This hand is from a weekly home game held every Tuesday night inside a friend's house. Game is raked with a dealer and plays much like any other underground game you've likely participated in.

This was the first hand I played after arriving late in the evening. Hero has $500 on the table and is in the cutoff. Villain to my left has the button and covers with $850. I've watched the table for a few orbits and witnessed Villain win with a nut flush, broadway and boat over boat after the board paired on the river. He's playing solid, never played this game before, but also "playing his heater." (Also for other information, BB is sitting on about $230 when the hand begins).

Hand folds to hero who has 5c3c. I raise to $15 and get callers from the villain on the button and from the BB.

Flop 10d 7c 6h

BB checks
Hero checks
Villain checks

Turn 4s

BB checks
Hero bets $30
Villain thinks for about 3 seconds before announcing a raise to $130
BB folds
Hero ???

Tough spot, let's see what hands would take this line on this board...a rainbow board with a clear straight possibility in position.

(44, 66, 77, TT, 98s)

Although a set may bet out the flop fearing the completion of a gutshot, I have seen sets check here enough times to include them in the range. I see 2 pair fastplaying the flop, so I eliminated them from the range.

You are up against 12 combos of sets and 4 combos of a straight that beats you, unless you know villain will call with 98o.

If he can call with 98o, this is a tough fold. If not, I would get it in.

Couldn't his button range be fairly wide.....not to say he could have 85suited.....but could this be purely position play to put the "new player" in a tough spot?

Maybe its just me but I feel like SOMEONE will put you to an Air-bluff like this fairly early in the session to see if a raise can take you off of a hand

I feel like if you're gonna play the 53suited then you kinda gotta at least call. Not an easy spot since you're sitting on $500 and have no idea where you're at.

Does anyone think that Hero should bet this flop being the PFR? I think I would bet here a decent amount of the time.

That's a good point, but that requires reads and OP didn't mention anything about villains. This also would be a play that takes some thinking and avg people don't really do that too much.

Its true though... When a new player sits down there are tons of spots where you can call their pre flop raise, float the c-bet and put in a big raise on the turn as a bluff. People will tend to make hero-folds a lot since calling the raise would commit them to the hand. Works more often than not and on a pretty wide range of boards too I think. Obv gotta be pretty sure villain has a one pair/overpair type hand though...

I wouldn't for a few reasons:

1. The board is drawy enough to induce some looser calls.
2. A ten-high board hits a good portion of suited connector calling ranges.
3. Our equity in the hand consists of a bare gutshot and a backdoor flush draw, if we are called, barring a miracle 4, we are toast.

So we are likely to be called, and if we are, we have few outs.

I guess wait till you flop the nuts......and let him do the same

Personally I don't think I can fold in that spot, but thats why I am reading this forum

86s is in villain's range. He is on a heater, and he is on winner's tilt.

1. He feels like he can't lose.
2. He has a lot more chips than he bought in for.
3. He'll see a flop with 86s.

But for this reason, other hands are in the villain's range as well. 74s, for example.

This is a very tough spot. Folding or calling are both probably okay. I'd probably fold and wait for a better spot.

If he has a better straight, it's basically a cooler, zero-sum spot.

If you fold here you're saying he has exactly 98 or 85 and I don't think you can do that with this board and action. After checking around the flop he could easily have a pair and a straight draw, a set, or maybe even 2 pair. I say get it in now before he hits a draw or a cooler card comes on the river and you lose a betting opportunity.

I call and see river. Of course he could have 98. But I'd have to be convinced he'd reraise to $130 w/the nuts here-wouldn't he be worried about folding you out? Seems like he wants to claim the pot right here.

.... I meant 85s

Good point, he would have made a 3x or 2.5x type raise wit the nuts and no real flush scares........

Noway he puts YOU on a set and is blocking the board pairing....so this is even more reason that I couldn't fold there, a smooth call will allow him to shut down, and your hand has good showdown value or am I completely wrong

id raise to $300.


its good to raise now cuz he can have a ton of hand combinations that includes draws, raise for value.

I don't know, this seems more like a shove for value.

We want to punish draws, but if he's drawing aren't we already punishing him(or he's punishing himself) by having him reraise us to $130 from $30 and we call?

Thanks for the thoughts.

I ended up pushing and getting a near-instacall from the villain.

He flipped over 1010 and we agreed to run it twice.

First river paired the board.

Second was a blank.

Chop chop.

Variance mitigated FTW.

I think pushing was my only option... and although I am not being results oriented I would be in a terrible spot out of position on the river when the board paired.

I still don't know how this guy, although playing solid, wouldn't a) 3bet the flop and b) bet out the flop with 1010, but whatever... that's what happens when it's the first hand and you really don't have an abundance of actual reads.