Hello,

I would love to know how you'd play flop and turn. I think the sizing on the flop can be smaller (30-40%) to induce bluffs but the turn call is tough as he can have completed flushes, 4x as well as bluffs in his range.

Thoughts? Many thanks!

PokerStars - 15/30 Ante 4 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (UTG): 41.93 BB
UTG+1: 65.83 BB
MP: 47.7 BB
MP+1: 54.83 BB
MP+2: 48.37 BB
CO: 49.4 BB
BTN: 46.87 BB
SB: 48.37 BB
BB: 46.7 BB

9 players post ante of 0.13 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.7 BB) Hero has A Q

Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB calls 2 BB

Flop: (7.7 BB, 2 players) 4 Q 4
BB checks, Hero bets 5.4 BB, BB raises to 11.5 BB, Hero calls 6.1 BB

Turn: (30.7 BB, 2 players) 8
BB bets 32.07 BB and is all-in

I think the flop size works well here on a paired board to induce this kind of check-raise. You also get terrific value against all of his PP's which mostly call the large flop bet. You put a bunch of naked flush draws in the bin as well.

Turn call is fine but feels a lot better when you're like MP or LP, since he's prob never taking this line with KQ or QJ against the UTG opener. It's nice that we block A4. Folding like KQ and QJ with no spades feels good I think. He can certainly have the same hand as you given that you raised UTG.

Dare I say our worst calling hand on the turn is AQ (with or without spades)? Or maybe we call with KQ and QJ with one spade and then best hands we're folding are KQ and QJ with no spades.


Also forgot to add I think the turn jam is a little weaker than normal given our range. I think plenty of completed flushes will bet the turn smaller to keep all of your one pair hands in. You have plenty of pocket pairs that can continue vs smaller bets but that will fold to his jam.

2.5x is usually what you want to raise but sure 3x at this early stage is not that big of a deal.

Flop bet is okay giving the FD but I would probably still go a little bit lower like 40-50% of the pot.

Turn is basically a call but not super happy about it, he's repping some sort of Qx with a spade or perhaps a pocket pair with a spade trying to protect his hand or get you to fold a better Qx, fearing a 4 or a made flush. I'd be very hard pressed to fold this, given how early it is in the tourney I'd say just go for it.

BB have more btm pair, suited connector in range when he call defend 3bb open.
In flop, you raised 70% pot to isolated his hands. That isnt a good call if you dont have nut. You just raise a isolate pot only when you have nut or air hands. So you can easy fold if enemy re raise and beat them when he re raise. In this situation, he re-raised you 11.5bb, you were in tough spot which you shouldn't be if you just have small bet before
In turn, he betted all in. If you had 55, 66, 77, 88 or AQs, nothing different. You can beat bluff only, no value hand you can bluff. 45s, 34s, flush,...
Conclude, you should have another small bet size in flop, 33% or 50% is better and fold more in that turn spot
That's my opinion only, please counter-argument

Best not to post results as it may skew the responses

I agree with smaller flop sizing on this board texture once V check raises large flop bet their range is pretty polarised to hands that crush us /semi bluffs and air. many low stakes Vs have no air here and plenty are calling pre with all sorts of 4x hands. On population tendencies I wouldn't call the turn - there are less flushes with this sizing but we are seeing flushes and plenty of 4s - would need a read to make this call.

Your sizings are too big, both preflop, and on the flop. As an exploit, going big to target Qx for stacks is ok, but we can get that money in easily across 3 streets.

As played, I'd just jam the flop. We stack ourselves versus 4x, but that is ok since he has a lot of other stuff in his range, (weaker Qx, pairs, flush draws, and double back doors). We could draw to a blank turn, but then we are in bluff catching mode when a spade does peel.

Preflop and flop are too large. In theory at these sizes the flop check-raise is awful for you, since your 3/4 pot bet makes it so that villain's value check-raising range should basically be AQ+.

You don't need to open more than 2.5x and at these depths and position I probably go for 2.2x.

Flop bet can be relatively small here since there's only one overcard for you to worry about and flush draws are a small part of his range. In theory you should be betting small on this flop with a large part of your range and checking the rest. AQ is pretty much always a bet.

I guess villain's flop check-raise is because in theory he blocks some A4s combos for you (he doesn't even block 54s since he has 5s), but I still don't like it vs. the large flop sizing. The turn shove really doesn't make sense since the 5s is a very low spade to hope to hit. Once you bet that big on flop and call the check-raise, you obviously have a good hand, so I'd just shut it down if I check-raised with a holding like this. (I think you're supposed to build your bluffs around some of your flush draws, some Broadway hands that have a backdoor straight and also block your Qx and some of your possible continues-- hands like KJ/KT with a spade and/or heart-- and occasionally some hands like 6h5h, 5h3h, for the double backdoors.)

Well you obviously lose to 4x/spades, but we're hoping he's over playing Qx. I'd probably just call it off as we're getting 2 to 1 given this is low stakes.