Villain and I were running this table...he was a little more savvy live player than me, pretending to be drunk so he had me fooled a little in a previous hand where he 3bet big OTB and I opted to fold 99 on the BB and he showed T2o

Earlier I had showed down a bluff when i flatted an overbet on the BB pf, floated the flop and c/r ed the turn on a J772 flop with Q9o got him to fold and showed

so both of us had shown big bluffs just to loosen the table up and it worked so he has about 800 in his stack I have around 1K and both of us know each other is capable of making plays

I raise to 15 EP A9 he three-bets me from the small blind to 50, I 4bet to 100 he flats

Flop

J 6 2

he checks, I check

Turn

9

he checks, I?

In online 6-max isn't 4-betting this pre is turning it into a bluff? The 6-max 3-bet/4-bet game doesn't typically start with a UTG open, so when he 3-bets he's representing a pretty strong range.

(DISCLAIMER: I don't play 6-max very well.)

He limp/3-bet OTB?

Anyway, A9s may be fine vs. his 3-bet range here, but if he's position aware he's claiming to have the goods. If I don't believe him, I probably flat and bluff-raise a lot of flops.

As played preflop, I think I'd bet / call or 3-bet AI on the flop.

• You're not in terrible shape against his value range so getting CRed off your draw isn't going to happen
• You have no showdown value against his value range
• his preflop bluffs have some equity against you (e.g., K 5 has 6 outs twice) so protecting has value.
• The pot is big enough relative to stacks that protecting is relatively more important than inducing bluffs.

As played up to the turn, bet/call. The 9 looks like it missed you so you can get value from 77-88, AQ-AK. If called by better, you have plenty of outs.

Bet 150. I'm curious to hear why you checked behind on the flop.

I think checking behind on the flop is standard...It's one of the reasons to 4bet in the first place, and you still have a lot of implied odds to get paid on future streets

you are actually pre-paying for your cards and getting four cards cheaper i rly think a 4bet here is a somewhat standard amount with a check behind on this and rly most flops if i had faltted pre i'm def betting the flop

Your reasoning is a bit off and your thoughts on implied odds/reasons for 4-betting are off too imo. Checking behind the flop and implied odds are not good reasons for 4-betting. You 4-bet for value or to bluff. You are bluffing. So continue with the bluff. The only reason why you check flop is if you have show down value (but not a great hand) - like hitting top pair of Ace or if flop texture is dangerous (i.e. KJcTc). Checking with showdown value allows worse hands to come along on the turn. Dangerous boards just hit your villain's range. Your ideas about pre-paying, etc. - I don't know where you get this from - doesn't make sense - but it sure is not standard as you say.

4-bet is marginal. Your in position. Call and bluff-raise or float if you think he is 3-betting light. By 4-betting in position, your folding out his worse hands (i.e. light 3-betting hands) and getting better hands (i.e value range (TT+, AQ+)) to call or shove.

Since he called (if he is solid as you say), I put him on a strong range (see above). On this board - you are behind his 4-bet calling range, there are 30 combinations of hands that you lose to that you can bluff out and 12 combinations that you are never folding out (JJ+). So, c-betting this is profitable since you can get around 2/3 of the hands your behind to fold (with equity as well).

By checking, you are showing less credibility now and villain will call you with a wider range on the turn when you bet. Fortunately, you hit your 9 - which means you are now ahead of 24 combos of AK, AQ. But by betting turn - you are always folding out worse and always getting called by better hands. So, you should be checking with showdown value and a good draw (which he might bluff at).

If UI, river plan is to fold to a bet. Can't expect pair of 9s to be any good on the river. Also - show down cheaply if you don't hit trips, two pair, or the flush - meaning check behind.

River plan - fold to bet. check behind. This is if you don't hit flush, trips, or two pair. I hope you know how to value bet and proceed with your value range.

Also - don't 4-bet without value (and especially with these good suited Ace hands) if you don't have good reasoning. It causes you to make mistakes post-flop. If anything, 4-bet with your monsters (QQ+, AK) and non-value junk (i.e low SCs like 76s). This allows you to c-bet with value (to which you stack off with) or with complete air/semi-bluff (which you can get away from). 4-betting with A9s gets you into spots where you can hit top pair and ultimately have a tough time playing post flop/possibly get value-owned.

My only concern is you might be overrating the villain in this hand. If he is on the level you think he is, I love the line. If he is not there, meh... You have a pretty sweet hand right now.

Either way bet about $165 now, lets see what he will do...

I've found in poker that I make the most money when I get involved with the worst players at the table, not the toughest.

I don't like the light 4 bet. You have position on him. If he's 3betting the top 20% of his range, you're even. If you suspect he's 3 betting lighter, why not put the pressure on him on the flop by flatting and collecting a cbet.

FWIW, if he isn't drunk (T2o is a pretty loose 3bet for a good player), you just flipped your hand over on the flop by checking back. I'd check the turn. You now have show down value and a bet is really turning it into a bluff. He's folding everything you beat and will raise or call with everything that beats you. A guy who's aggressive that starts checking down should be a concern. If he wants to give you another free card to the nuts, I'd take it.

On the river if a diamond doesn't show up, he's likely to bet anything to push you off your ace high "busted" draw and you have a nice bluff catcher.

yeah i think you nailed it here...the reason I 4bet is coz i wanted to play this hand with position and he was absolutely certain to check to me on the flop because i had been c-betting with extremely high frequency during the 5 or 6 hours i was at the table, but i think flatting or just folding are fine here, I think the 4bet is FPS and going out on a limb when he's not the player i really wanted to tackle

the guy is a very good player so I agree that he's not light here, but I felt that I had a ton of value going into the hand based on my image thus far, if i hit this thing i'm likely to stack

so I agree that checking the turn > betting just coz we can pick off river bluffs and also we still have implied odds, i rly don't think he puts me on a FD, maybe like AK-high or something but i dunno

so I guess coz checking is better than betting: I ended up betting $150, he raises to $400

what's our play?

OK, we can fold now based on that read. If you think he shows up light here, I think its a clear shove.

This is by far the best analysis I have yet to read on this very young forum

Well your calling 250 to win a 750 pot. Assuming your 9 and A outs are good, you have 14 outs - meaning you got the expressed odds to draw. If you think he is always stacking off, then you have implied odds as well. So, call and get there. Shoving is the worst option.