I would x/r here. That said I don't hate a donk, IME a large donk is usually a top pair hand although if it gets called and then bombs turn I revise my read way up. If that's how it plays in OPs game then it's a way of building a pot OTF. But I think I prefer x/r because the population cbets too much and because I want to stuff money in as quickly as possible.

I think the point everyone is missing here is that we're depending on someone else to bet the flop. Wet flops in big multiway pots sometimes get checked around, especially if no one has an ace. Even if someone has a FD, they still might decide to check it instead of risking getting c/r'd. If it gets checked around, it would be horrible for us.

I play both ways, I c/r or I donk depending on the situation (I c/r much more than donking but there are def opportunities to do so) but for the hand itt I would be leading out otf around 3/4 pot. If UTG calls, it even entices other people to call, then we jam the turn/river (depending on spr) and we sweep up easy money.

I covered this. Of course if we have a different read that's a reason to donk.

What sort of multi-way scenario might lead you to favor a x/r? Just curious what factors lead you to want to donk in this particular scenario.

Btw I doubt we will be able to jam the turn at this SPR even if we get 2 callers. Of course OP didn’t mention MP stack sizes so hard to say. But assuming $300 effective for MP, jam would be a massive overbet versus any two players. So the donk strat likely plays as a 3 street game.

I surely miscounted the number of outs during the hand. Thank you for the correction.

In retrospect, the Ah eliminated a lot of flush draws. I didn't consider that during the hand. Villains have more combos to a flush on an Ad5hQh than an Ah5hQs flop. Hand was player dependent. In betting, I was looking to get called by the calling station on the button overvaluing his top pair. People love calling at 1/2. In a tougher game, I could see a check-raise, but there's no need to get tricky on a value hand when your opponent is calling wide. Giving opponents free cards when you are ahead is a huge leak.

Multiway on a wet flop were the two biggest factors in my decision. Station OTB was the icing on the cake, as well as the original UTG raiser who would call with all his Ax hands.

Now I'm confused. Are you saying those are the factors for you to lead over c/r?

In theory those should be the two biggest reasons for a c/r. UTG should hit the flop pretty hard and cbet at a high frequency and BU should call the cbet with a wide range so we trap more dead money.

We want to lead on flops where we don't expect anyone else to bet but expect a high number of calls if we bet. As soon as we're pretty sure somebody else is going to bet, c/r is better than leading unless we expect our lead to get raised often enough.

Yes

And I meant "if" he has Ax. He wasn't described as a nit so his range should be wider than just Ax hands.

In hands where I'm not sure if anyone's gonna bet, and my hand is vulnerable, I prefer leading rather than c/r'ing. Also, if we do c/r, it shuts down all the hands we beat that woulda called a flop/turn bet anyway. The more multiway and wet the flop is, the more likely I would donk out with bottom set unless it's an auto cbettor who still cbets no matter how many players are in the hand.

You're not allowed to do anything but ckc flop on AQ5, nor should you want to do so. The idea of raising to protect your equity the .1% of the time you flop your cap on a board where you can't even have the nuts is poker at its worst.

Leading is also a great way to stack yourself against almost anyone who isn't horrible at poker.

This is spot on theory wise vs an utg range but I think a x/raise is prolly optimal in a live 1/2 game where we just wanna increase the size of the pot and don’t care abt balance

You should be allowed to x/r versus the MP or BTN though. I might x/call versus UTG, if I respect him enough as a player to fold AK to a x/raise.

Both true points above, but in "1/2", I see zero utility in raising if it creates any fold equity whatsoever. Let the Q4hh draw, let the A7s continue to bet... let the board run out and adjust to make the max. Just too much FE is created/their continuing ranges are strengthened too much. The times we have a NFD, I just want to ckc too for the same reasons as above, it just makes the most money against too wide/weak ranges. I care ZERO the times I have 55 and the turn is a small heart 3 ways. Just check and identify if we need the board to pair... sometimes we want the heart when we have NFD anyway... just check oop and continue based on their actions and theyre stone fkkd, the times they bet fold or check turns and stuff, you just size way down on good rivers or overbet if you think they sucker-bluff catch too much.