5/5
4pm, Sunday
Sydney

Newly opened 5/5 table. Players are generally calling (limping in) more than raising preflop and otherwise playing pretty passive and straightforward. Max BI is $700. Everyone is sitting with roughly $800.

Hand 1:

Hero is on BTN with JJ. I raise to $45 after 3 limps to me, and this is followed by 5 callers.

Flop
~$285

9 10 2 rainbow

Best/recommended action on flop? I feel a bet-fold approach seems right but haven't been in this spot so not sure.

Hand 2:

UTG raises to 25, one call, Hero (KQdd) calls, guy to my left raises to 80, folds to original raiser who calls, call, Hero ???

Have played with UTG before. He raises quite often about two times per orbit. Will punish limpers pre by raising to about 7-8x. Haven't played with anyone else.

Given the relatively passive nature of the table, how would you play KQdd in this spot if at all?

Most are going to suggest bet/folding $140-$160 in Hand 1, but the problem is our hand is so face-up as an OP and it's a 6-way pot so we could easily be behind. But then again, we don't want to give a free card to some SDs/overcards out there either so a bet seems in order. Might even go slightly bigger to discourage QJ/78 type hands from calling. If called, proceed cautiously. If a $45 raise pre is getting 5 callers, raise more pre.

Hand 2, 55 to win 250+, call but hope to flop gin.

Bet $200 on hand 1. Probably fold if you get raised, but it's dependent on where the raise comes from/who makes it. Shove the turn if you just get called.

Hand 2, call.

Not contradicting your LOT, infact pretty sure flop bet/fold is mandatory but here's a thought: Given board texture and Hero's sizing, I think there's a good possibility that hands that beat us (flopped sets mainly) would just call our exponentially gigantic ($45 to $200) flop bet that is face-up as an OP, especially if they're later to act and don't have to worry about giving QJ/J8/87s type hands odds to overcall. The board is rainbow so they needn't worry about FDs.

The only hand that probably raises would be T9s in fear of being counterfeited.

Also, I'd expect most decent and maybe even some fishy 5/5 players to fold TP type hands almost always to that flop sizing unless you have a maniacal image or something, which I don't think is the case here.

So although the flop bet seems mandatory, I'm not too sure about your brick turn shove. You'd have to be pretty confident that V flatted your flop bet with an OESD/Tx or some trash, and I'm not too convinced that it's a good portion of their continuing range given your flop sizing.

Kind of an ugly spot OTT once you get called OTF imo. Every option sucks.

Therefore, in retrospect, I feel a smaller flop bet like $120-$140 in position might be better since it might look like a standard cbet with AK type hands and encourage worse hands like Tx/SDs to call and at the same time avoid us being pot-committed on the turn with a moderate-strength hand.

Hand 1: I bet/fold ~$150 - $175, but it kind of depends on who raises.

Hand 2: I fold. So easily dominated. You have to hit perfect to continue, and then you probably won't get paid, anyway.

Hand 1: Thought $45 PF was a little on the large side, then saw you got FIVE callers, LOL. Against a passive player pool, definitely bet/fold this flop for $160 or so. Keep betting for value on good run outs if you get called.

Hand 2: Call getting good odds, but proceed cautiously postflop. You're basically looking for a big draw or 2p on the flop.

Hand 1: cbet 150. fold to a c/r.

Hand 2: Where are you on the table? Do you think UTG's range is depolarized or is he wide? If he is wide, even from UTG (and this is important) 3bet pre to 100 which would be my preferred option with KQ. If not, just call the 80 and play poker.

if we cbet 1/2 pot in the first hand and get two callers, what cards do we really like ott? what do we do if it gets checked to us on a A,K,Q,T,8,6?

I'm not checking just because of the overcards they're actually good for us. If two people call, we have to range them mostly on a 10.

If the turn completes an OESD and it's stll 3 ways checked to us, it might not be a bad time to pot control and evaluate their river sizing and card. A 10 probably won't fold anyway. We don't need 3 streets of value with marginal hands.

What are positions of Hero/3bettor Villain in Hand 2? Most importantly, I want to know whether Villain 3bet in late position or out of the blinds.

Without info on positions of Hero/3bettor Villain, it is hard to know whether we should continue on with KQdd in Hand 2.

+1 to the thought process regarding Hand 1, but I don't necessarily agree with the thought process you listed in Hand 2. Folding or overcalling KQdd in Hand 2 depends heavily on position.

Sorry, here are the positions:

Hero is UTG+3
3bettor is UTG+4 (directly to my left)

We were 10 handed.

Given the positions, folding preflop is fine, but I would still overcall if I were confident in having a big skill advantage against both Villains.