Situation: Hero is at an irritating table where 3 players, including drunk villain dozing off to my right, tank for every action. I mean, to the point where the good players at the table and the dealers are pissed and I'm getting up and bitching about it to a buddy one table over.

V has been grousing like a fish about how no one is respecting raises and how you can't bluff in this game etc. etc. I have been busting V up for a good portion of the night picking off bluffs IP and 3-betting him with premium pairs (QQ, JJ, etc.) OOP then pushing the flop when no overs come because he's consistently been raising light. I've shown every time I've done this. He's recently coolered me catching 2 pair AK vs. A10 on an A10x flop and A turn.

Hero: SB with K8, about 200BB.
V: Button, also about 200BB.

Most of the table limps, I limp call. Pot's at $12.

Flop comes A88.

I check, checks around, V bets $6, I call, everyone else folds.

Turn 3, I check, V bets $12, I call.

River Q, I check, V bets $14, I C/R $31. V makes it $81. I let things simmer for a while, then raise to $181.

V goes into an extended tank about how he should just snap call. I say, "Do you have an 8?" He responds, "No, but I got a whole mess of 3s." Tanks some more, keeps talking, "I think you have A8 or Q8, god why am I not snap-calling, blah blah." He makes a big deal about how he has pocket 3s, then mucks. One of the other players says, "Whatever, your 2 pair was no good," I show the K8, he starts pounding the table.

$300 pot and $100 to call, there is no possible way this guy folds a full house, right? Drunk posturing or the worst hero fold and violation of Zeebo's theorem I've ever seen?

Lead the flop. As played lead the turn. As played raise the turn. As played c/r the river bigger.

Why did you play this so passively then go crazy on the river? 4betting is turning your hand into a bluff. You only have trips, calm down. A case could be made for folding to villain's 3bet as I doubt he does that with J8, but you probably have to call because of the odds.

You accidentally turned your hand into a bluff and are lucky you found a villain who could fold I guess.

And unless it's suited, fold pre.

Don't limp-call garbage hands from SB, even for a buck. Either raise or fold. Limping this crap and playing fit/fold with just whittle your stack.
As played, lead right out when you hit gin, we don't want a check-through.
As played, check-raise if you get bet into on the flop. Limp pots make small pots, lets get value here.

I highlighted all the emotional baggage and garbage...

as thinking winning players we have got to rise above it all, to include showing our awesome bluffs and hands.

Its hard, it's very gratifying to our egos to show the table how awesome we are so that we can puff out our chests and bask in the sunlight of our own awesomeness...

but it costs us money when we do this.

I know all the hollywood donk arguments about showing bluffs to tilt players yada yada yada....

trust me on this, we are better served by not showing. That uncertainty is always ALWAYS better and works in our favor than showing our hands.

In any event, ego and entitlement related leaks are common among thinking players. It takes a lot of work to rise above it and to see it for what it really is instead of allowing our egos to make excuses for it.

Next time, don't show, don't get upset, be Mr. Zen at the table....

GL

Grunch, you played this HORRIBLY. When he 3-bets on the river, K8 is a bluff catcher, but for some reason you decided to 4-bet.

Lead Flop. Lead Turn. Bet/Fold river.
As played, raise turn.

Thanks for the criticism, guys. I certainly am not making the case that I was in a good headspace or playing particularily well this session.

$100 max bet.
Washington state