Typical 1/2 table in the afternoon. Mostly passive and limp/call types. People limp called everything from ATC to AQ pre. Several omc types but not that nitty. One reg just sat down talking about finding the best table in the room...etc.

Stacks range. Couple of bigger 150-200 bb and a couple of 50-70bb stacks.

Hero is in the BB and looks down at A9o pre. Hero has about 175bb stack.

6 or 7 limps and hero... checks. Thoughts? My thoughts are that I don't love this hand. AT I would have raised and this hand maybe I raise but at this table I thought I would just be bloating a pot if I tried to get it down to 1-2 callers. And solid chance I am dominated oop and decent chance any moderate raise is called 5 times if the initial limper calls which was likely. Both players to my near left had bigger stacks and were passive/sticky.


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Flop....AA9r. Gin...now lead or go for for a c/r hoping someone has the case A or 99?

just weak donk block bet lead out from the bb and go from there.

You're collecting one bet. Best to let someone catch up a bit or decide to bluff at it.

In a spot like this is I really like check/calling the flop and donking on every turn.

As a general rule, it's a safe assumption that live players never fold 3 Aces, and especially on this board where a 4 flush/straight are impossible, they are NEVER folding an ace.

As such, if one of the Vs has an ace, a b/b/b line will stack them.

However, in terms of maximising value, we need to know V tendencies more. Given how dry the board is, a lot of Vs try and slow-play an A here, and 9x is likely also checking expecting an A to 'be out there', but still likely calling a single bet.

If these Vs are the type to slow-play/be trappy or have MUBS, then leading flop is pretty much essential to extracting any value OTF from Ax or 9x, since there is a good chance the flop gets checked through.

On the other hand, if the Vs will lead with an A or 9, I would go for a c/c OTF and lead turn, expecting to stack an A regardless, and possibly extract 2 bets from a 9 as opposed to one.

The hardest question here however is which hands can catch-up enough to pay us off on later streets?

If the flop is checked through, and a broadway card comes, the Vs described are likely calling a bet if they bink a pair. Similarly, they are also calling if they turn a FD. This is 16 cards, meaning about 1/3 of the time a broadway card will peel, and considering the number of Vs in the hand, will almost certainly give someone a pair.

The other 2/3 of the time, there is still a small chance that someone turns an underboat or an FD, which will call the turn, but is so small so as to be practically insignificant in my opinion. Otherwise no hands which would have called a flop bet will call a turn bet.

Overall, if the Vs will stab with 9x or Ax, c/c flop and lead turn. Otherwise, I'm taking a b/b/b line, probably for about 1/2 pot otf, and pot ott and otr.

Preflop, obvious check. You have a terrible hand to play OOP and not good enough to be worth raising. Then you flop the sort of stupid big monster that makes it hard for any villain to have a hand good enough to stick around.

With that many villains and the paired aces on board you can't really disguise your hand. As soon as you bet or call a bet your hand looks very strong. At a more aggressive table I would check/call flop and lead turn to try and get one bet out of 9X and pocket pairs but at a passive table I prefer to lead smallish to start extracting money from AX. At a tight/passive table your going to have to take the initiative to build the pot and nothing but AX is likely to play.

Corto: BBB if you bet full pot the whole way gets $15/$45/$135, which while it stacks the shorter stacks, does not against the bigger stacks. c/r, b, b on the other hand can get all of our money in even 175 blinds deep.

If we whiff the c/r, worst that happens is someone catches up -- which might win us $10 when we bet 2/3 pot on the turn and are called.

First of all, never raising A9o PF from BB.

Second, action (slowplay, fastplay) depends greatly on flop texture.

Flopping AA9 with A9 is different than flopping 778hh with 78.

In your case, the board is bone dry and likely only aces are continuing. With so many to the flop I probably check/call flop. If checks through, check turn again to continue story and drag more along. Let people pick up back door draws.

Also - donking this board from the BB is not believable for a bluff or 9x or TT or whatever. It looks like an ace. Yes prob a weak ace and not a boat but no other ace is gonna fold to a flop bet regardless.

I would just bet flop since nobody is folding an ace. If they are behind they can't even catch up unless they turn or river an underfull with a pocket pair, pretty unlikely and definitely less likely than someone else just having an ace. I'd just lead for $10-15.

9x isn't giving you much action and there really aren't any turns that will give someone a strong second beat hand. I'd just bet bet bet and get value from Ax. Some villains can fold weak Ax to three barrels though. There's $16 in the pot. This is one of the few times I'd recommend betting huge. I'd donk lead $35 on flop. Then pot turn and 1/2 pot on river (or pot river if they can't fold Ax)

You won't make much this hand unless someone has an A. So just bet away.

Pre is good and I check AT and AJo too.

Grunch

I'm checking A9o and ATo in the BB. Both hands are marginal at best.

On the flop I'm betting hoping that someone has the ace and raises. Checking leaves open the possibility that it gets checked around (maybe by another big hand that tries to slowplay). If everyone folds then you probably weren't winning much anyway.

Edit: I'm surprised that some people recommend checking the flop.

For those checking the flop, everyone and their mom will know you have Ax when you call someone else's bet. C/r just lets weaker aces fold unless someone is a total idiot.

Lead is best but you will get a ton of folds and there´s nothing you can do about it.

Agree you dont want to raise this PF unless you just want to take it down with an over-pot raise ... and then only get called by ppl who crush you right now and you have to hit 2 pr or trip 9s to feel comfortable post-Flop.

I would check/call here and depending on the player (and the Turn card) maybe lead Turn. At the kind of table you described I would expect a bunch of Arag limpers (even up to AJ perhaps?) so I dont want to tip my hand until they have had a chance to bet the Flop. I want to let the othes have a chance to catch up a bit as well ... That's the only way you get 2 bets out of non Ace holdings here.

Lead Turn for sure if Flop checks through and the Turn card is <9 .. maybe check again if >9. You will find the Ace on the Turn for sure here ...

The goal against an average hand is to get 2 bets out of them. Obv you want to stack any other Ace, but I think you need to wait for them to show themselves first. GL

Check call flop.
Check call turn.
Overbet shove river.

Thanks to all so far.

I checked and the reg in MP bets $15. Folds to me with two larger stacks in EP on my left. Both are somewhat passive but willing to bet at times just that they always bet $20-$25 on flops/turns/rivers regardless of the pot size. I don't think I saw either risk their entire stack over the course of 2-3 hours at this point. I feel I may get 1 or 2 to come along so I call. Everyone folds and I am heads up versus the reg.


Pot is ~$40. HU with the reg. Turn is a blank under card and completes the rainbow. I dont think reg bought in full ($300 here) - I think he has around $250 to start. Either way lets say it was btwn $230-270 at this point.

My thoughts: I do not know this reg really at all. He just sat down a few hands ago. He did call a pre-flop raise and folded to a c-bet. Otherwise he was talking to another player about his recent focus on table selection blah blah. This was the first hand I saw him limp.

I felt like reg has maybe a random 9 in his hand - connectors or one gappers. Maybe but unlikely a small pair semi-bluffing. I don't think he has the case A because I am not sure what Ax hand he limps and leads the flop into a bunch of people. (Note: this was in game thinking - I realize now Ax suited should have been part of that range).

So to me his range has to be way more 9x hands that are basically drawing really slim against any A. Hard to give him K9, Q9 where he thinks his kicker is good - maybe J9 is top of his range. So he really is trying to get to showdown. If he has 99, i think I will hear about it now so why lead?

Questions:
Check or Lead?
Also any comments on V having Ax suited here and range of hands for V?

I think it's already been stated. Bet bet bet. The more money that goes into the pot early the more psychologically invested the villain will be to call a large bet on the river. Many fish call with 9x here. However, we are really trying to get value from Ax. Sometimes nobody has anything and that sucks but in order to get max value when they do have something without turning our hand face up we must bet.

I would some-what tank check here against V described .. not too long, but a pause anyway. When someone is willing to bet, then I let them bet until they dont bet anymore .. then I bet!!

Of course against any Ax hand you risk (basically 50-50, not real odds, just that 9 is in the middle of the deck) that the kicker could hit the River. If lower, bingo, if higher, not so bingo. When a higher card hits that is not his kicker that is good too since if he does have Arag he will be more likely to call a River bet now that a better kicker is on the board ... provided he put you on Arag as well.

I agree you are trying to get value from Ax. But since he bet, I let him 'keep' control of the hand until the River. Then I bet out ... if the River is higher than 9 and you get raised you need to be ready to call it off.

Based on his bet sizing ... I would put him on Arag or 9x, perhaps 2 overs or an under pair. Don't think he would bet this large with a TT+ pair or a big Ax hand. He wants to know where any Ace/other interested party is .. that is why he over-bet the pot here. GL

My standard for flopping the mortal nuts in a limped pot is bet/bet/bet. I'd rather win 1 big pot on a cooler (and only a cooler because the weak people don't raise and don't fold their trips) than trying to get near impossible fat value from a 9 5 times.

With that many players in, you will get 1 street from a 9. You CAN get 3 streets from an ace rag if you bet/bet/bet. The only way you are getting 3 streets here by checking the flop is if V has a big ace.

I like leading small but it doesn't really matter what you do. As long as if you check you don't slow play too much.

If you are going to get much more from this flop you will really usually only get it from some body with a decent A or maybe 9-T whatever. You should bet out moderately and hope for a caller or two or maybe even a raiser. I would not re reaise. I might even check the turn and hope they mistake it for weakness. Hell maybe nothing will work.

I mean I'm leading out here a large percentage of the time. I don't think it really makes a difference which one you choose.

how would you play k9,q9,j9 etc on the turn? Just play it like that.