Here's a hand I played the other night and didn't play it well. I've gone through and outlined all my mistakes. I thought it might be good for others to do the same and we'll see if we miss any. It's a short hand (all in pre) so it shouldn't take much effort.

Hero: Winning image in the room. Have been sitting for an hour and have only played a couple hands, which I took down without showing. Stack~$350

Villain is Btn. He's a spastic player about 21 years of age. He likes to raisea nd chase ridiculous hands for large amounts just to hit and look like a luck box. Most of the time he loses. I've never seen him stack off stupid light pre. although I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of his game as well. I saw him limp shove 99 for about $100 tonight. He's generally not boisterous but not quiet either. He looks like Screech from Saved by the Bell. Stack is $139.

Hand:
UTG straddles $8. Hero UTG+1 raises to $30 with KQo. Folds to Screech who shoves all in for $139. Folds to Hero who thinks and says "$109 huh." Player to my left says "$109 MORE." Hero ignores him. Screech is kind of fidgety and talkative trying to encourage Hero to call, which I noted aloud. I think and eventually call never realizing that it was $139 all day.

I read his body language as strong. My initial range was 88+,AJ+, but narrowed it based on the tell.

BTN straddles 8 in a 1/2 game. your opening for 30 (15x bb) with KQ off? you then call 109 more with king high PF? are u retared. skreetch is eons above your skill level

I think your pf raise is a bit large and as played I think you have to fold. You're either flipping or dominated most likely.

It doesn't matter how bad this player is you can't call. I usually fold KQo in early position, ESPECIALLY in a straddled pot.

I think that when you make a fat raise pre in EP when there are medium stacks behind you you have to decide what to do when they shove, because they are going to do that often enough. It's pretty much the only move available if you're half good and are facing a raise for over 20% of your stack.

The problem is that you are facing a range including hands that have you crushed and hands where you are flipping but slightly dominated (pairs, Ax). And even if we widen his range a lot you are still not finding many hands that you beat (does he resteal shove with JTs?).

That being said I often find myself calling it off in these spots, as I'd rather play marginal EV spots with high variance than give them fold equity, and it gives me an unbluffable image - but I try to avoid them. If there are a few stacks like his and a 4X straddle, I fold KQo in EP in an active game.

30 is the number I am opening up with here too? Dont see anything wrong with that. Read the description screech is a losing player who is sporadic.

But OP, I think this is a fold. Its so marginal and I think there are just so many better spots against someone like screech.

AKA we want to isolate the button straddle, hope screech calls with a marginal hand, then we outflop his range and get his stack in.

pretty light to be opening KQo UTG in a straddled pot. too many factors can go wrong here like getting 3b or playing a multi way pot oop if the table is feeling lucky.

AP i am surprised you were even contemplating calling, you know this is a fold unless V is a total monkey who shoves consistently.

I'd fold KQ pre in this spot. Ppl are a lot less inclined to call raises with dominated hands to a $20-30 raise, so this hand turns into RIO for us. We also have to fold to the shove because we only have 30% equity against the range we think villain has.

So you read him as strong and then you called? Wat?! Are you saying he was feigning strength because otherwise this makes no sense. Also, pre is a fold at every point. Why are you talking through your reads out loud? Also, why would you put money in the pot when you aren't absolutely certain of the amount that you will have to call off?

I love these player descriptions that you post. I recognize a good number of them from a specific room in town.

In general I hate the raise to $30, and the call of the shove here. Against most players these plays are just lighting money on fire. You're vary rarely going to be ahead, you rate to be crushed or close to even money. In LP I don't mind the initial raise at all though.

If this is the guy that I think it is, he could very easily have 88 or ATo here. So there are a lot more hands that you're marginal against, his whole range is skewed farther away from one that just crushes you. I don't think I've seen any horrible spaz shoves with really weak hands pre-flop.

A: Villain is OTB
B: Straddle is UTG

You guys do realize it is not a btn straddle, semantics I know but...

OP I think your PFR is very ambitious unless you are on a table where there is zero chance you are getting action except from huge hands, in which case you don't need to open to $30.

As far as the hand goes, I guess it depends on which variance you want to play.

I don't like the PF raise either. The problem is that the straddle makes it like short stacking. If you had $80 UTG, I assume you would fold. Same thing... Too few flops where you can get it in confidently, too shallow stacks to draw or outplay.

I like folding KQo there. Regardless of what we know about V, you are the first to act here and you are basically willing to play KQo for your stack.

I dont like the PF raise. I say when in EP that KQo in a cash game can only get u into trouble, especially when it is a straddled pot. I think KQo should be thrown away here. You really cannot call any 3 bet, and if someone calls you, you will likely go to the flop OOP, and good luck playing KQo OOP in a big pot on the flop. Not a fun spot.

Far as calling the shove, I think its pretty obvious at this point that theres no way you can call that shove. Fold and take him down later.