Since I don't use Poker Tracker (I plan on getting it soon though) no exact numbers on the button. He was fairly aggro and had been pushing everyone around somewhat so I had started to play back at him some. His perception of me is probably semi-TAG, though I do make moves occasionally.




PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (4 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

SB ($70.80)
BB ($104.95)
Hero ($126)
Button ($135.95)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 9, 9.
Hero raises to $4, Button calls $4, SB calls $3.50, 1 fold.

Flop: ($13) 9, 2, 8 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, Button bets $12, SB folds, Hero raises to $122


Since the flop had potential flush/str8 draws and given our history I figured a huge check raise would look more like a draw or a bluff than a set, and would induce a call from TPTK or better. Would I have been better off just betting out and hoping the button or SB would raise my bet so I could shove? I didn't tend to bet out in multiway pots if I whiffed so I figured that would make it transparent that I had a very strong draw minimum. What about check raising huge like this with an actual draw to try to maximize fold equity?

Spoiler below:
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Button calls $110.

Turn: ($257) 6 (2 players)

River: ($257) 5 (2 players)

Final Pot: $257

Results in white below:
Hero has 9s 9h (three of a kind, nines).
Button mucks Ac Ad
Outcome: Hero wins $257.

That is bad. Did you ever thought about Villains range before you shoved here?

If you describe him as a "semi-Tag" and you got Topset, what do you think he can call your shove with on this board. Obv. he has to fold most of his draws since you dont give any kind of odds he could call with and despite 22/88 i only see 98 calling.

As this played out PF you also cant really count on the fact that he has an overpair.
In this hand you got lucky that your "semi-Tag" was more like a "big fish" and he misplayed his hand completly PF and on flop, but against most other players the way you played it is just a waste of value.

I described his perception of me as being semi-TAG, not my perception of him. Though after seeing the hand it probably would have turned out the same if I had just lead out.

Sorry - misread this.

Of course this hand would have played all in one way or another (somebody who flats AA PF wont fold here whatever you do). But you really shouldnt include hands like JJ/QQ/KK/AA in his range since people nowadays almost always reraise these hands PF or wont stack it off on the flop.

And like i said before, if we eliminate these hands from his range, there isnt really much he can call your shove with.

Of course i overshove/overbet these typ of hands (nuts) occassionally, but normally i pick my spots against really bad players who cant fold **** here and call me with middle pair or something. And i just cant see that kind of description of villain in your post.

Yeah the hand's a couple of days old so I don't remember exactly how the villain played, but I'm going to take a wild guess that he wasn't the greatest lol. I just remember thinking here that he was the type who would call this flop with TPTK or a flush draw with overcards and being suprised to find he had AA since he had been 3-betting preflop a lot.

What about check raising like this with a big draw against a smarter opponent to maximize fold equity?

dont show results.

this is maybe okay if you think he'll call you with TT/JJ type hands, but generally i just like to bet 10-11 since i cbet 3handed over 90% of the time

This is horrible. Just bet, bet, bet, profit. He'll check behind so often, and fold to your C/R so often, with hands that he would have put lots of money in otherwise. If he has JJ/TT and calls here, then he sure as hell wasn't folding at any other point in the hand.

you know, check raising big is fine but it's absolutely criminal to be check/jamming here. He's going to be folding anything thats not QQ+ or set here. You have to be extremely lucky for him to have a hand that he deems callable for an all in shove. Check raising to say 40$ is much better because it makes his TT JJ QQ hand much more difficult to play and he ask to then make a judgment call of whether or not you're on a draw. If you jam, It's really easy for him to fold here.

Additionally, if he, himself has a draw, he's going to fold that too which is something you do NOT want considering the strength of your hand compared to his.

YOU GOT HIM GOOD!