2/5, 6 handed...

Hero just sat down with $200 and posted out of turn in the CO

OTTH:

UTG ($54) and UTG+1 ($88) limp,
Hero ($200) raises to $6 with 53 (spew I know, but mainly interested in postflop),
BTN folds,
V in SB ($400) calls,
BB ($200) calls,
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds.

Flop ($26): JJ5
V donks $13, BB folds, UTG, folds, Hero ??

Now I'd muck here majority of the time but I saw V playing two hands in the last 5 mins (while I was moving around the table) which influenced my decision-making:

Hand 1: V raises A9o in SB over 3 limpers and donks 60% pot on JT9r flop.

Hand 2: V raises 4.5x UTG with 93ss, flops full house and doesn't bet.

Based on this, V seemed to be more like the maniacal types who loves betting when weak and trapping with stronger hands. So he is more likely to slowplay Jx on a rainbow board like this, so I'm definitely not folding just yet. I know he donked in a MW pot, but I think he's FOS here.

Should I raise for protection OR flat and risk getting 6-outed by his likely overcards?

If you think he's FOS, just calm like a J would then bet or raise turn. OTT we can shut down vs a call/raise.

PF is just gross, if you want to raise this, at least make it bigger (at least $12) and get some FE. Flat flop if you're confident that he's donking wide here, raising doesn't accomplish much.

OP - if you raise the flop, do you think villain still calls with his over cards?

I don't know. I'd assume NOT. Well, he shouldn't.

Then raise the donk bet as if you had AA instead of 53. $40 is big enough he should fold most hands, yet small enough you're not committed if he calls.

^ Why would I raise AA on that board though?

well, you don´t have aces... you had a read that he is likely weak here, whether that´s true or not, sou you are basically making a highly exploitable play here trying to get him to fold his equity.

i kind alike it

You raised to $6 PF in a 2/5 NL game? I'm confused. Okay I just read the title and you say it's a 1/2 game there so I'm assuming the 2/5 part was a mistake.

i'd just flat the flop. You saw him slowplay a boat but that doesn't mean he always checks a jack here, especially if his kicker isn't an ace. If he has something like JT or JQ or even JK he won't feel as confident as he felt with a boat. And I could see him having J9 and J8. Or J2 if he decided to play like an idiot.

If he has middle pair and an overcard comes, there is a good chance he will check and let you bluff him off the hand. If he has a 5 with a stronger kicker then even more cards can come that will scare him.

Calling the flop can look pretty strong, especially to a player who likes to slowplay monsters.

I know you're not looking for feedback on preflop, but it's bad to look at any street in a vacuum. Very often when people are in tough spots, it's because of how they play other streets and/or other hands. Have a strong ISO range preflop, and suddenly it's very very easy to defend against a FOS villain, even on a board that's pretty favorable for his range (jacks are the heaviest card in a loose passive's SRP range).

Anyway, your pair to the board doesn't do a whole lot as a bluff catcher that pocket pairs and A-high don't also do. Blocking bottom boat doesn't do a whole lot because you don't put him on that anyway, your extra 3 outs are to a counterfeited hand, and your 3 outs to trips don't suck you out against Jx. So if you're convinced he doesn't have anything, then you can try and own his soul by calling, but you're doing perfectly fine by calling with AT+/66+/KQss and so forth, especially since pocket pairs and strong high-cards should be essentially your entire range for ISOing the shorties.

Raising accomplishes nothing with this hand, though it's something to consider with 64ss/T9ss and so forth. If you don't have those hands in your range (see above), then do it with KTss/KQss. Even 22-44 serve pretty decently as a 2-out draw against his most likely continuing range, which on this board, is as good as you can hope for.

This, ignoring all the other mistakes in this hand.

Also, I know this isn't strictly relevant to this HH, but flatting with all value hands is a pretty big mistake.

Results:

Well, I just called flop to see what he does OTT...

Turn ($52): T (giving me the FD also)
V bets $26, Hero calls

River ($104): 2
V checks, Hero checks

V shows T7o for turned two pair #wtf

Once he checked river, I was sure he had air that I was good against. Or he probably wasn't folding something like T7o to a bet either.

Why call the flop bet (or raise pre with junk) if you are not going to take advantage of your raise pre, your thoughts on V, and the board? Might as well just fold on the flop (well, fold pre!).

just muck it. he is betting out into 4 people this is not spot, flop, or opponent that we want to stack off with.


if you have a strong read, sure. hero call him all the way down. don't forget to play a few spins of roulette on your way by the pits.