4-handed 1/2

V - Played with once before, and was warned that he's good. Pretty loose pre-flop, opening a lot of hands, but usually if he gets to showdown in a big pot he has something. Saw him semi-bluff a station with a low flush draw a few hands ago, get called (as he should have expected) and get there on the river.

H - V probably sees me as loose, and opening bit light pre given the short-handed game.

V is UTG with $400, H is BB with $325.

V raises to 7 UTG, UTG + 1 calls, H has AA and 3-bets to $25. V calls, UTG + 1 folds.

Flop ($50) - 944

A great flop for Hero. I lead out $35, trying to get value from pocket pairs, flush draws and overcards. V reraises to $85. What is Hero's play?

Given that V is competent, I assume he has almost no 4s in his 3-bet calling range pre-flop, other than pocket 4s. Could possibly have A4 or 45 suited, but that seems like a stretch. I range V at pocket pairs 9 and bigger (though presumably KK and maybe QQ would 4-bet pre), and AK/AQ of spades. Could also have A9. Maybe he's turning a pocket pair lower than 9s into a bluff.

What's hero's play here? If I call, I have about $200 behind, which would be a pot-sized bet. Can't see folding the flop, and actually think I'm committed no matter what. When that happens I normally shove, but not sure that could be called by worse here (though maybe an overpair worse than AA could call). Thoughts?

I think you answered your own question here. GII

Thanks Garick. Is a shove too strong though? I 3-bet pre, and am now 4-bet/jamming the flop, so I'm pretty face up as a strong overpair. My other thought was to call flop and check-raise the turn all-in.

1. I may go slightly bigger than 25, but it is pretty close.

2. Flop bet seems fine as villain likely knows you are c-betting your whole range and his raising range is wider. Sizing seems okay to set up bet/bet for turn river action.

3. I think I get it in now to charge draws, and if nothing else, you would hate for him to have TT and shut down when a king rips off on the turn.

nh.

Do not flat flop and c/r turn. I see people do this all of the time and I think that at 1/2 it is not a winning play because people don't always double barrel and then you are left jamming around a PSB on the river when you had every opportunity to get it in before that.

Preflop raise is light in my opinion. I like 35 much better.

3bet a little more pf to ~33

a good player will hardly ever raise a 4 or pocket 9"s on the flop to chase you out.

He is probably trying to outplay you knowing you have a big PP or AK.

If we flat and plan on crai on the turn, if he was playing creative he might check it back and see two cards for free.

With effective stacks (ES) of $400 your preflop raise was too small if you intend to play for stacks with over-pair on the flop. If you make it $40 preflop with an over-pair potential starting hand and with the ES $400 you will about break even playing for stacks. To make money in this situation you would have to raise like $100 pf and get call. Deep stacks are a liability if you don't know how much to bet preflop with an over-pair potential hand.

Do you remember the details of this hand? Did V lead ott or raise ip? And what amount did he bet into a pot of what? I want to know if he was just semi-bluffing or if he [correctly] set his own price to chase the draw.

That's what I would normally do at a full table, but I reduced it a bit because we're 4-handed and I think that V is opening light a good bit. If he's calling the same range at $35 as he is at $25 though you're right, I should be raising bigger. First time I 3-bet since he sat down though, so no dynamic yet.

If he knows he has a big pocket pair, such as Aces / Kings and will have a hard time folding, this would be a great spot to value raise him with Nines full, knowing he's going to have a rough time folding.

Not saying that is what's going on, but would be a great play IMO. He's more likely to have 88 or TT and is sticking in a raise to get information and charge money for hero chasing his AK.

V check-shoved out of position on the flop with 75 on a K-high, 2 club board. Not a combo draw (i.e. he didn't have a pair or a gut-shot to go along with his club draw). Don't recall the sizing, but given that he shoved he wasn't setting a price, it was definitely a semi-bluff.

Then I'm flatting otf and c/shoving ott. This situation happens often enough when we're oop with a hand that we're willing to get ai with. b/c, c/r.

great advice for the crew here to you.

since he has position on you you have to play this hand on the flop and not give him a chance to see the river for free. so just move in and see what happens. you catch him when he has a big draw or a big pair. if he has neither you probably are just going to give him a free shot at beating you by slowing down.

Shove

yes, shove is the simple answer, and expect to win most times.

I'm re-raising him to $180 otf. Shoving turn.

Thanks all. Results:

Good luck all in.

This is a great cbet flop for hero. If V is really good, he should recognize this and raise a huge portion of his range. You won't get any more value from his bluffs if you flat so get the money in now with a pot sized raise. V will pretty much have to call with A9, TT+ for sure, and hell maybe even 55+. You did say he views you as LAGgy so all of your nfd and some of your bluffs may take this line.

Folding with this flop is out of the question. I honestly question how competent this guy is if he's raising to $7 preflop in early position but that's just me. I'm shoving here and expecting a call from an over pair about 85% of the time. This hand is where you make your money in low limit poker IMO

Oh well you got coolered. You still made the right play