Hi, the game is 1/2 NL 300 max

The table just started an hour ago so relatively weak on reads, but
H($320) - hasnt shown down anything yet so far, won 1 pot with a cbet.

V($400~) - Really loose preflop, but mostly fit or fold post. However, tends to get sticky with hands postflop if he hits. Have seen villian in previous sessions play a hand where he called a raise preflop from an OMC, called a cbet on a
245 board, open shoved for 200 on a 10 turn. OMC called with aces and villian had 69

On to the hand....

V straddles. folds to Hero in MP with AJ.
H raises to 20
Folds to SB who calls
V calls

Flop: Q88

SB checks
V bets 40
Hero ????

This spot im trying to figure out what my best line would be. Personally i think a raise is better but is it good to flat here at all? or even folding?



Thanks in advance for the help..

We have no 8x in our range so not sure if they'll believe your raise.

I call, at least. Part of me wants to just raise him prepared to gii, but that's just gambling against a player like this. I doubt you have any FE.

Re-evaluate on turn, but I probably flat another heart if he bets it and bet one if he checks. However, raising a heart turn against this guy will probably work -- just hard for him to call with a hand that you beat unless he's really terrible. We have a read that he is, but it's only been a short time and one hand. If he checks a non-heart turn, I might check behind because I doubt he's folding any pair, etc. I don't want to have to face a check/raise. Tough to see an A on the turn -- need to see what he does.

Couldn't have said it any better ^^^

Just flat and close the action. As stated by Javanewt, if V decides to 3bet after we raise, we're just gambling if we decide to GII...not to mention you'd almost always be behind.

If heart OTT and he bets, raise 2.5x - 3.5x his bet.
If heart OTT and he checks, bet about 2/3 PSB; if raised, GII.
If no heart OTT and he bets, eval then flat or fold, depending on turn card.
If no heart OTT and he checks, usually just check behind, even if Ace OTT.

On the whole, it's an easy flat and too risky of a raise. You're here to win $ not flip a coin.

Good luck.

I think you raise here for a couple of reasons. The first is you raised pre-flop so I would want to continue that, even with his donk bet, to prepare to GII should your flush hit. The other reason is to try to induce a check on the turn should a heart not hit to give you a free river card.

If villain will go broke with worse flush draws me thinks we can be raising for.... Value. He seems spewy but he does have more 8x hands in his range than we do. I can go either way here, but if I'm raising im raising to get the money in. Assuming this villain will go broke with worse flush draws on a paired board seems pretty optimistic though IMO.

I like Flatting over all. We have show down value and lots of equity. We just may be put in tough spots on the turn and river.

Raising for a free card isn't a good strategy in NLHE.

The only reason to raise here would be to try to get V to lay down a better hand. V almost definitely has a made hand here. With the FD out there, he could legitimately be donking 8x. He's got lot's of Qx in his range, too.

The only type of hand I see V folding is mid PPs where he's just taking a stab at the pot. I just don't see enough FE to raise in this spot.

Villain is a station. So you want to bluff why?

Not sure whale is thinking that far; maybe thinking but chewing on crayons later

If this isn't a whale alert idk what is

I'm not sure I understand why raising to potentially get a free card on the turn isn't a good strategy.

Especially when trying to make a draw, I would think we would want to see a river for as little as possible should we not get there on the turn.

1. We're not even getting correct odds to call the current bet, much less anything larger.
2. If we do raise we could potentially get shoved on and have to fold.
3. If we don't raise we could potentially get a free card.