Parx about 4 hours into a session with some decent reads on opponents. Bought in for $1k, up to $3k which is effective.

I'm UTG (straddle) with AJT6ss to the A
UTG+1 raises to 30
Button calls
I call

The button is super spewy, plays every hand and I'd been targeting him for his loose play. One orbit earlier I picked off a big river bluff when the river didn't alter texture.
UTG+1 is more solid but also inclined to donate.

Flop AJ2 rainbow.
I check.
UTG+1 bets $50, button calls.
I considered raising with a comfortable top 2, but opted to call due to OOP.
Pot $275.

Turn 9, still rainbow.
I check
UTG+1 bets $100.
Button calls.
I call again, but this time after more consideration to check raise, feeling very comfortable about being ahead.
Pot $575.

River 5
Check, check.
Button asks for size of pot and then bets $500.

Do I call?

Are you all 3k deep? If not, please raise somewhere.

Call obv. now.

Yes. I was at $3k. Shortest stack.


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Calling vs the guy who over bluffs.

Why?

If there's a shorter stack, I don't mind raising the turn. The idea is to isolate.

The turn is AJ29r and the villain bets 1/3. Maybe I'm a sucker but that seems like a huge sizing tell given that we also block top two sets. 300 bb deep we don't have much moves OOP but if there were lets say 100 bb stack, it forces the deep stack also to play a bit more honest.

Also T blocker here helps.

How does T blocker help? To me it hurts - takes some of their draws away. Even if that sizing is quite telly, that's still an awful lot of money to get in with bare top 2, while draws still have a lot of equity versus you.

The hand is OOP and we're playing against two players that both probably have live outs. By raising you push equity out. You're right that villains have a lot of equity and that's why I'm raising. If we were IP I don't mind calling. Getting something like AKQ to fold would be great.

The T just means that opponents have one less out and less likely to hold a good draw, T8 or QT combo.

If both villains were 100 bb deep, I would raising the flop. If one is 100 bb deep, I'm raising the turn. 300 bb deep I'm lost to be fair.

Yes, there are certainly equity denial benefits to a raise, but I think those benefits come at too high a cost given we're often dead to 2 outs when we get it in and even a massive lagtard will be unlikely to call it off on the turn with say top and bottom no draw.

The T does not just mean that. It means that they're a little less likely to have straight draws.

Against the profile of player, I would agree that raising the turn might be a good play at 100bbs - even though the turn bettor is the better player - but still probably wouldn't. At 300bbs, a stack depth I have a reasonable amount of experience with given I've spent ~half my career as a live player, I would suggest that getting it in on the turn with bare top two is a fairly big mistake.

Oh yeah, I'm not advocating getting it in 300 bb deep here

So you want to c/r/f the turn? I think I like that less than getting it in on the turn

Oh no, I'm advocating x/r getting it in if there were 100 bb stack in the spot. 300 bb deep against everyone I'm not raising this.

Anyone else x/r this flop?

I don't think it's a great idea but I'm open to learning more. IMO, we'd need to deny equity at a very high frequency to overcome the times we gii vs (sets, top wrap) as a 75/25 dog(?) because the pot is currently pretty small. I just don't see the assumptions here that justify it even if we consider the BUT a goldmine. I think I agree with wazz suggestion that considering kr is a deep stack play and still bad there with board and ranges.

If we could rely on them 3betting all the hands that beat us and only flatting all the hands that we beat, we could be very happy c/ring this flop.

Hand result follows:

I didn't raise any street cos I was confident that button was calling any draw, including crappy gut shot.
He tables 34QK for double gut shot to nuts both ways on the turn and river wheel.

I gave serious consideration to folding for some live tell stuff that he did. He was deliberate in his question to the dealer for pot size and then the size and manner of this bet. He looked and acted like a man who had the goods, and this wasn't an actor type player. I remember thinking that I'm dead here, but so hard to fold when he's betting in position when he misses as well.

Having that hand means he has a ton of missed draws that have to bluff and makes me feel better about the call.

Do you think this is a good reason NOT to raise? I would presume getting a lot of money in ahead is one of the things you should be trying to do in poker, in general.

That's a really good challenge. To be very honest, I struggle making this kind of play so deep. I'm typically a 2-2 player, which I have been doing well at recently, and have been trying to step up to 5-5, with very mixed results. At the 2-2 with $1k in front of me, I x-r this spot every time. I fully admit that the stakes shouldn't influence my play where I am making decisions sub-optimally, and I am also aware that part of the reason for the worse performance is due to my own poor adjustments, as opposed to the caliber of opponent. If anything, some of the 5-5 players seem to not like money very much.

Games tend to be a bit splashier when you move up, especially the weaker players. Typically it means is that you need to be more ready to take some heat. Consider quitting when the game becomes uncomfortably big or just go with the flow.