V: Casino reg. 2/5 grinder. Plays pretty cautiously and snug, but capable of making huge calls/good reads. Havent seen him bluff much/at all - prob lives by the dictum that the way to win in 2/5 is going for value all the time , with a bunch of station recs . We have played a bit together and he probably views me as a capable rec, but spazzy in spots.


Effective stacks 1K.

2/5 + straddle out for $10.

I open for $30 from UTG+2 with AK
MP calls, CO calls, V calls in Button and SB calls as well.

~$155 in the pot.

Flop: AQJ

SB checks, I bet $80, fold, fold, V calls in flow, SB folds

~$315 in the pot

Turn: 3

Hero checks, Villain quickly bets $125, Hero ?

Two questions
1. What should i do as played?
2. Any merit to bet/folding turn? Alternate iines?

I would likely b/f turn here in game, though just calling it a day might actually be better. I'd be looking to get value from AdX and would be afraid of folding the best hand if I checked.

TBQH, though, c/f might be a better line. He called a flop c-bet when you bet in to 4-players, so he obv knows you have something real. His flop range has a bunch of 2-pair and FD hands (many of which also already have TP). All of those hands beat you now. The only likely hands for this line (esp given the small turn bet) that I can think of that don't already beat you are AK with one diamond, and that's free-rolling you.

In a straddled pot I would raise more preflop. A $30 raise is going to do exactly what it did here. Cause a domino affect of callers and you will be OOP going 4-6 ways to the flop.

This is one of the hands that I would check the flop and evaluate the action. I get much more info that way. People here hate that line but it works very well for me.

As played, I check/fold the turn without much thought really.

Agree w PF comment.

IF I check the flop, there are too many bad cards that came on the turn - any diamond, T, 9... How is checking on flop better?

Because the flop came 5 ways. Even though hero has TP and a gutshot, his C-Bet isnt going to take the pot down very often. If he bets and gets raised, he has to fold. If he bets and gets called like happened here, hes in a bad spot OOP. It wouldve been worse if he got called twice or more because the pot is bloated so badly that hero is not going to want to give it up.

There are a lot of bad turn cards like you mentioned (although a T is not one of them). Any diamond, Q, J or 9 is terrible. I dont like an 8 either..... but hero is already behind to a lot of hands on the flop.

If I check the flop and it checks thru and one of those bad cards hit, I can check/fold with no damage. You dont have to bet just because you have TP.

If I check the flop and someone bets, I can evaluate my action when it gets back to me with a lot more info than I have now. If someone bets the flop and I fold and they show AT, so what? Folding the best hand sometimes when in a tricky spot that will get even trickier in a bigger pot is the hallmark of a great player IMO.

Flop AQJdd is a nightmare 5 way. What can AK get value from here? AQ AJ QJ KT QQ JJ are all miles ahead of us.

Is anyone seeing you bet into 4 players and thinking "maybe my AT- is good here?"

Like Garrick says you only get value from AdXd in the hands of a tight player. Maybe a fish will call a bet or two with AX no FD but as soon as the good reg calls my flop bet I think I'm done with the hand.

Mostly I think I cbet flop about half pot and then x/evaluate most turn.

Now; I know mike gets a lot of grief for his weird lines but I could see myself x/f this flop. My reasoning would be:

I raised way too small pre and it went massively multiway. Now I want to correct the preflop error as fast as possible and giving up on the hand immediately is quickest, cheapest way to do that. If I bet it's going to be with the hope I take it down immediately and I just don't see that happening with 4 opponents. I'm going to get called or raised and then I've wasted more money on a hand that already went wrong.

Is this a silly way to think about it?

I agree with this. I do agree that the standard here is to b/f, but if there was ever a spot to check TPTK, this is it. We are 5ways in terrible position with a RIO hand given the board. The only hands we're getting value out of are AdXd as explained and I'm guessing they're going to check back on the flop as well and let us bet into non diamond turns. I think checking allows you to play perfectly by giving you the most information. There aren't many worse hands that will bet this flop.

Check/evaluate the flop, although b/f is probably the default.

If your reads are accurate check folding isn't as bad as it seems.

I like your flop sizing and your line if you x/f turn. This is a marginal at best flop 5-way. The best thing you have going for you is an uncapped range so you shouldn't be semi-bluffed by a flush draw. If you get raised on the flop it's always a set or straight with a small chance of top two.

The only weird thing about his turn sizing is that it offers a set direct odds to boat up, so my guess is he read your flop sizing and turn check to be capped at AQ-AK and is trying to milk you for small value.

Check/fold turn and it's a well played hand.

Pre: $40 is probably better but I do also open for 3x in straddled pots sometimes. Table dependent.

flop is close, I check this texture a lot with AK, but bet/folding flop is also good - and I do like your sizing.

Turn I also check/fold, don't think it's that nitty.

Preflop raise should be at least $40 with straddle.

I assume your flop bet is for value / to protect your hand. Problem is, on this board, it's hard for us to get called by worse: KQ, KJ, AT and random Kx and Tx for gutshots are likely candidates, but AQ, AJ, QJ are in all our villain's ranges. Our hand doesn't want to stack off, but there's enough money in the pot to make our SPR dangerous. I'm okay with betting, but I think checking might be the better line, then betting turn + river for value.

If anyone bets flop, we can check/call at least 2 streets - plenty of pair + gutshots / fds that we're ahead of.

As played: on the turn you're facing an annoying 1/3p bet, and need 20% equity. Don't think you can fold just yet - KQ, KJ, AT, QTs can all still be betting, and villain will bet all single Ad hands.

I'm perfectly okay calling the turn and check/folding to a >1/2psb on the river.

bad flop....

I would prefer c/c on this flop. b/f this flop is also fine

Turn AP check/fold