1/2 home game.

Hero: early 30's white guy. Regular in this game. Image is tight and aggressive, especially in position. Known to have some gamble and an overall winner in the game. Showed lots of aggression early with big pairs which didn't get to showdown, but have been stone card dead for 90 minutes or so.

Villain: late 20's asian. Sitting on my direct left. Super fishy. Changing opening sizes based on hand strength. Seen him call down incorrectly with 3rd and 4th pair. I have some history with villain, having stacked him a couple times when he overvalued medium-strength hands. One time, he jammed vs hero's pot-sized flop bet with overcards and no redraw against my AA. Seems very station-y otherwise.

$450 effective

UTG+1 (also big fish) limps
Hero opens UTG+2 AJ to $12 (standard raise for me with one limper)
V calls, three other callers including one really tricky player on the BTN, limper folds

I was opening specifically to isolate the limping fish. He's one of the best spots in the game. Not thrilled getting looked up by four people.

Flop ($65) AJ9
Hero bets $40, Villain calls, others fold.

With four people behind, including a very strong player, I feel I have to bet to charge the draws and get some value from Ax. Am I wrong in thinking that I'm happy to take it down here?

Turn ($145) 5
Hero bets $85, Villain calls

I'm OK with being heads-up here against a fish. At this point, I have his range somewhere around Ax hands, QT, KQ, and flush draws. I feel like I would have heard from sets (which I block) and a flopped flush (unless it's the nuts). I suppose if I'm crushed, he can still get in stacks on the river. My plan is to bet all non-heart, non K or Q rivers.

River ($315) T

Hero?

Probably b/f $90

Shoving might be ok if he's a truly special station

if you don't feel like bet 150$/call then check/call. bet/fold seems bad here vs this villain and vs this runout.

River is poop, it forces you to bet/call.

Well played. Bet-fold river, something single pair hands can call, probably about $125. Villain never raise bluffs after you bet-bet-bet.

I strongly consider c/r the flop if you expect someone to take a stab at it.

Just one small point. As far as poker jargon goes, you didnt "open" to $12. "Open" means you are the first one in the pot (not counting the blinds) and tells us here are no limpers.

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad to hear I was on the right track.

I bet $125 on the river and he tanked, talking his way through it. After a minute or two, he said, "Did you flop a flush? That's pretty much all that beats me," and I threw up in my mouth a little. He eventually called and turned over JJ.

I was more than a little surprised, as I thought this was a crazy-passive line to take with a middle set. I figured I would have had it shoved in my face on the brick turn (at least that's what I would have done in his spot). Is this just a gross result?

I get this all the time. Recs are often way overly aware and scared of flushes leading to passive/MUBSy play on 3-flush boards.

It would be a pretty big mistake to bet/fold $125.

After seeing the result and his tendency on 3 suit boards, you would need to adjust your bet/call here.

Prior to result, it would be a colossal mistake.

Yeah, I was never bet-folding here. He's fishy enough to shove AT, or even AK/AQ after I bet river. Interestingly enough, he told me he would have checked behind if I checked river. Doesn't help me now, but I filed that one away for next week.

Against a true station I would have bet more on the turn ($125) to set up a ~PSB shove on safe rivers.

I think against a station you are just destined to lose your money against JJ on that runout.

I find it hard to believe villain would c/r the river with anything other than a nutted hand. I highly doubt TPTK takes that line with a 3-flush, 3-straight, and 3 broadways on the board. He's your villain though.

Sometimes you value own yourself going for thin river value. That shouldn't stop you from making value bets. Well played river.