1/2 NL Live - 7 handed - $400 effective.

EP Folds.

Hero raises to $15 with A10hh
MP calls
HJ Calls

Flop As8c7s

Hero bets 30
HJ calls

Turn 9c
Hero bets 75

V quickly calls

River 2s

Hero check
V bets 125

Hero folds.

Is this all standard?


I feel like I need to be bombing the turn here to charge for all kinds of draws.

Open size is very large.

I feel like you should be checking either flop or turn. You have a middling top pair on a fairly dangerous board multiway. The turn card isn't great for you, but you do pick up an open ender so a check-call feels a reasonable option. River check-fold seems OK; top pair doesn't feel like a strong hand on this runout.

The problem is you picked up equity if you are behind. You have maybe 25% against Aces up and 18% against a set (assuming V is too passive to raise). The A is a spade so Vs range is a lot more draw, pair+draw heavy (although we block T). I would lean more to a x/r or x/call OTT. I guess bet/fold large is okay but we're actually behind a lot of Vs range. If turn goes x/x and river bricks then a x/call will be highest EV imo.

PRE - why open so large? Is that the standard EMP open in this game?

FLOP - just check, or bet small, like 20%-25% pot, around $10. If you check and it checks through, we can make a delayed c-bet on turn.

TURN - if we bet when we pick up the OESD to go with our top pair, and the BDFD appears, I think maybe we should be over-betting.

RIVER - I probably block-bet 40% pot and fold to a raise.
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Check-folding top pair, with a blocker to the nut straight, and the As on board, seems weak, when our check could induce V to bluff at a high frequency on this run-out. Unlikely V got there with either a straight or a flush draw, and probably wouldn't raise a block-bet with 2P if he didn't raise turn.

I'd have preferred to barrel / block, which might fold out AJ, or maybe even AQ, but as played, there doesn't seem to be a lot in V's range we need to worry about, so I think we have to call here. V's $125 bet size isn't that much bigger than the $100-$110 size I'd have blocked, so the difference between block-betting and getting called and check-calling is pretty minimal.

Open is quite big. Though it could be ok if rake is high and people are bad and you're playing a tight strategy.

Flop is too big, I would check the turn and river seems good.

I think it's important to note that nothing in your line feels terrible, and a lot of the decisions here may be table/person/rake dependent (and you've not really said anything on that).

1. Pre: raise is on large side, but may be right for your table
2. Flop: I think bet, and check/call are both reasonable, but my default if we bet would be more like $20
3. Turn: I think barrel is good picking up the OESD
4. River: Feels a simple check/fold. We don't beat any of his value hands, and at low stakes he's almost certainly not bluffing at a rate you can profitably pick him off at (unless we have direct evidence to the contrary), and as for bluffing him off AQ/AJ - I'd need clear evidence at low stakes he can fold TPGK before bluffing.

Unpopular opinion apparently but i see nothing wrong with your open size. Its 1/2 live and people are loose and passive. Open to 10 and itll be 6 way to the flop. 15 is good. I often open to 15 when playing 1/2 or 2/3 unless im at a tight table and 10 does the trick.

I have no problem with flop bet size either. Again its 1/2. People are going to call with all kinds of middle and bottom pair hands, weaker aces, straight draws, and you normally wont face aggression unless youre beat.

I do think we should throw in a check on the turn. We cant get 3 streets with this hand unimproved and now we have extra equity vs 2 pairs and such so we can check call easily or if it checks through we can evaluate river for a value bet or bluff catch.

As played river is a good fold. Villain called 2 large bets, front door flush comes in, and we're losing to some weirdly played 2 pairs that for some reason didnt raise and bigger aces.

oop vs 2 players id check flop. theres actually not much you can get value from here.

as played check turn

as played fold river

I also X turn. Better card for the last caller who has 98/65 and some FD, though we block SD.

Sometimes they make flushes, and at 1/2 NL, I'd say this is one of those.