10 handed 1/2 game.


Preflop:

Utg folds.

V1: Utg +1 (~$250) raises to $8. Player is 50ish foreign gentleman. New to the table. No real reads on player.

V2: Utg +2 (~$300) calls $8. Late 20s early 30s black guy. Been playing solid. Slightly lag but hasn't gotten out of line.

Utg +3 folds

Lojack calls $8

Hijack calls $8

Cutoff folds

Hero on button (~$400) with AdQh raises to $38. Hero had been playing solid and fairly tight.

Blinds fold

V1 and V2 call $30

Rest of players fold

Go to the flop 3 handed.


Flop: Ah Qd 7s ($133)

V1 checks

V2 bets $35

Hero?



My question is what is the best play in this situation to extract max value? Do you just smooth call? Or should you raise?

Should you ever be concerned when villain donks on such a dry board?

As played I raised to $115 and V2 folded JJ face up.

1) Don't give results.

2) Need better reads on V1. What type of foreigner, how dressed, etc.

3) Raise here all day. That is an old school probe bet, and although the board is dry, I want to play for stacks, and that's not happening with a flop bet smaller than the PF 3-bet unless we raise.

4) Sizing is perhaps too big. Board is dry. A raise to one hundred is plenty, and might sound suspicious enough/like he has FE enough, to get V to shove.

I would raise a little bigger pre to try to win the pot.

Flop is an easy call. No flush draws, the board smacks your 3-betting range, why show your strength now?

I think a small raise is in order, maybe to like $90. What you want to be doing is trying to get stacks in against AK and maybe some more value out of AJ, AT if someone would call you pf with those hands. The smallish non-min bet might even induce a crazy play. You are making it 55 to call for V2 with 250ish in the pot. It will be tough for a lot of 1/2 players to get away from any A. Even if AK just flats, there will be 300 in the pot with stacks of 180 which should let you get it in pretty easy on later streets. I'd make it something like 80 on the turn and shove 100 on the river.

Smashed the flop on a dry board. Most draws here are gonna be to a gutshot.

I flat to invite V1 to come along. If he raises get it in.

Turn - checked to me I 1/2 pot any card. get it in if V1 or V2 bet.

River - evaluate but most of the time getting it in.

Just raise now, but it hardly matters (in general, not just against his actual holding). I guess you're disappointed that he folded, but you weren't getting anymore money from him by calling.

You should be thankful for getting a single bet out that flop. Most sober players with JJ wouldn't have given you a nickel.