2/5 at Borgata

Villain ($500) - 40's white guy. Only played about 20 minutes, so reads are limited. He seemed like an ok recreational player. Little loose pre, a little loose and passive post, but not like crazy LP. Haven't seen him really take aggressive action much at all. Wish I had more reads but he didn't really get involved much.

MP ($500) - 30's white guy. Standard rec fish. Not really involved in hand postflop.

Hero ($500) - Late 20's white guy. No one at the table knows me, and I haven't really been involved in any big hands. Playing generally tight pre and they have no reason to think I'm very loose or aggro.

EP limps
Villain (MP) limps
MP2 raises to $15
Hero (Button) T9 calls $15
Sb calls $15
BB calls $15
EP calls $15
Villain calls $15

Hand plays well, and I have no reads and it's going to be multiway, so I just call.

Pot~95
Flop: AT3
Checks around to hero, hero checks

I thought about betting but I'm totally readless, and people like to check to the raiser. Aces never fold, better tens might call. I just thought I'd check back.

Pot~95
Turn: AT39
Checks around to hero again, hero bets $60, folds to villain, villain calls $60

I didn't think it was likely that people would check a made flush twice, so I'm betting my 2 pair for value. I want high clubs to call, and there are a lot of club+straight draws that can come with that 9, so I wanted to charge enough to let them draw but not blow everyone out of the pot.

Pot~215
River: AT39Q
Villain donks $95, hero?

Such a weird spot. AQ got there if he's passive enough to check it twice. QT, Q9 got there. Q3 I don't really see. I don't even know if he bets 2 pair, especially weaker 2 pair because rec players are going to fear I have a flush. KJ with a club got there also, and I guess rec players probably bet straights.

If he turned a flush, that's a weird way to play it. You'd think lower flushes would bet or CR, and higher flushes would bet more on the river. Maybe he has a medium flush and is playing it weird because he's bad.

I just don't know what he bets here that I beat. I don't see rec players betting 1 card busted clubs or turning like KcQx into a bluff. I really don't think rec players are going to c/c turn, then donk river with like AJ or AK here.

I was all ready to bet again on a blank river, but now that I'm donked into do I just fold?

I'm fairly comfortable folding here.

Good flop check.

Turn I'd bet a little more, ~$80. You already look like you're stealing with everyone checking twice and you on the button so I'd try to get a little more value but not a big problem.

I see some rec players do exactly this but it's not standard. It's close and your read isn't super solid but a fold is probably best.

Readless I fold Really all we are ahead of that could possible play like this are weak axs, and two pair, so his range is more weighted towards flushes, straight etc

in these spots i like to try to name hands i beat. if i cant name very many of them i fold. especially against against a 40 something yo white guy who hasnt shown any aggression and has decided to donk here when we hold pretty much the worst 2pr possible.

I think you played the hand fine, and its time to fold.

Feels like villain has QQx

Villain does not limp-call QQ PF.

Regardless, your hand is a pure bluff-catcher now. As others have stated, fold is probably best with limited reads. I would always wonder if he was firing a busted club draw he picked up on the turn but I can't even think of a x holding that would check the flop and c/c the turn.

You're right. Sorry, I thought villain was the PFR.

Goo HH and I hope it gets some replies. This is one of the tougher spots in NLHE imo.

Personally I'm just going to bet the flop, unless villain is an aggro tard and I'm expecting him to barrel the turn and river with complete air if I check to him.

As someone else already said, as played I'd bet more on the turn. I think that you're going to get called fairly light here.

You'd expect villain to lead a flush on the turn or c/r like you said, but maybe not given that we have no reads. He's also going to snap call the turn with kc/j which makes a straight on the river. He's also playing q/10 this way on the turn. I think that this is an incredibly close spot on the river, but I'd lean towards a fold. I could definitely see a lot of arguments for a call though, and wouldn't fault someone for calling. I really think that this is such an ugly spot it's very close to neutral ev either way, but I'd probably fold.

I'm really hoping some others reply here as this is a problem spot for me as well.

What are we trying to accomplish by betting the flop? Are we betting for value or as a bluff? We don't get better hands (Aces) to fold, and we might get worse hands to bluff us out (FDs).

Also, why bet more OTT? We're bet/folding right? So why bet bigger? 2/3 is more than enough to deny odds for a FD while still getting value for our hand.

snap fold. Hoping he's bluffing Kc? blocking A5? Well maybe not snap fold...you could maybe consider shoving. But I doubt that's good.

Fold. This is for value 90%+. You don't beat any value hands.

This isn't any different than being raised on the turn. We were b/f-ing, right?

Since most people agree, what would you guys need to have to call here? If we had like QT here would you call? I don't think QT is significantly better. Obviously it doesn't play the same way if I had AQ.

The sizing on the river is weird too. I think it's value, but I can't figure out what it is. I just don't think it's like 2 pair unless it's AQ, but I don't see what flush this would be.

Anyway, I'll see if anyone has any more comments before I post results.

Flop check is a mistake. Not trying to be a soul reader but villain plays K Jo exactly like this. His bet sizing for 2/5 95$ sounds like "I don't want to bet a 100+ and scare him,let me take one chip off". I do this too, but I would bet like 85/90. His sizing is funny and I could never pay him off.

2pair is a bluff catcher on this board. You need to have small flushes/KJ to call here. Any better hand I'm raising for value.

Isn't c/c turn, donk river a super strong line?

Agree with pokah. Sounds exactly like KcJx.
Or maybe a smaller flush. Either way you are beat almost always and just have to fold.

I agree w/ everyone else. I think you played the hand fine but now I can't think of a hand we beat here. Fold.

Thanks for the responses. I was pretty sure I should have folded.

I was really tired that day and not thinking straight, and I ended up calling.

Villain had 34 for turned flush.

He actually played it decently (except for the PF call), so maybe my reads were wrong.

Anyway I took a walk, got a coffee, and I think I played ok for the rest of the session. Really should not have called though

Thanks guys!