Villain 1: Mid-forties Indian guy, he is the spot at the table. Bought in for $500 and quickly lost it, has been buying back in for $200 or $300 and lost at least 3 of those small buy-ins as well. Very loose, he frequently raises pre when folded to him or limp/calls, and won't fold when he has a piece. Earlier he limped with 44, I raised to $30, there were two callers and he jammed for around $120 total, I called with AA and lost when he hit a straight. Stack $235.

Villain 2: Just sat down at the table and has played only a few hands. His first hand he called a raise with K4s and won when he hit two pair on the river. Seems to know and be friends with all the regs at the table. Muscular MAWG. Stack $580.

Hero: V1 likely sees me as TAG, V2 has no read as I haven't played a hand since he sat. I cover.

On to the hand...

V1 limps in EP, I raise to $30 with AK in MP (standard open raise at the table has been $25, and I added $5 for the one limper), folds to V2 in the cutoff who calls. V1 calls as well.

Pot $95
Flop K94

V1 checks, I bet $40, V2 calls. V1 shoves all in for $205 total. I'm way ahead of most of his range here (which includes lots of kings and diamond draws). I decide to call with V2 behind me. The pot is now $545.

Right after I call, V2 quickly jams. The pot is now $1,055 and it's $350 more for me to call. I'm holding the A so neither villain can have the nut flush draw.

Thoughts on initial flop call and second flop decision are welcome.

Pretty gross. Would have to play around with Equilab to see how wide they need to be for you to have your requisite 25%.

V2 could just be YOLO'ing with a hand like T9 or QJ, but you're hoping V1 has something dumb like KxQ or 76 etc.

I don't think V2 has a monster but he could have been getting trappy with 99/44 on the flop the first time around.

Tough spot gotta plug in some ranges.

Pretty obvious that V2 has a set (most likely 44, but maybe 99). He flatted your initial IP and then took the opportunity to back shove after V1 did and you called. He would have to have a lot of combo draws in his range to make this a call for me and we don't know enough about him to assume that. Add to that V1 might have some of your outs (diamonds) vs a set, and I think you need to fold.

You might have saved yourself $$ by flatting V1's CRAI here but I am curious why you didn't 3! to isolate?

I think it's a reluctant call given your equity.

Vs. V2 range of AA/AK/KQ/K9/99/44 u r 40%ish - can likely eliminate AA, though I've seen stranger things. Excluding AA will not materially change the calc.

I'd value higher on the flop given V1 image.

Regarding V2's range - you don't put any possible diamonds or combo draws in it?

KQ is a small possibility so I can't say to remove it altogether, but at the time I definitely felt it was very unlikely V2 would play top pair good kicker this way.

I'd also include K4s into his range because I literally just saw him call a raise with that very hand a few minutes earlier.

I didn't purposefully because they would make your spot more favorable. Exchanging those for KQ may be directionally immaterial in terms of whether to call or not. K4s would add another combo (or two?).

They BOTH have to be FOS for our hand to be good.

Doesn't happen often at these stakes.

Otherwise we are probably drawing dead.

Are we feeling lucky?

I definitely considered 3betting the flop. My rationale to flat was that V2 might be tempted to call with a hand like KQ, KJ, or combo/diamond draws and I don't mind him coming along. There aren't many awful looking turns for me because even a diamond gives me the nut flush draw, and he will be in a tough spot when I bet on blank turns.

you wanted V2 in and he's in
what's the problem?

if you thought V1 had a set then why call the $205?

these are the ????? you should have had the answers to before calling the $205

as played I call you could still win the side pot $350 from V2

Interesting. I am not so sure you want V2 in the hand after V1 shoves. There is already $380 in the middle before you call and your hand really isn't strong enough to want a multi way AI pot IMO. Just because we hold the A, we shouldn't want a diamond on the turn and I would prefer to put max pressure on V2 to make him pay to get there.

As it turned out, if you didn't care he was in then not sure why you are having second thoughts now.

I think a mistake in this hand is your flop cbet size. It looks weak as hell and could have induced the c/r from V1 leaving us sandwiched between V1 and V2 not knowing what to do. Maybe he wouldn’t c/r if we bet close to pot, but who knows.

AP, I’m clueless in this spot. A backraise is usually super nutted. He would mostly just call behind with his flush draws here because he never expects you to fold.

3betting the flop certainly might have been the correct play there.

Having said that, it feels like my previous post was misunderstood. I definitely did not "want a diamond on the turn". Diamonds would be the worst cards to come out - just thought it was worth noting that one on the turn would give me the nut flush draw as well.

Also, having V2 in the hand seemed ok (or maybe just not terrible) before he snap jammed over 100bb into a pot where I showed a good deal of strength. The shape of the hand took a massive turn once he did that, and his range to call my initial $40 flop bet vs his range that snap shoves over 100bb over me seems vastly different.

What the &(*&%^$ is a $40 c-bet going to gain you here? V1 is calling if he connects, yes? So you need to make a decision what you want to do with V2 with your c-bet sizing and current stack sizes. Even though you are OOP to V2 you have an advantage here since you can control V2 via V1 ...

If you bet $105 (pot) and V2 flats then neither of you can shove over V1's shove. So you can 'trap' V2 into the pot ... and you now know that he's serious about this pot by calling the pot sized Flop bet and 'having' to call off the balance of V1's stack. If V2 raises/shoves over your pot bet, then you can now make a decision even if V1 folds out.

This is also a spot to consider checking into V2. If V2 bets and V1 shoves, then you can make a decision with nothing invested on the Flop yet. Having the Ad here is both good and bad in picking a path.

I have different takes on the 'quick jam' from V2. Typically a quick bet or call when a Board card comes out mean weakness or a draw that didn't come in. But a quick re-jam, especially from a rec player, can be a nutty type hand (AA/set) or a super strong draw, like Ad9d or QdJd. It's 'excitement' either way. Most regs with either of these types of hands will at least take a moment to feign weakness before over-shoving.

AP we have set up V2 to look pretty strong here. And we can rule out some flush draws due to both Ad/Kd being 'out' ... Even with the $$ already in the pot I don't think we can come up with very many 'draw' combos to get to =EV here.

If I thought V1 had the set and V2 had the draw, then we call. But I'm thinking this played out perfectly for V2 and I probably don't offer him a side pot. GL

Now here's someone who sees the whole board and thinks things out 3-4 moves ahead
instead of just moving his pawn and reacting to V's move

Tough spot. At the table I would call after convincing myself both could be on combo draws, but behind my computer it just feels like someone has a set which has us drawing so thin.

Its completely fine to cbet a smaller amt otf holding Ad

Seems good overall, now call. You’ll obv lose often here but i like your line

We bet for value ... and some folks bet for 'information'. This is a semi-wet Board and we are 'in the middle' position. If V2 'knows' that V1 is a CS then he can say 'thank you' for the nice price Hero is giving him for any draws and he stays in position.

Betting 'around' 50% pot gives live players way too good of a price and most will see it as weakness. When you have a player (V1) who will puts chips in the pot 'anyway' there's no reason to delay that action ... and we want to get 'real' value from V2 if he's going to stay in the hand.

This is a situation bet with both the Vs in mind. I'm not saying that I'd never bet 50% on a Flop like this .. what I'm saying is that my target is V1 and I'm going to make V2 pay the price to outdraw me and/or partake in the opportunity to get some of V1's chips on my account. GL

Bet bigger on the flop - $55-$70, as played, fold to the btn allin. It's rarely btn would do this with draws or KQ type hand.