Both BTN and SB extremely loose, erratic players. Not afraid to get it in with questionable hands. We're still in the rebuy period so I think they're both just trying to either double up or bust knowing they can just rebuy if they lose.

I doubled up vs SB earlier after 3-betting him pre with 88, and calling his check/jam on a 6-4-2 flop. He had 34o. A few hands later he doubled up vs me when we got it all in on a Jxx 3 heart board where I had KJ and he had A3 for the nuts.

UTG seems bad but nowhere near as crazy as the other two.


PokerStars, $9.80 + $1.20 - Hold'em No Limit - 150/300 (40 ante) - 7 players

UTG: 21,130 (70 bb)
MP: 24,840 (83 bb)
MP+1: 14,455 (48 bb)
CO: 24,775 (83 bb)
BU: 36,636 (122 bb)
SB: 60,416 (201 bb)
BB (Hero): 64,940 (216 bb)

Pre-Flop: (730) Hero is BB with 9 K
UTG raises to 750, 1 fold, MP+1 calls 750, 1 fold, BTN calls 750, SB 3-bets to 1,200, Hero calls 900, UTG calls 450, MP+1 calls 450, BTN calls 450

Flop: (6,280) T Q J (5 players)
SB checks, Hero bets 3,266, UTG calls 3,266, MP+1 folds, BTN calls 3,266, SB calls 3,266

Turn: (19,344) 8 (4 players)
SB bets 55,910 (all-in), Hero ?????????

I probably fold pre because I don't want to get stuck in the middle of this action-- if a 4-bet comes in from behind you can't really continue. And your hand isn't that great-- in part precisely for this reason, that you can never make the nut straight.

I'm not that worried about the SB because it's absurd to not lead or check-raise with AK here, and jamming a flush doesn't make any sense. AA with the Ad might actually do this, though, or something goofy like Ad9x. But on the other hand you have two people behind you, one of whom could have a flush or AK.

I guess with SB covered you could call it off and hope for at least the side pot, if not for two folds behind you. But this is why I don't get involved here in the first place-- you're deep enough that even in a 3-bet pot you aren't that comfortable stacking off with big hands that aren't the nuts, and you can't make the nuts.

Cold call pre is no good here, might consider occasional 4-bet squeeze in this weird setup. When we call, we're just in a gross multiway pot where unless we smash the flop we either have to fold or have awful reverse implied odds.

As played on the flop, I mean, we're so far removed from theory here but maybe there's a universe where we have a donk lead range on the flop in a five-way pot on this particular board. But mostly I'd be checking looking to check raise.

As for the turn, if it was just against described villain I think we just call and pay. As to the UTG, the board itself blocks a lot of their flushes as they should (in theory at least) have a fairly tight range. But against the spazzy BTN I'd be worried about them having the weird 53dd type hands so maybe in a four-way pot we just fold.

But as @nath clearly stated, this is why we don't take the passive line and call here. We're now in a really awkward multiway spot where it is nearly impossible to realize our equity even when we smash a flop.

Really good points from both, thank you! And yeah, can totally see the reasoning for not flatting pre now. Check/raise on the flop makes a lot of sense too. The preflop aggressor (SB with his min 3-bet) checked over to me so I took that opportunity to bet cus I was worried it would check round. I guess UTG is betting a lot if I check it to him though as he's the only one of the three that actually has a non-ATC preflop range and this flop hits that range pretty well. Maybe he even gets two calls from the maniacs which I can then raise over.

Well, I ended up folding and both of the others called. No one had a flush. SB had A5, UTG had KQ and BTN had A9. River bricked and I would've scooped an insane pot and been 600bb deep and chip leader of the tourney by a long way. Was kicking myself after but I guess it's hard to play these spots well and that's exactly why I should've just folded pre and not gotten myself into this situation in the first place.

I'm sure OP is already convinced but another reason to fold pre is that there is no need to get involved with marginal hands when you have a skill advantage. Good players will eat you alive if you are too passive but against weak "spaz" types you can wait for solid values because they will be eager to get their money in and not notice you are playing sensibly.