Table dynamics are fairly passive. Haven’t seen a lot of 3-betting and there have been a number of MW pots.

Villain is YBG in late position, with the shorter effective stack. Plays fairly passive.

Hero is YAG in MP, and hasn’t gone to showdown. Has occasionally limped, but primarily raising first in.

OTTH

Two limps before getting to me, where I look at red 10s. I make it $22 before Villain calls and everyone else folds. It is heads-up.

Flop comes Q78ssx.

Hero bets $15. Villain raises to $35. Hero calls.

Turn is 5x. Hero checks, villain bets $35. Hero ???

I think so far pre-flop is standard, and then villain began fidgeting as I called the flop raise. I think bet/call is fine given how small the raise is, but I’m out of position and facing two more streets. Is a check/call line more appropriate on the flop? I think my range will have more top pairs or better given the action so far, so raising still gives me pause.

I'd check flop, this is not a slamdunk rangebet spot and TT specifically makes a lot of sense to check. It doesn't want to play a big pot, but also doesn't need much protection vs a lot of hands. AP you have to call flop imo because of odds/bdsd but you get milked a lot by random Qx. Turn is very similar, but you have no chance to make a straight anymore and it's hard to see him valuebetting worse or bluff for this stupid small sizing. I'd fold now.

what is the heros racial tag? that seems really important especially when playing against a YBG and a YAG.

I'm not loving the flop downbet here. We really learn nothing about V's range, we don't compress it much and V can float us with all kinds of stuff on draw-y board. Check or make a reasonable bet.

Turn check/call is okay but the passive line. I suppose we can try to get to showdown here. V can have 65s, a few T9s (which obviously we heavily block, but Ts9s is always possible here) and all the semi-bluff FDs. V's bet size looks like he is setting the price for his draw, not betting for value.

Going to the river if we call, we now have to fade spade, J,9,6,4 - so basically half the deck, but we get 3.5-1 to play. We basically have to x/c every brick river and fold everything that connects.

The alternative line is to lead out the brick turn around 1/2 psb and fold to a raise. V should fold his air/floats and SDs. He continues with Qx and FDs and raises his sets.

This is a close decision. There is ~150 in the pot. V is on short stack and may feel pot committed. So we may have no FE if we lead turn.

So I'm taking the passive line and calling turn, getting a nice price for V to brick river, which happens roughly 50%.

Facing a passive player OOP, I'd X flop, then evaluate based on sizing.

As played, I like a turn fold unless there is a history of how opponent plays draws. We also block T9.

I would cbet more like hp, so a raise would actually mean something and we can easily fold, but I would still fold after a passive guy raised you otf anyway.

Stack sizes?

I limp in but that's me.

I'm fine with a smallish cbet. It helps protect our equity against random cards, we could still get called by worse, and meanwhile with second pair we're kinda fine with just ending the hand now. And I just fold to the raise. A passive guy just raised the flop. Heck, even good draws are doing well against us, and things aren't going to get any easier on later streets, OOP with what could easily be second/third pair.

As played, I fold to the turn bet.

Guntilprovenotherwise,passiveplayersaren'tplayingb ackatusG

I've seen passive players try a flop raise with a good draw, but once the turn bricks they usually check it back, not wanting to risk a c/r. This looks a lot like Qx wanting to charge draws or extract from weaker pairs. I don't see calling as a winning move, and a bluff prob doesn't get thru.

Villain had $150ish when we started the hand.

The remainder of the hand:

Hero calls.

Ultimately deciding to call him down because his body language and betting motions are suggesting he’s weak.

River is the Ac.

Hero checks. Villain jams. Hero sigh calls

Villain rolls 73ss. Hero is takes it down.

I guess I shouldn’t be putting myself in these marginal spots.


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Now knowing that Villain started the hand with only $150 changes things quite a lot. We've gotten in a huge 15% of stacks preflop, and have setup a very small SPR < 3. With the drawyness of the board, it is *possible* we may consider ourselves committed here (especially if we know before the hand that this guy is this lol loose).

GitdependsG

check the flop so he puts you on AK and starts betting worse hands.