1-3 NL

V ($2000+): MAWG. UTG. He's opening up from every position a lot of the time, but is apparently on a massive heater. He's been on a tear since I sat down about an hour and a half ago, guy on my left seems knowledgable and is talking to me a bit about how hot V has been running, as quite a few of his hands have gone to show down. He's I've seen him call down with second pair to two big bets, only to hit two pair on river and check call a triple barrel to a guys KK. I've also seen him check call nut flush two streets and bomb river, and cold call three bet from SB with Qd8d to flop flush and GII with a guys flopped straight. Definitely not afraid to use his stack.

H ($500): Mid 20s white male. Moved to table a few orbits ago with a stack of around $800, got in a three awkward situations (will post one later), with 10-10 each time in EP. Probably has a losing image, as I've C-Bet a few times only to fold to either a big turn or river bet. I'm not playing optimal and probably should have left the casino a little while ago. Like to think I'm viewed a TAG, but right now probably viewed as not great (may be true).

OTTH:

V limps UTG, one other limp, H raises to $21 in the CO with KJ. Folds to V who calls, other limper folds, two to the flop.

Flop ($45): AK5

V Checks, Hero bets $30. V tanks for like 10-15s and calls (he usually takes this same amount of time on all calls).

Turn: ($105): 7

C checks.

Hero???

I'm often checking flop in position with second pair-OK kicker. This is a hand I want to get to showdown. Betting is OK too with spade draw out there.

As played, I'm definitely checking turn. Main draw just binked. If V is capable of bluffing, we can get check raised a lot here. We let him draw at the 4th spade, but I'm willing to risk it for pot control purposes.

I probably check the flop. As played I def. check turn. If he called with an ace he beats you. If he called with a FD he beats you. If he has anything else, maybe he checks river to you and you get to showdown.

check flop. Like the others said, it just doesnt accomplish much

Check back flop. Try to get to a cheap showdown. I know you're repping better on that board than he does but, as you described him, you don't have any FE and you don't really have much of a hand to protect.
Turn definitely check back and probably fold most rivers if he bets.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the replies.

I did check back the turn, which seems to be the consensus.

On to the river: 10h.

V thinks for a little bit and leads out for $80.

Hero?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm either/or preflop, but looks like we know our table / sizing well enough to have a good shot at isolating the loose guy HU in position with initiative, nice.

Not really WA/WB on the flop due to draws and this guys willingness to call down light. I like our bet.

On the turn, the main draw got there, but it's possible we could still be ahead (against a worse K, worse pair, or straight draw). We could also be behind all along to an Ace. At this point we have a fairly small hand and should want to deal with a small pot, so I would check behind. We'll probably have a decision to make on the river if he donks, which depends on how bluffy he is.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Fold river. What could V call with on the flop that you're ahead of at this point? His calling range on the flop should be Ax, maybe some Kx (and you're behind KQ the whole way and now behind KT too), flush draws, maybe a gut shot or two, and maybe some lower pocket pairs if he's not a believer. Ax and most of Kx either was always ahead of you or now is ahead. Flush draws got there. QJ got there. TT got there. If he had JT, QT or a lower pocket pair, why turn it into a bluff on river.

I think I check this flop with second pair. If we are way ahead and he has nothing maybe we induce a bluff on the turn and river. If he has an A he is calling us anyway. If he has an under pair we can check flop and bet river if checked to us and may get a call there.

As played I check behind. Control the pot size and again, if he has nothing maybe we induce a river bluff.

It was a pretty easy fold. I agreed with MIB211 that I just don't know what he has here that I beat, unless it's complete air or he has like K9.

Does anyone try and make a play here against this V? I'm not sure his bluffing likelihood. There have certainly been a few hands he has won that didn't go to show down, but every time he's made it to show down he's had it, albeit with questionable hole cards. I'd say there's a decent chance that by this point he's using his stack to induce folds, and he also probably views me as weak/losing.

This does not seem like a great spot to bluff. V is completely uncapped here and can easily have a flush in which case you're burning money. His line is entirely consistent with a flush (call flop, check turn hoping you double barrel, bet river when you check behind turn because he has one last chance to get paid). Also very hard for you to have a flush with both the As and Ks on the board. Now add in that the T on the river is a good card for him, and makes two pair for AT/KT, a set for TT or a straight if he decided to be a station with QJ.

For a bluff to make sense here, he has to be going for thin value with Ax a lot AND be willing to fold it. If you raise here, there's a real chance that he has some one pair or weak-ish two pair hand and still stations you down...

I'd probably fold river as it sounds like for the most part this guy is just hitting his hand and betting them (not bluffing) and by the river there's not a lot we can beat.

Unlike others, I'm totally on board with the flop bet. This guy looks to be a massive calling station who is probably calling the flop with any remote piece; this is a pure value bet on the flop. If it had of been an offsuit 7 on the turn, I would have also bet the turn for the same reasons.

GimoG

Yeah, this in SPADES.

Folks,

Checking back the flop is standard, against non mega-fishes/whales. This guy seems to be a huge fish. I'm betting the flop for value against this guy. Check turn. Soul read/button click fold river, unless the whale has been bluffing a lot, or has a bet sizing tell.

Check, fold, and leave the casino.

Bet turn $60-$75. Check back any non-K river. I could see him calling flop with something like QJx.

I don't see him check-calling an ace here, unless it's a baby ace.

Bet. Gotta rep that ace hard.

What? Why would you want to "rep the ace?" This guy isn't folding a better hand to a bet on the turn.

Just bet flop and turn to get value from a calling station fish. He has a lot of worse hands that will call. He will usually play the turn honestly and check to you on the river to give you a showdown.

Villain doesn't really seem agro at all based on any of the HHs given, just a passive calling station. So river seems like a fold, although his range has a lot of hands that he can be bluffing given he is check/calling the flop very wide. I just fold and take note if he is kind enough to show you 85o.

Yes, I'm advocating turning your mediocre hand into a mediocre bluff. It's likely bad, but then again, I'm bad as well.

If V is your typical calling station, then a bet OTT would reveal much of the story. You could get a lot of weakish A/9/8/6 type hands to fold, and even get value from KT/9/8, since he did call two big bets with second pair (part of V's HH description). There's also a good chance that betting turn will get villain to check the river over to us, giving us a free showdown with a hand that might be have 50/50 SDV OTR.

There's a lot of merit to betting this turn against this opponent.

V is folding Ax and calling with Kx???

V is disguising his calling range with a sick merge.

People do unbelievably ridiculous and unpredictable things. Never doubt it for one second.

Like assuming they will fold Ax and call with Kx. :P

From our perspective each villain's strategy is mixed, so villains will fold Ax some percentage of the time, while calling Kx some percentage of the time here. This is because before we have a good read we don't know how villain plays his ranges, and also because villains can be unpredictable and take different lines for whatever reason.

Also, on this specific texture, there are some Kx which we are beating, but have better equity against our range than some Ax which we are crushed by. For example villain may fold A2, but call KT

However, I personally think it's unlikely this particular V folds any Ax.