Hey everyone,

This is a hand I played last night at $1/$2 that I've been thinking about a lot. I'll post the whole hand. My main question is about my calling range on the flop, as it has a big impact on whether my river decision was correct.

Pre-Flop
3 players limp. The Cutoff raises to $14. He has about $215 behind. I haven't played against him too much, but he seems pretty solid and way more aggressive than the average $1/$2 player. His range here should be a good bit wider than most 1/2 fish. It folds to me in the SB. I have JdTd. I flat. One limper calls as well.

Flop ($41 after rake): J-5-4 rainbow w/one diamond
I flop top pair and a BDFD. I check, and the limp-caller checks. The PFR bets $17. I call. The other player folds. My main question is what should my calling range look like here with a player left to act behind? Obviously, heads-up I would have a wider calling range, but just how tight should I be here? What should I do with 66-99? What about 87s for a gutshot with a BDFD? Or ATs with a BDFD? Whether these are in my calling range will determine what I should do with this hand on the river.

Turn ($75): K (brings a BDFD but not diamonds)
Check-check

River ($75): 9
I once again check, the Villain bets $55, and I ultimately fold. I think if I have hands like 66-88 here, I need to call w/JT. However, if I am pretty much only calling the flop with sets, top pairs, and open-enders, then JT is my worst Jx hand and it's a pretty easy laydown.

What is the theory/strategy behind calling ranges multi-way with a player (or players) left to act behind? What should my calling range have looked like on the flop here?

Thanks in advance!

Preflop, at this effective stack size, against an opening raise by a solid aggressive CO, I would 3-bet or fold JTs in the SB. You're hoping to win the pot right there with an attack on the limpers. As it turned out, it was a great flop for you, but because you flatted, it was hard to get value. If you donked on the flop, you would have revealed too much strength. (If you 3-bet pre and missed the flop, you can still profitably make a continuation bet one out of two times, knowing the villain missed the flop one out of three times.) As played, assuming the CO is a solid player who makes a continuation bet half the time he misses the flop, I'd consider a check-raise on the flop and fold to a re-raise.

AP, on the turn, K was a bad card, and I would check too.

AP, on the river, I'd consider betting. Villain showed weakness on the turn, and the 9 doesn't really seem to hit much of his range.

Overall, it seems like playing the hand passively just burned money. I'm curious what the more experienced twoplustwoers think.

If you think his range is pretty wide here, then you'd rather 3bet than call. If you are an unknown to him, he's going to put you on a very tight range and likely fold often enough to the 3bet profitable by itself.

As for your calling range post flop, it depends on what the villain normally does. Certainly not folding TP. TBH, I'm not in this situation often because I would have either 3bet pf if he is wide or folded if he is tight.

I'll echo the 3bet or fold pre advice.

Wrt to ranges, lines in 1/2 are all over the place but are weighted heavily towards TP or obvious draw after the flop. If I'm V and you called that flop, I'm putting you on a weak jack or 6-7. If I have K-J or better, I'm value betting the turn and even river on safe runouts.

As played I ch/call river as V is described as aggressive and more likely to bluff and the lead is never getting called by worse.