$1/2 NLHE

Villian: Just came to the table with drink in hand and buddies in stow (2 of his friends also come to the table at the same time). He seems to be a fratty 21-23 y/o.

V buys-in for $200 - chip runner goes to get his chips, he is dealt his first hand and announces his raise to $10 (Doesn't actually have his chips yet)

V2 (MP) Calls $10


Hero (BB) ($230) KJ - calls $8

Flop: ($31) KJ5

Hero checks
V bets $10
V2 calls $10
Hero calls $10

Turn: ($61) 8

Hero checks
V bets $10
V2 folds
Hero raises to $40

V thinks for a minutes or so and finally calls)

River: ($141) 2

Hero: All-in, $140 effective


Is this an optimal line with this hand in this position vs unknown?

- I had thought about leading out on the turn as the board was pretty draw heavy, but I had seen V (who had just got his chips) already picking up more chips as if to bet prior to me acting. If we don't have this info, do we normally want to lead the turn?

- What range of hands would you put V on, especially since he continues on the turn?

I am either leading for 20 on flop, 60 on turn jamming river or check raising flop.

Check calling flop is pretty horrendous as wet as the board is and with the AK/KQ type hands that arent folding.

C/r flop. Not only because you want value from draws, but because Kx will shut down on the turn if a heart hits.

I'd also raise bigger on the turn. Anything he calls thirty extra for he will probably also call 50 extra, and you make it easier for him to call a river shove.

Probs raise flop to 35, then bet/bet.

One way or another, more than $10 has to go in on that that flop. There are two nearly equally viable lines I think:

A) Lead flop for $25, turn for $60, stuff river
B) C/R flop to $50, stuff turn

A is probably the more sound default against an unknown, but if you can pick up any kind of tell that he's going to bet if checked to on the flop, I'd go for B.

C/r flop to 45. Ak and draws prob not folding here and the draws aren't calling all ins when they brick off

the call pre is questionable to me

reasons to fold:

he's unknown
OOP
he made it 5x
it's only 100bbs effective
KJ sucks vs a standard EP opener range

reasons to call:

s00ted
it's 3way

I think the call preflop is reasonable and I don't necessarily hate checking the flop if the intent is to c/r. Call it intuition, a gut feeling or whatever but I'm fairly confident that the guy you described who raises his very first hand as soon as he sits down is going to c-bet the flop. Absolutely hate the flop call as you're simply losing too much value, and not just on the flop. If a heart hits the turn it's reasonable to think that it may go check around and now you've lost value on two streets vs inferior hands. In the case that either did have a heart draw, you let them get there without paying a price by the way you played the flop.

You haven't really said anything about V2 though and I'm not sure if you necessarily want to keep him around in the hand. If not then perhaps leading the flop would be better play as under the actual scenario he's already called V1's $10 bet and may feel compelled to call your raise with one bet invested into the pot already.

V2 I wasn't really concerned about as he had been playing passive since the table opened 30 minutes prior to this hand playing out.

Results:

Not sure what $1/2 games you play in, but the ones I play in, 75% of my opponents don't play their hands based off position. An EP raise could be 22+ AXs, TJs JQs KQs, Ax0, suited connectors.

As stated, this kid was a "fratty" kid drinking and having a guys night with his friends, and based on his physical actions, he didn't have much experience playing poker, at least in a casino.

Raise flop for value and make draws pay. You also want to be able make a bigger turn bet and smaller river bet. If you're gonna call a raise w KJs, which is marginal, you hit the flop, build a pot.

Check-raising the flop is a good limit play but has limited utility at no limit. This is either a c/c, useful against a maniac LAG, or a bet, which is useful against calling stations.

Without reads, betting is fine.

If he will call a c/r he will call a bet.

Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be. It's 1/2 an you're playing a drunk frat boy. The optimal line is bet-bet-bet. Oh, and bet a lot. Just pot it. He never folds AA or AK ever.

Where is he stowing them? In a satchel or some other container? Or did you mean "in tow?"

Thanks for posting the action in such a clear manner; very easy to follow.

What is V2's stack size though?

I'm probably just going to lead the flop...or check/raise as played...or check/call and lead turn (~50) as played.

Yes. I think betting the turn is an excellent play after your c/c on the flop.

Betting $10 on three consecutive streets seems kind of silly. I guess he could have a king or a flush draw. He must have at least a draw in order to call your turn raise.

As played, I'm not sure if shoving on the river is the best play. He showed reluctance to continue on the turn, and his line indicates a moderate hand at best, especially since all of the draws whiffed.

I'd make a value bet of around 70.

This hand to me shows why calling pre is a bad idea. You OOP, against an unknown (but presumably bad) player, smash the flop, and you're STILL confused as to how to get money in. Seems to me you played this hand sorta backward, even though V hates money and called the river shove.

Agreed. On my phone and saw bet-call-call, and forgot we were OOP and checked first. I suggest building the pot ASAP so V doesn't have to call a full pot sized bet on the river or get away from his hand if a heart comes.

I think H got a lucky that V had AA and called big river bet. By not planning/building pot early, almost all hands are folding to the river bet. If you built the pot more gradually over multiple streets, V's will shrug call more hands.