This is long-winded but I’d appreciate input on all actions. Thanks in advance.
Thursday night table had a combination of TP/LP players, nothing difficult to handle, little or no bluffing. Within the hour a $2-$5 player lost $1k at a nearby table and took a seat in this game, buying in for $200. The dynamic has changed.
V1 (BB ~$325) – Fit or fold who raises top hands, c-bets strong, likely has not bluffed during the session, about 4 hours in. White male, 50’s, talkative and congenial, may have had 1 drink. He is a reg who knows V2 and quite a few others in the room.
Hero (UTG $403) – White male, mid-50’s, conservative image, drinking water / coffee, very quiet, playing a solid game seeing ~20% flops, raising PF ~3/5 of the time, and made a successful 3-bet bluff OTF. I may be perceived as nitty and passive by the new $2-$5er. Bought in for $200 and built stack by max-valuing AK vs. AQ, and flush over flush.
V2 – (MP1 ~$525) – White male, ~50, been drinking a lot of beer, on the loud side yet charismatic and comical. He knows everyone, has an image of a losing player, not unskilled but simply craves too much action. Built stack by hitting cards and is running well. Sees all flops, blind raises most, limp/calls PF raises >90% of the time. He is constantly talking.
Hero raises KsKc to $13. I had been testing the open raise levels settling in on $13-$14 with strong hands. There are 5 callers including V2 and V1. The other 3 callers do not factor into decision-making.
Flop ($73) is Ac-Ad-Ts.
V1 leads for $20. I read this as 99-JJ, with TT very unlikely, testing the waters w/the other 2 pairs. Normally this player would lead stronger if they indeed hit, i.e. Ax. Hero decides to call with others behind including the lag V2. My hand was blocking draws and I could easily fold to a raise by any opponent except V2. Thoughts on the action?
V2 raises to $60 (pot now $173) and others fold. V1 took a very, very long time before mucking. I did not think V2 had any big aces in his range, frankly thought there were more Tx hands, although smaller Aces (A9-) had to be considered. Options are:
1) Fold - seems on the weak side based on what I had seen from this opponent. I viewed this as a probe bet to see if I had an Ace, applying pressure on big pair hands. V had been drinking but was totally coherent, read the boards perfectly, and did possess skills.
2) Call – felt that this leaves me very vulnerable being oop. How would I play the turn being the first to act?
3) Re-Raise – this is the option I leaned toward for a couple of reasons, extracting additional value as this type of opponent would call a small r-r w/KT, QT, JT chasing the gutter with a pr. Obviously I am blocking and reducing their equity. Additionally, a r-r could represent trips.
While weighing my options, the opponent starts talking something to the effect … “Well I either have an A or a T, so you have to decide if your QQ is good or not. I know you have QQ.” I look him over, get nothing from physical tells, nonetheless sensing that his comment points more toward Tx rather than Ax.
I take quite a while to plan my action on this and the next street, ultimately re-raising to $120. Normally I don’t like the min-raise but thought it might work on this type of “chaser”, dragging him along with a hand that is behind. If he 4-bet, there would be no doubt he held Ax and I could fold, not happy about pouring 1/3 of stack yet still holding on to 2/3 on a table that held promise. Thoughts on the action?
Villain takes quite awhile himself, making me feel that I am indeed ahead. I think he may fold, but he ultimately calls.
Turn ($333) is Jh. I had planned to check-call the turn, hoping the V would perceive the check as weak and keep the pressure on. I thought if I shoved, Tx is always folding and the only way to extract incremental value is a check, especially since he had so little equity.
I may have had a brain freeze here, perhaps over-thinking the line I took. The V took about 45 seconds and quietly put me AI. Pot is now $603, calling would imply my minimum equity to be ~31%.
Hero?
