This came up a couple of times yesterday, once IP and once OOP, and I felt a little lost. I'm somewhat new to live poker, but I've been winning.

Hand 1:

Villain (MP) seems like a competent TAG. Hero (BB) has tight image.

Preflop: Villain raises to 12, folds, Hero calls with 99

Flop ($25): 762

Hero checks, Villain bets $15, Hero calls.

Turn ($55): 2

Hero checks, Villain checks.

River ($55) 3

Hero checks, Villain bets $35, Hero...?


Hand 2:

Villain (MP) is thinking Asian LAG. Raises probably more than 10% of hands, but hasn't shown down a lot. Capable of bluffing. Hero (LP) has tight image, not sure if I seemed weak-tight or TAG at the time. Effective stacks around $250.

Preflop: A limp or two, villain raises to 15, Hero calls with TT, table folds.

Flop (35$): 555

Villain bets $20, Hero calls.

Turn (75$): J

Villain bets $50, Hero...?

Hand 1, call. His check on the turn IP turns his range strongly to AK/AQ etc. Your hand has value here.

Hand 2, I fold. Villain is building a pot and you are probably looking a river shove with a bluff catcher.

Hand 1: On the river I think I would bet out $35. Hard to see villain checking an overpair on that turn, and I'd hate for it to get checked through on the river. The other streets I think I would play similarly. As played, call river, nh.

Hand 2: I would re-raise to 45-50 pre-flop in LP against this villain. Calling here w TT puts you in an awkward spot on most flops. As played, I'm inclined to call here, and then sigh-calling the river bet on most rivers too, but it's a crappy spot. Raise here preflop and you don't put yourself in this position

Edit: On second thought, calling down here is asking for trouble. I'd just let hand 2 go tbh

Many players (even good players) struggle with these hands, because they're not good enough to raise for value, they're too good to turn into a bluff, and most sorta-good players are very, very uncomfortable calling down. can't call down that's what fish do can't call down that's what fish do can't call down that's what fish do can't call down that's what fish do.

But also it's because calling down with a medium-strength hand requires a good read on your opponent's range--which you don't have here. fwiw my default play is call hand 1, and in hand 2 we really need a plan before we make our decision on the flop, because we're very near pot-committed if we call the turn bet. Which Villain knows if he's any good at all.

Edit in response to austinbeerdrnkr: Turning two tens into a 3-bet bluff preflop against an aggressive player is pretty bad. That's something people do who want to actively avoid playing postflop as much as possible.

Zeth, I can tell from your post count you have more experience than me. But I really don't feel that a preflop raise to 45 is a bluff here against this type of loose-aggressive player who is raising pre-flop more than his fair share. Should we be just calling to set mine here and fold to another bet or two on most boards? Playing tens postflop can be tricky, but I feel like with a raise here we can narrow his range down significantly IF he decides to call/raise.

Yeah... we can narrow his range down to just the hands that crush us and a few that are coinflips against us (that we won't extract a dime from when they miss).

I see no evidence Villain is an aggrodonk. OP said he raises "probably more than 10% of hands." At full ring a 14/12 player (raises preflop 12% of the time) is considered TAG.

And even if you do think this guy's an aggrodonk, opening wide and calling a 3-bet/4-betting wide are very different things. With an aggrodonk what you want to do with a mid-high pair is call, get a decently safe flop, and pick off his frequent bluffs calling him down. What you frequently don't want to do (without a read) is 3-bet him with a middle pair and make him much less willing to put any further money in the put with his king-eight trash.

And don't be fooled, post count is not necessarily an indicator of quality. I do still play in penny stakes after all

Hand #1
I would bet 1/2 pot OTR in hand #1.
As played call river

Hand#2, if you think that villain will double barrell UI, I would look to call him down. If you haven't seen him barrell off UI, then fold IMO.

Sigh, you're right 10% is nothing out of the ordinary. I think I just read "Asian LAG" and pictured an aggrodonk.

Hand 1: played it fine. Leading river is not going to get called by his air range. But checking to him allows him to bluff at it. Call river. nh/wp

Hand 2: I hate folding this hand and calling turn would leave you in a tough spot if he shoves river. So, why not raise turn? Raise to !00. Most of the time he checks to you on the river and you can showdown

Hand one: call.

Hand two: let it go, wait for a better spot.