1/2 NL 8 handed

V1 (~$320) rebought after calling off 100bbs on the turn with a nfd/gutter vs a made set and bricking. We have maybe a couple hours of history but nothing I think is relevant to this hand. He seems to read hands somewhat decently but the way he misplayed that draw has me questioning him entirely.

V2 ($200) Had a huge stack but lost it all to another bad LAG when they got top two pair in on the turn vs villains KK and river paired the bottom pair. Seems to be tilting a bit, pretty loose/passive preflop.

V3 (~$400) has been very TAG, very rarely limping and only calling raises like 10%.

It might be worth mentioning that no one has 3bet yet this game since I've been here and we're about an hour in at least. 3betting at this stake is relatively rare in general and usually represents QQ+ with some people never 3b AK. However villains will call 3bets pretty lightly and seemingly without much plan for the hand.

Hero($300) is dealt AK on the Button.

UTG V1 raises 15, UTG+1 V2 calls, CO V2 calls, Hero makes it 50?

With a 15 open and two callers, why are we barely 3x ing here vs. 5x? Especially when you note all are sticky to 3b? (Is this read specific to these Vs from other sessions, or just a general note for this particular game most days? Since no 3bs yet this session.) Are we trying to go 4 ways or more to a flop with SPR<1 for one V and barely >1 for H? Since we can't have a manuverable SPR unless we only call (lol), why not bet >75 and get a big pot with a holding that should be dominating everyone but V1? Maybe b/f vs V1.

Also, 15 is kind of a big open at 1/2 and UTG, right? Is this indicative of anything unusual from V1?

Just not a fan of trying to get a very MW pot with AK where SPR makes our great position less important and where our equity likely drops considerably on a lot of flops.

Meh. I wouldn't hate an over-call with AKo on the BTN, facing this action in front of us.

Don't hate a raise either, but NHGG is right - sizing is too small, and SPR going to the flop is starting to get awkward / low.

This sizing puts pressure on UTG to 4B or fold rather than call and give the other two good pot odds to come along. We don't really want to flat call a 4B, nor do we love 5B jamming, though I guess it can't be terrible.

If we're 3B'ing here, I'd think we'd rather ISO to a larger size that will be more likely to get us HU. But if we make it $75 pre, and UTG calls, we'll be going to the flop with $225 back and $180 in the pot. I'd be expecting UTG to jam a lot of flops from up front.

I dunno. I think with UTG's open size, the two calls, our stack size, and position, we should just flat call and see a flop with a lot more stack depth left.

60 with 285 back ain't great either though. Could easily be 75 or 90 with 285 back.

We're not causing them to have to dump low PP or SCs, and we're not thrilled about any flop not having an A or K. Basically playing bingo.

But we're in position at least, underrepped, and we should be dominating 'pretty' hands, should we hit our outs. Plus if the blinds decide to squeeze---I'd be really tempted to at this stack depth and per reads---we get to see how nutted or not V1 is before we do anything.

I like the 3bet, but go $75. $50 is way too small vs. these guys.

Thank you all very much for the feedback! I should have specified, people call 3bets lightly as the OR, but the callers usually fold. They're calling with stuff like 79s that isnt going to put more money in. In my mind I wanted just one caller but I will keep an eye on my sizing to make sure I'm not going to flops multiway too much in this situation.

AP, I make it 50, V1 ships it almost instantly, two folds, back to Hero who?

I tried to size it to get one, maybe two callers. I thought any bigger and I'm absolutely pot committed if he shoves and I thought stacks were too big for that. I simply sized for value.

That's been his standard open so far, usually into a straddle and limpers though.


Definitely wasn't trying to get MW but I see your point and should've been considering that before choosing my sizing. Thank you!

Insta calls

Big open for 1/2 UTG, ships over your 3b, I think hoping he's overvaluing a drawing hand like last time is ambitious.

We're calling 250 to win (95 + 285). So we need about 40%. JJ+, AK gets us there. But I think that's probably too broad of a range, right?

We're not suited, are we? It matters here, if we want to fight over 1-2% EV.

Edit: didn't see this is his standard open, though usually with a straddle. Flips me to a grumbling call, assuming he's doing this with the 88+ AQ+ of the world too.

Ugh, I folded. If I was going to fold I probably should've flatted pre but I really don't love my equity 4-6 ways and I've got some weird decisions if I get action on an A or K turn.

My thinking was that this particular villain wouldn't ship JJ. Maybe QQ, maybe AK. I was thinking since V2 has him covered and we both likely have decent hands he just got giddy with AA/KK. I know we have blockers but I just had a hard time believing he's shoving AQ+/88+ like nhgg mentioned maybe I'm a nit.

Fold is fine. I probably call, though, but I don't mind a bit of gamble.

You are not getting 4! much at 1/2, so 3!/fold is fine. Shove is likely AA/KK/AK.

You could just shove initially with 48 in the pot. You don't mind taking it down, and might get called light.

3bet to 5x, snap call the shove.

As others have said, the small 3bet is inviting a multiway pot when you really want this heads up.

I think vill can be shoving reasonably wide here. Potentially tilted, decent amount of dead money leads me to think 88+ might go for it, which makes it an easy call

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

make it $75, hopefully you get one caller with an SPR of 2. so you can 1/2 pot flop and shove turn on TPTK. although tbh with an SPR of 2 id probably be looking to play the hand blind and 1/2 pot, shove turn on most any board.

as played idk it depends how big i thought my edge was in the game and how i would react to getting stacked. if i thought i had a big edge id fold. if i would tilt into being a nit or spewtard if i lost id also fold.

Hero says a tiny prayer and flicks in the call. This is why I'd have preferred a flat call pre, so we can see a flop with enough stack depth left to maneuver.

When someone raises from EP, gets 3B, and 4B jams at 1/2, I won't be shocked if he has AA/KK/AK. Even if we're up against another AK, if he's suited, he's got about a 5% equity advantage on us.

If V is tilted, yeah, he could be doing this with QQ or worse PP's, and we block AA/KK, but I wouldn't expect worse than 99 here very often, so his range is going to be pretty top-heavy.

Again really appreciate all the responses. Villain actually tabled his hand, I guess because I tank folded a little and maybe because we have a mutual friend and he's being a good sport.






Oddly enough this thread inspired me to limp/cold 4b a straddled pot with 99 vs a LAG CO open and perceived very light button 3b. V1 folded and V2 called with KJ. ez fade ez money

What did he show?

Sent from my BE2028 using Tapatalk

I think the sweet spot here is $60 - $65.

$75 makes it easy for the villains with their weaker hands, which we want them to call their dominated hands.

$75 and all the KJ and KQ and AT hands fold....$60 puts them in a tough spot! We want worse hands to call a bad price, not just get folds imo.

Post - Flop, use 25% bets in 3bet pots.

With the $50 raise, lets you get away from the hand. If you make it $75, I don't think you can fold vs. the ALL IN.

We should NEVER just call or shove here. Get used to being in some tough spots and just play poker!

I make it 80

And probably fold to the jam but it's close