2/5 300-1k buyin.

Hero is new to the table as is the main villain HJ position.

UTG +3 (300) Fun player raises to 15
Villian HJ (500) 3-bets to 50
Hero SB (covers) calls 3-bet with AA
UTG +3 Calls

Ethnicities don't really play into a role here. Villian has been folding most hands up to this point but its only been about 15-20 mins. I opted to call the 3-bet as opposed to cold 4-bet because I wanted to keep the fun player in. Also in the game I was in, cold 4-betting is usually top 1% of hands. I have not sat long enough to give them reason otherwise. I am pretty comfortable with navigating post flop as well even OOP.

Flop: A57 (150)
Hero checks
UTG +3 checks
HJ bets 30
Hero calls
UTG +3 calls

On the flop I don't think anybody has much as I have the board pretty locked up with top set. I chose to call HJ bet of 1/5 pot to potentially allow UTG +3 in. I don't think pocket 5/7 are in either of their 3-bet/call ranges although with the fun player you never know. I think if I check/raised I would have folded out both of them immediately. However let me know your opinions.

Turn: 8 (240)
Hero checks
UTG +3 checks
HJ bets 45
Hero ?



River

Pre is a 4bet imo, particularly sb. If people give that much credit to cold 4bets in this game, it's up to you to take advantage of it, and then you absolutely need to balance it with strong hands.

Villain not playing a hand for a while is good for us as well, as he is less likely to let go the best hand he's seen in a while.

Overall, calling in SB looks stronger than raising does imo.

AP

Flop is a mandatory raise versus this sizing. Not only do you have value against some 2P, some sets and FDs, but the sizing will also help with villain leveling himself. Are you raising because he bets so low of do you really have it?

AP, I guess turn is a call, and river is a xc. A raise river seems like an overplay trying to compensate for missing the mark earlier on. We are far from holding the nuts and there is very little that we have beat that can make the call at this point. At best you can make a low flush to fold, but that's ambitious and kind of useless given the size of the pot.

4bet pre, raise flop.

I think calling preflop is OK if the goal is to keep the fun player in the hand.
Flop should be a raise facing the 1/5 sizing.
Now, on the turn, at 2SPR, kind of a strange spot. Raising is probably too strong. We don’t need much protection holding the Ac. Double blocking top pair, what do we put the other two players on that called flop? I think it’s reasonably likely one of them had a flush draw.
I think you can just call turn and evaluate river.

Just read the spoilers. So, you put HJ squarely on the 1 combo of AxKc, and never a flush? I don’t see how you can be so confident you aren’t beat here when the range you assign is so narrow. AP, multi-way, blocking top pair, I’d say it’s more likely that that HJ has air or had you beat with a flush. Check river and let him keep bluffing.

I'd probably just lead the flop big, but having checked, I'm definitely putting in a sizeable check raise. I think pre is completely fine, although I do 4 bet as a default.

This.

Playing passively is not the way to extract maximum value, especially in LLSNL.

Just because a cold 4 bet is top 1% in these games doesn't mean the villains know that or are even thinking about it. Even if they do know it and are thinking about it, they'll often still make an excuse in their head as to why they should call.

With that in mind, I like cold 4 betting to $125.

As played, on the flop, I think we have to raise versus 20% flop sizing. I would raise to $100. Calling just seems like a way to keep the pot small and then often have the turn x through.

The turn is barely over a 1/6 pot sized bet, just raise. Neither villain should have a ton of flushes given it's a 3 bet pot, and you have A. There are a ton of worse hands that will call. I would just go $150 to set up a river shove.

As played, on the river, I think we just lead all in. It's only a pot sized bet to shove, less for +3, and the way this hand has gone, I think it's likely the river will just check through.

This all comes back to my original point - generally we don't want to play passively.

How much of a flop raise would you do?

I honestly only gave credit to UTG+3 having a flush potentially given HJ turn bet size. I don't think he would bet so little with a flush considering its not the nuts and given two other players in the hand still.

How much would you lead on flop as a donk bet? I would definitely question whether we lose value since HJ continuing range would probably be flush draws and Ax+, 55, 77, 75s.

I like the turn play now that I recap it. Even if I raised and UTG+3 jammed I would definitely call. On the river I lead for 200 targeting HJ's potential AK, AQ, AJ, JJ.