Hi guys,

I'm sitting in a live 2-2 (euro) NL cash game. 10 players, and I grinded my stack up to +340, sitting with 300bb in front of me as we start the hand.

My image (from the perspective of the villain): Solid, tight-aggressive. I'm sitting in the game for easily 5 hours+, and haven't brought anything to showdown, except an all-in with aces and perhaps a hand that matters in this spot: I called in MP earlier with AK, thinking somebody would squeeze. Another caller and villain squeezes (as expected) to 56. Initial raiser calls and i pop it up to 150 I think. Both fold and I show my hand.

Anyway, the following hand occurs:

Table situation: I'm in the SB. The straddle is on, and a blind raise to 8 (in our casino the double straddle isn't allowed, so the guy intentionally blind raises). This guy (villain) is the best player at the table, and is splashing around with chips. He is the one that is dominating the table with his aggressive play - and he is very good, making hero-calls - but stacked off in some unfortunate situation earlier. He plays I think 250bb deep. Anyway, the rest of the table (apart from 1 solid guy (but he's not in the hand)) is just your loose-passive-somewhat-fishy-opponent.

After his blind raise, 5-6 guys call his 8 euro bet. I find myself A8 in the SB. I raise to 56 - hoping to pick it up right there with so much dead-money and again passive play of my opponents. Villain calls though - unexpected. The rest of the table folds.

Flop: 939

I continuation bet 76.

Villain raises to 158. My line of thought here: It was an ideal flop to continuation bet, but my opponent knows this and is capable of splashing around here on this dry board. Therefore (and a ton on other reasons - but I'm not elaborating on these just yet) i raise his bet to 350.

I'm not sure it is smart to wrap the outcome of this hand in spoil-tags, because it might influence some of you. I'll post the outcome of the hand later.

My question: Is this as bad and spewy as it looks? What should I have done?

Thank you very much for responding.

Fold Pre. Yes it was bad and spewy.

fold pre, A8o OOP is terrible(same as Q6, Q7, K7, K8, etc). In position i like it a lot tho

Sadly, the hand basically comes down to a leveling dynamic which is almost impossible to discuss usefully on a forum.

Technically what you are saying is right about dry board = good for c betting but villain knows this may play back light etc.

However, you also claim he should see you as solid. Solid players don't raise A8o out of the small blind. If you really have a "solid" image a good villain is never playing back here because you should have a **** tonne of over pairs you are never folding.

Therefore there is something wrong in the dynamic but we can't tell if it is your evaluation of your own play/villains play or a combination of these and many other factors.

Given something is wrong, it is definitely spewy. I think this is a phase most good players go through, just make sure you come out the other side.

why did you decide to cbet so little?

not trying to come off as a troll at all but i dislike every decision we make in this hand :/

sounds like the type of game you can print money in without doing, well, stuff like this.

Thanks for the responses guys, especially the one above. Now i can elaborate on my line of thinking a little bit more.

I know A8o is a terrible dominated hand, especially OOP. However, I would have done the same in this spot - regardless of my hand - in some % of the time. And this was one of those times. A straddle, and a blind raise. 5-6 limpers. Boy, that triggers me. It's a little to easy just to say fold-pre, because obviously that isn't horrible either ;-)

I think i will pick up the pot in like 95% of the time - pre flop. Nobody does this in my 2-2NL game, and it's just free and easy money. However, after his flat the situation is a little bit tough.

I'm 100% sure my image is viewed as solid by villain. 100%. The only hands i've brought to the showdown were AA, AKs and furthermore i picked up pots uncontested and without showdown.

I was repping an overpair, especially after my 3b on the flop. I figured what hands would call me there? He folds every hand, except for 33, 99, and A9. I think he even folds TT - KK in that spot. At least, that's what I thought at that time. I had a blocker to the pre flop nuts and given the pre flop action, I rule out AA.

Let us continue with the hand: He calls my barrel on the flop. The turn blanks and I give up. Check the turn, and he shoves his 64 euro's left. Now i'm facing 64 euro's shove in a 1K pot...... with almost zero equity?

Oef, i screwed up - I thought.

Is it to little? It's almost half the pot. Perhaps I should have made it more, but I was already suspecting a move from him, thinking my C-bet alone wouldn't be enough to pick it up right away.... Hmmm.

95% is wildly optimistic IME. This could be another analysis problem. You honestly believe if you make this raise 20 times you are called only once?

Yup. Ok, make it 90%. 1 in 10 times. Doesn't change much.

But anyway, as played pre-flop - which is discussable - any other comments on this hand? The real stuff happens after the flop. It's pretty interesting I thought....

I understand the logic but... I think you're just overplaying here.

Pot is what like 155ish?

Imo if you cbet like 110ish with the stack sizes it makes it harder for him to play back at you

But i guess if you would cbet half pot with aa/kk there as well its fine

You have so many 'legit' hands to continue with on the flop you don't need to continue with A8o no clubs against him. Just fold flop.