicko, I'm more likely to call or jam. If the stacks are around 250 or less and reasonably solid TAG, I'm more likely to fold.