Hand from 3am Saturday night/Sunday morning 2/5 at Aria...

Villain 1 isn't super relevant to this post, but he is a 30 something (maybe early 40s) Asian gentleman who doesn't seem particularly attached to his $1500 buy-in, he's raising blind preflop and in general being pretty sticky pre and post, seems like he's just trying to gamble
Villain 2: is a South African gent who I've played with multiple times over the past 5ish years (maybe longer), I believe he's a pro. Winning player for sure but nothing about him stands out as particularly memorable and he's only been at tonight's table for an orbit or so. He did join us from a broken 5/10 table though, so not sure how he's handling the step down in stakes
Hero: should have a solid image, been winning since Villain 1 joined the game, taggy, nothing spectacular.

$2/5 NL (5 handed)
UTG V1 ($1100)
MP V2 ($2300)
SB HERO ($2500)

Hero is dealt AA

UTG blind raises to $40, UTG+1 folds, MP call, Hero 3Bs to $125, BB folds

Flop ($380) 972

Hero bets $150, UTG V1 calls $150, MP V2 calls $150

Sizing is a little on the small side but I wanted some worse hands to call!

Turn ($830) Q

Hero bets $300, UTG V1 calls $300, MP V2 shoves for $2050, Hero ???

V2 takes his time before acting...definitely seems like he's debating between call and shove, takes him a couple of minutes to make a choice. I thought he was leaning raise from the get go the way he was counting out chips.

I'm not sure how often I'm good here, but given the board it seems like he could have some combo draws or pair + draws in his range. Obviously sets and maybe 97s. Kind of regretting my bet sizing once he shoved, started leveling myself into thinking the smallish bets maybe under-repped my hand. Can't ever see him doing this very light though when V1 is in the pot as well, and he may be committed given that he's got half his stack in. What should my calling range look like?

Not your question, but I'd definitely raise more PF ($160) and bet more on flop ($200).

As played, it's tough. The Qc is a good card for your range but V2 doesn't care, and you still have V1 to worry about. The raise is basically pot-sized, so do you have enough equity? Not vs. sets or 2-pair. I think I fold reluctantly, but really hope V1 calls so I can see the hands.

I fold about 99% of the time when I have the Ad and about 90% of the time when I don’t. It’s just so unlikely for this to be a bluff *on the Turn* *in a multi-way pot*.

Several problems with your bet sizing throughout:

1) your preflop 3-bet needs to be at least 4x the initial raise when you’re out of position.

2) If you’re going to bet this flop—and you should NOT bet it 100% of the time, not even close—you need to use a Very Big sizing. Your options are checking or betting the pot—you can’t bet small on a draw-heavy board that smashes 2 Villains’ ranges.

3) Same options on the Turn except, given action, this is a card you can Overbet at a high frequency.


As it is I don’t think any of that really matters—I think V2 flopped a set so you’re losing a ton of money regardless—but they are things to keep in mind moving forward.

Snap fold

Def raise bigger pre and on flop

I'd size larger OTT, somewhere around $500 (also larger pre-flop).

Given your history w/V2, I'd think about he would play hands like 99/77/KQs/QJs/QTs/JTs pre and post. My decision would be based on the answer to those combos, among others.

yeah I would say because of the pre flop raise sizing there could be a hand in there that doesn't belong there. on the turn I would think v1 range is capped since he is only calling and some backdoor draws came in. the guy shoving im only scared of QQ, so I would normally call but in this case because of the bet sizing pre flop and it being a blind open raise I would lean towards a fold because someone should have a two pair hand or better.

fold, tank jams (not the reason I'm folding) are usually huge hands anyway. I'm not committing 500 bb's with a pair here 3 ways.

More of the same .. You only raised $85 into $125 PF and once V1 calls is pretty much a no brainer for V2 to call in position.

Larger on the Flop .. You have 'sticky' and a good Player who will be getting 4.5 to 1 on a call AP .. too good of a price if he's even got a sniff of the Board.

Larger bet sizes may induce a shove from V1 on Flop or Turn and then you can probably 3-bet V2 out of hand .. or just cooler time. A pot sized Flop bet would put V1 all-in on the Turn with another pot sized bet .. action dependent of course.

Turn bet is tricky .. I bet at least 400 since V1 can reopen my action if he shoves the extra 425 (and I'm never folding to him). I also don't mind betting $525 so if V1 shoves then V2 knows I can't raise and the pot is now bloated going to the River.

AP .. What do you beat? AQd and JTd or some combination of those cards with at least one diamond. You don't really say much about V1 raising in their hands .. so just a passive sticky? We can probably put him on flush draw or 8T. Is he really calling into Qx with 9x/7x?

You may be able to suck out via 2/7/9 (but that may give V1 trips). Your bet sizing looks weak .. did V2 pick up on this? What is your history with V2 when it comes to these moves? Are you normally a Player who avoids getting stacks in when it comes to these types of spots.

I wish I knew if V2 had won or lost in the 5/10 game .. if he had a losing session, then he may be more prone to pushing draws/FE. But does he really know how V1 has been playing, or does he even care?

A lot of these spots come down to how you will feel once you see the result. Will V1 even consider a fold with 500 back? It would be a tragedy if V2 flashes the Qd after V1 mucks as I doubt that QQ is in the picture whereas 99/77 are possible.

Hate to think this way, but were you near the end of your session? Up or down?

You're getting exactly 2 to 1 on a call with the potential of 525 in bonus bucks. Are you good (have to hold) at least 28% of the time here with a few suck-outs sprinkled in there? GL

UTG is described as sticky and has more than 50% of his stack invested. Obviously doesn't mean he's calling all the time here but certainly often enough that MP shouldn't have that many bluffs in his range.

MPs range should include a lot of hands that connect with the flop after he just called the blind raise preflop. Against the smallish 3bet and being IP & last to act, he's probably defending close to 100% pre getting 3.5:1.

Pre-flop I would raise to $200. Not only are we OOP but there was a caller of the initial raise.

On the flop I would check given the range hits both opponents much harder than us and we don't have A which increases the chances of a flop raise.

As played on the turn I might check and see if there is a bet and raise. If I bet it would be about $500.

As played I probably fold on the turn to the shove. But given our small sizing under repping our hand I might call. The shove could be QX.

Definitely a sick spot. As others have said your raise PF was way too small, I go to 200 OOP and with the CC.

I don’t mind the flop sizing. I also don’t hate checking OOP 3 ways. Either are fine.

Turn sizing is too small, I go more like 450-500. We don’t know what V1 has but V2 has a very strong range here. He could have a combo draw with the Qd or he could have JTdd. Or he has us absolutely crushed with a set or two pair. And we don’t know what V1 has.

I fold and don’t really think twice about it. Hope V1 calls so we can see hands and refine our reads.

I think all we beat is XdQd. Regardless, it's not really worth the call unless you know he's bluffing, which I doubt he is. A winning player who might be a pro is not bluffing here often, unless it actually is AdQd.

More pre (especially OOP) and more on flop.

Fold now, never show.

This is ugly! I hate when I play a hand in such a way it handcuffs my range and forces me to make plays I'm uncertain of and more so not happy with. Kinda what you jus did!!

As others mention your raise size pre has to be bigger. Stacks are deep and at very most you're trying to get heads up and not give implied odds. Sizing of 200 not bad but I'd prolly go 170-185 but with stacks deep 200 not bad either if you're certain one of them will call.

Little different perspective from some but I definitely love betting the flop for value and range narrowing. I kno it's a wet board but most flops miss most hands... Lets take advantage of this and get some extra value from drawing hands, yet I'm understanding this is not a 3 street value hand.

Flop sizing on the larger size 75%+.

Checking all turns. When I have the Ad, I'm barreling turn more on turn diamond. I'm also barreling on none diamond A for top set.

Turn action will still be a hard spot after check if v1 bets n V2 shoves. But there's a bunch of draws so I lean more toward calling than folding.

I don't think V2 ever has a set or two pr as I believe on such flop he's raising flop after PFR continues into two other ppl and a flat caller b4 him. He's more or less on drawing hands than made hands.

Ask yourself, if you were last to act here with a set or two pr. You Flatting this board or raising. I'm raising 100%

The turn smells like a combo draw. V2 may not have many bluffs but his understanding and reads on the action could make this situation so profitable knowing your range is capped to over pairs n v1 is medium prs to drawing hands after three calls(pre, flop, turn).

I call. But I call a lot more liter than most. But this situation jus leads me to a call..

Thanks all for the feedback. My main takeaway was that bet sizing was a disaster throughout. And I may need to be checking this flop with calling hands at some frequency - I realized while reading some of the replies that I'm probably betting overpairs here when I was the 3ber close to always.


My argument for a call sounded a lot like this. I'm just not sure he's ever flatting a big hand on that flop. V2 hasn't been at the table long enough to have gotten much of a read on V1, although it's possible they've played together before. So, this feels QdXd or QQ a lot from him or combo draws. I too call to damn often though!

5/10 reg drops down cuz game broke, so moneys matter a bit less to himself here

He then likely squeezes with a hand that might be good but not acez good, figuring you will fold everything while superwhale in middle calls everything

Ya I’m probably calling….

Preflop $200. Im likely checking range most of the time vs two callers in $600 pot OOP on this board. Or betting $500 if the one V is as sticky as described.

I don't mind your line, I like your turn sizing actually vs creative players , I think it will come down to your history vs V and what hands he would take this with, would he really just jam with 2pair+ ? He likely knows your not calling with overpair so why is he going polar , I think as played it's quite tough and very player dependant , tough spot imo

Also it kinda matters that you don't hold the A diamonds which it slightly more likely villian has ace high flush draw , which he could take that line with too perhaps ....

Fold and don’t show anyone you mucked AA.

You’re almost never good there. 2p would be the absolute minimum calling range when you have two V’s calling fairly large bets….

And one of them shoves into the preflop 3! and the other V who’s been calling.


Even a semi bluff here with combo draw would be a big punt for the V.