6 handed

Hero: $1300
Villain: $650

Really interesting spot last night. I encourage you to read the descriptions as I think they are particularly important this hand.

Villain: Generally a solid TAG but has been pretty LAG tonight. Might be a bit drunk but generally playing well. Takes poker seriously and probably studies quite a bit outside of the casino; he knows (and openly talks about) poker terminology, pot odds, etc. Throughout the night he's been playing the other person's cards. Lots of barrels, bluffs and moves being made, sometimes he's doing them without even looking at his own cards until put to a decision. Straddling every hand, etc. Being very loose but to be honest he was playing very well given the circumstances.

Hero: Strong TAG, well-respected. Villain and I play together a bit and we both know that we're the other's top competition. I've been particularly tight tonight (card dead) and Villain has noticed. He knows I like to make moves but like any good player I generally get it in at the right time.

Hero dealt KJ

UTG straddles $5, MP (Villain) calls, CO folds, BTN (Hero) raises to $20, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls, Villain calls.

Flop ($60): A73

UTG checks, Villain checks, Hero bets $40, UTG folds, Villain raises to $150, Hero raises to $300 (???), Villain raises all-in, Hero ???

Thoughts:

When Villain raises my flop c-bet, I think he's almost always full of it. He reps absolutely nothing. With the way he's been playing tonight, he's always raising AT+ and probably any suited ace. Even if he has an Ace or a set, I don't see why he would play it this fast.

Why did I raise? I probably don't rep much with my raise either -- I probably don't play AK this way considering how dry the board is. We're pretty deep so I think that if I raise he's basically going to give up and let it go rather than risk his entire stack to bluff me out, especially when he knows I know how loose he's been tonight. It's only a minraise but I think that's enough to get him out.

When he comes back over the top, I basically think his range is sets that he's playing so stupidly fast it's like a reverse-trap and complete air. If villain knows what level I'm at then perhaps he could do this with something like a bad Ace or a hand like 88 and hope he gets called off by K-high or something crazy like that, although I can't give him that much credit.

Wouldn't be surprised if he showed up with 54 as described, but thinking he's going to have pure air seems way too ambitious. Even when he does show up with 54, you're flipping. The rest of the time when he's fast-playing aces-up or a set due to his garbage image, you're slaughtered.

It could be me, but there may be too much meta-game consideration and level wars going on for an LLSNL post.

Nit: You're 130bb deep due to the straddle.

To be honest I don't really like your reraise. I agree that villain isn't repping much, but what are you repping? You're probably not going to 3bet AK or a set on the flop. I think you would have been able to represent much more strength by either flatting the flop and raising the turn or river.

As played, tbh in real time I would blink first and fold, but since we've gone this far I don't think calling can be terrible.

Yeah I agree that I'm not repping anything with my flop 3-bet and I figured that villain would realize that too. The plan was that even though he knew I was full of ****, someone has to blink first and I didn't think in a million years he would ship over the top.

Can I ever call here? Do you think he does this with hands like 44?

So, you guys are both solid TAG's who know each other well and understand that each is the other's top competition, and you're at a typical 1/2 NL live table full of droolers. With this all in mind, you two want to play a 325xBB pot against each other with complete air? Seems reasonable.

Also, why do you say that you don't understand why he'd play Ax or a set so fast, and then repeat yourself, this time referring to it as "stupidly" fast? How stupid could it be if you're considering stacking off another $350 with KJ high?

ya really wierd play. its hard to believe he is shoving for value. still tough to call with k high. is it at all possible he has a tell on you?

your first point is a great one. ironic too because about a week ago i made a post that specifically talked about avoiding marginal spots with regs when deep and at a table with droolers. i went against my own advice and i deserved to lose money here to be honest lol.


as for your second point... it really depends on what level he's at and what level he thinks im at. i mean, if he's willing to stick it in with A2 or 44 then he really has to believe that not only do i see right through his line, but that i'm willing to make a super thin call with K high for a lot of cash. it's a huge inference to make and im not sure he'd be willing to make that assumption with so much money at stake.

basically, i thought my reraise would be the "ok dude, we're both full of **** but lets just end this here and neither of us go broke" and that would be it. but he took it a step further... or did he?

First off this is not a marginal spot. This is horrible on your part. Idc how much the guy studies he is not raising light here. For you to level yourself without any specific's on game flow, postflop reraising range and b/3bet range.

Entire hand is spew, think about it would a decent player min 3bet an Ace high dry flop with any strong hand? No

Villain shows up with a dry ace here. If he was good he knows he is repping nothing. Which brings us to the fact villain is terrible and probably thinks your terrible and is shoving for value.

"Meta Game,lol"

This is idiotic, stop trying to have a featured matchup with Villian and concentrate on owning the fish...not yourself.

It's as idiotic as me calling a maniac villians $80.00 river bet with Queen high last night only to lose to king high.

lol what the **** are you doing.