1-2 NL, 9 handed

Hero($350): MAWG at local casino. Have folded basically every hand for an hour, nobody seems to have noticed.

Villain(~$250): MAWG laggy player, not very good, construction worker. Nice guy, seems to understand game but not how to play it profitably live.

Pre: 3 limps to H who raised to $7 on button with 55. (This is my standard play in mid-late position with small to medium pocket pairs. Trying to build pot with small raise and set mine, but feel free to comment on this).

5 callers, to the flop we go.

Flop($38 after rake): J 10 5 r

Check check, V donks for $22. Folds to H on button, with SB, BB and V still in hand.

Ok, we flopped our set, just as planned!

What's my best value line homies?

No need to build pot up with small/mid PPs, this is NL and we can do that later.

As played I think raising flop is good, V donking into PFR multiway is probably a reasonably strong hand that will call a raise.

Hard to say, since you gave no reads or stack sizes for the SB and BB.

We do need more info on SB/BB stacks.

Pot is now $60 with us facing a $22 bet. I am making a roughly pot-sized to $55-60. If it goes heads up with villain, making a 2/3 to 3/4 PSB on the turn and shoving river. Hoping not to see an ace or 9, but I think I'm still going all in anyway if one shows up, unless we get a strong tell/read.

Thanks. SB and BB are $150 and $100, respectively.

Table has been typical loose passive live 1-2 table, for most part

I detest pot sweeteners. THe only good time for that is POSSIBLY at a table full of really whaley players with 2-300BB stacks who also can't see the raise for what it is. Otherwise just set mine as cheaply as possible knowing that you still can get all in a lot of the time.

Pre, you can limp in or raise to 18.

I limp more often than I raise in this spot. We are guaranteed the best position on the BTN without raising (i.e. we don't need to force anyone else out), and with 3 limpers, I also question whether we can get folds pre-flop. Possibly building a large multi-way pot pre-flop without any cards > 5 is pretty meh. That said, call or raise are OK.

Now raise to 80 with the goal of getting it in on turns.

A pot sized raise is 22*3 + 38 = 104.

When you put in a raise, first you technically "call" the last bet, which is 22. Once you "call" it, the pot is 22+22+38 = 82. So a "pot sized raise" means you "call" the last bet (22) and raise by the pot size (82), for a total raise of 104.

The shortcut is to take the last bet made by any villain, multiply that by 3, and then add the all the other chips in the pot prior to the last bet before you.

So again, the last bet is 22, you multiply that by 3 = 66. Then you add the pot prior to the last bet, which is 38. So a pot sized raise = a raise to 66+38 = 104.

raise to $50 on flop. V donk bettor is almost always drawing dead. no need to raise big to scare him off.
limp. at really fit or fold tables i raise to $17 here

Raise to at least $60 and hope he has TJ or calls w/ AJ. No need to let a straight get there.

BTW, I, too, hate pot sweetener raises. If I were to ever do one (I wouldn't) it'd be with suited connectors or similar, not a small pair.

I like a smooth call or a min-raise or raise to 50. Given other players' stack sizes they could be checking dirty with J-10 or A-J K-J or even Q-j and decide to put the rest of their chips in for protection. V isn't going to go anywhere for the extra monies unless he truly has air.

Hate the min raise option being discussed. At 1-2 Villain would probably bet after a few checks with hands like AJ J10 and maybe KJ. I could also see a villain leading after some checks with a hand like KQ or Q9 to try and "take the initiative with his draw". Assuming villain has a top pair type hand what kind of card is good for you on the turn that villain will put in a lot of money on the turn? I'd make it 100 and hope villain shoves or one of the two checkers was slowplaying j10. If it's folded around be happy to have won a 35bb pot with 55.

Go 45-50, no need to scare anybody away, and it's unlikely given preflop action that you're up against a higher set. 120 on blank turns or shove over a turn bet.

I'd raise a little more pre, not as big as you'd raise with QQ+ but you're IP and it'd be nice if you can win the pot postflop without hitting the set. So $10-$12 will give you a little more credit when you c-bet without the set.

Although I definitely like a raise of any amount over a limp, you don't make a ton of huge hands per session, when you hit them you need to at least have that chance at winning a big pot.

You're also going to have more FE pre than you think. There were 3 limps to you here, even if just one folds to a $10 all day raise, it makes it a lot easier to get a c-bet through 2 guys than 3 otf.

If he's laggy I think calling flop, raising turn or calling flop/turn/raise river is prob the best line. Only prob when you do the latter is more potential for overcard on the board that'll scare him. Thing is if you raise flop he can call then fold turn since it's such a strong line(however this is dependent on how thinking you believe villain is). If you raise turn or river he'll most likely be pot committed to a call

Ah thanks for the explanation, I misused the term. In this spot I wouldn't want to bet to ~$100 I think that scares off callers (so I guess I would make significantly less than a pot sized raise).

Scrolled down looking for this post.

No prob, and understood!

??

I just hate the pre-flop play. I mean, what are you even doing raising to $7??

Sets only hit 1 in 8ish times. That means hitting your set costs you $56 on average. the pot on the flop is only $38. Subtract rake, tip, plus the money you put in and you're only halfway to the amount you need just to break even.

you need to make a full pot-sized bet and get called on the flop in order to get to the break even point. If you bet less than pot, or get called something less than 100% of the time, then you're in a situation where you need AT LEAST two streets of value....again JUST TO BREAK EVEN.

I recommend one of two things

1) Fold pre-flop. If you're uncomfortable playing aggressive poker, then you should just dump this hand pre-flop. The way you are playing is a huge leak. simply folding will surely increase your winnings.

2) Raise bigger. If you had raised to $15 and got called by 1 or 2 players, the pot on the flop would be equal or more to what it is now. Also, on most flops, you'll have a profitable c-bet opportunity against a smaller field. You have a made hand, and your opponents will call pre-flop with tons of non-made hands that will still be non-made when you bet the flop.

Definitely do not limp. If you're uncomfortable with #2, then fold pre-flop. If you want to start playing this hand, from this position, then you need to learn how to make money unimproved.

Folding a small PP on the Button after 3 limpers is terribad. I have nothing else to add but LOL.


There is nothing wrong with making a standard raise like this on the Button, since it does increase the likelihood of winning the hand unimproved, although the likelihood of this succeeding does depend somewhat on the table dynamics.

Again, LOL at turning 55 into 72o.

I've seen you in the New England forum. Please tell me specifically where to find your table. I will be there.

Aren't you kids supposed to say HU4ROLZ?

Limping 55 from the button (or MP if table/stacks are correct) is perfectly fine -- and good. Raising 55 from button to a normal raise size is fine and good, too. Folding would be pretty bad.

OP, continue, please.

Varying your raise size based on hand strength is a huge leak and highly exploitable. Pre flop raise should be the same whether you have 55, AA, JJ, KQs, or anything else.

Ok to adjust based on # of limps in front of you, where your standard is XX, plus YY per limp.