I was left scratching my head on this one...thought I'd put it to the forum.

Table is loose/aggressive. PF rarely goes uncontested. A couple of very solid regs at the table, 3 degens, and 3 unknown. Hero is a MAWG once-weekly reg at best who is played hooky this afternoon and is sitting at the table in slacks and a button down. Works in sales, very talkative fellow.

Unknown limps in EP ~400
CO is MAMG (mexican guy). Little history. Funny, talkative, entertaining. Likes to play ATC, traps with monsters, will over-play medium strength hands. Forced move to my table due to consolidation. Covers table.
SB limps, ~600, solid reg.
Hero ~500 checks 52 disinterestedly.

Flop:
943

SB bets $15
Hero calls
EP folds
CO calls.

Turn ($60 pot)
8

Checks around.

River 6
SB bets $40.

Hero?

I'd raise the flop to $50. You have position on one interested player, and having others overcall behind you isn't all that great. You'd really like to fold out higher flush draws and get heads-up.

As played, I'd raise to $100/fold to a 3-bet. There are tons of 2-pair combos that will pay you off.

call. I think you should of raised on flop though.

Not understanding the confusion here? Seems like a pretty standard raise OTR. He can't have 57hh here and has one combo of T7hh.

I'm assuming you're torn between calling and raising? 7T seems pretty unlikely in this spot unless it's exactly 7hTh (which SB might barrel turn with), and it seems unlikely that SB, who you described as a solid reg, would lead the flop with 57 into 3 other players since he can't have 5h7h. Would raise here to $100 or so and try to get a crying call from the reg's likely two pair. Puke and fold if either player 3-bets.

Well a lot of the time sb wont have a hand that can call a raise and you can get the other guy to call and make an extra 40. If you get 3 bet you are never good.

You're reading my mind. I'm definitely thinking raise. Wasn't sure how much.

Hero raises to $120. (Sizing ok?)
Co raises to $260
SB tanks in disgust, folds.

Hero?

Are 2-pair or sets with 33/44 still in his range? Seems like a weird board to pop with 3 straights possible if he doesn't have it.

In game, I'm trying so hard to NOT find a fold. Is this ever a profitable call?

Calling and raising flop both seem good. I might side with calling since it's a relatively small pot and we don't have much invested.

Turn seems fine.

River, we have the third nuts. Really would like it if you didn't say the hand left you scratching your hand, kind of gives the result away. But we have the third nuts with a relatively hidden hand. I'd raise to ~$120 and fold to a jam. Folding to the jam is key. What hands are either of these villains jamming after a river raise on such a board? All of the sets, aside from 66, are betting/raising on the flop or turn. There aren't many two pair hands either that make sense. We also have no reason to turn our hand into a bluff in such a small pot. So I tend to believe that only straights are jamming after our raise.

Calling flop is best. If you are going to raise 52hh in this spot on the flop then I really want to play with you. River is an automatic raise. There should be no question about that.

The reason I was scratching my head is that the raise was so freaking strong and just made no sense. I guess maybe 57 floats the flop with the GS, or exactly T7. And 66 also makes sense to float, and I'm not sure it's that out of character for this villain to play a rivered set like the nuts here, either. He doesn't jam, but does it still justify a fold?

Your river raise sizing is fine, that's the upper limit of what I'd make it since we're trying to eke a crying call out of SB.

River is gross with that sizing (his 3-bet). Seems like a terrible way to play a hand like 33/44 but you did say that he's trappy. Getting 3.5:1 I might cry and call this only if your "trappy" read involves him slowplaying sets in this manner in the past. If you can post some sample hands that helped you develop that read that would help with this decision.

What is wrong with raising the flop? If you raised the flop you definitely would of won the hand and maybe a big pot.

Would like to hear why calling the flop bet is best too.

We have a flush draw and a straight draw, so you would think this would be a really good hand to semi-bluff raise but the problem is that our equity is not as strong as it appears, especially vs hands that are willing to get it in vs us.

We are 40% vs sets. That would be pretty good if sets were the worst we could get it in with but we are 35% against bigger flush draws (all flush draws are bigger than ours), and we are under 30% vs 4hXh. The problem is compounded when we go multiway. For instance if we get it in vs a flush draw and a set we are only 17% to win the pot.

I do not expect our raise to fold out many of these hands that we have poor equity against. Furthermore, even though we have an up and down straight draw it is a bit hidden and easy to get paid when we hit.