Villain is a reg that I don't come across to often, but I wasn't in my usual room. I've seen V around before from time to time over the period of about a year. At first, style was spewy LAG just shy of maniacal. Last time we played together was easily 2 months ago or more, but this time seemed much more of a controlled LAG with decent hand reading. V recently sat down about 2 orbits ago. Nothing interesting thus far.

Hero TAG image.

OTTH

$915 eff

V in UTG +2 opens $35 over a straddle, Hero AA $105 immediately after, folds to V who flats.

Flop $224

K72 rainbow

x,x Usually c-bet here, but decided to check back both to disguise hand and make my checking range seem stronger since I think V picks up on those things.

Turn

Q rainbow.

x, Hero $135, V thinks so long the dealer calls floor over for a clock and after he's standing there for about 20 seconds, V fires out $300.

Hero is perplexed. I've never seen this. Clearly I'm concerned about a set, but at the same time, this is such a random play. I considered all 3 options, but opted to flat since I made my hand look weaker than it was (hopefully) it was hard to lay down here.

River: $823

J

... well one more bluff that just made it

V thinks for a second and ships $510, Hero needs 28% equity here. If I range for JJ+/AK , I'm not there, but add 1 combo of TT and we're at 32%. Is this just a trivial spot, or a clear fold? Critique on all streets appreciated.

What do you think someone tanks, gets called clock on, and then decides to raise with in this spot?

I've never seen it before, but it looks like he's trying to level you into thinking he's bluffing with all that drama.

Gut read said QQ but I've been surprised before.

Bet the flop dude. You can x back KK if you want.

Fold river

Villain has to be an epic moron to play AK like this

really really looks like he has QQ, and he tanked so hard on the turn because your check on the flop really makes you look like you have KK.

you should have folded to x/r on the turn.

as played, fold. He really looks like he has QQ or KQ, and since a few oddball combos of KJ and QJ get there on the river, the only thing that you can beat is an AK that he turned into a bluff.

Check on flop is fine. I'd check turn back too.

Why did you check the flop? $125 OTF.

I'm calling given description of villain and my experience with players tanking live

Bet the flop. AA is the nuts pf, a great hand on the flop but as you see by the river playing to this hand, a sucky hand unimproved. I would have to see someone bluff off almost 200 BB before I'd think about calling. The board hits your range incredibly hard as well. For all he knows, you flopped top set and are going to to snap call.

Poker 101: How to check down 3 streets with AA.

AA is not the right hand for checking back here.
depending on your 3bet range you can occasionally check back KK or 77 and weaker Kings like KT/KJ(/KQ) to balance your checking range, but not those hands like AK/AA, since there playability on further streets will often decline

as played we can fold turn a lot, especially with the suspicious acting of villain. we only beat bluffs and we will quite certainly face a river jam. if we call as played, J is one of the worst rivers that could come.. JJ gets there and some pure bluffs like 9T/AT, though JT is would be a reasonable hand, I would suggest we should probably call all paired rivers and some low (3-8) cards and fold the rest?

OTF, you "decided to check back both to disguise hand and make my checking range seem stronger since I think V picks up on those things."

I would prefer to bet to make my C-betting range [HU/IP, on a K-hi dry board] seem stronger. If he turned 2pr, he may decide to go for a c/r & you retain option/initiative.

Odds are, he called you pre with JJ+ [9 combos that beat you OTR] & AK [6]. JJ can be removed after his Turn c/r, I would think. The c/r was small but it's very rare [in my experience] that someone spews OTT like that with JJ

Would have been a better post, if you had stopped OTT when V checked.

not the hand we want to be checking flop with.

AP the turn tank raise is super weird, never seen that before either - I'm folding river.

Checking flop is pretty silly, but if i ever were to accidentally check flop, i would probably check this particular turn.

Fyp