Hi all,

Hero is in bb with $25 bb ante in $25/$25 big o game and calls pro btn open closing action with KKQT8cchhh (to king). Sb called too. Hero is still relatively new to big o and playing small ball so far with good hands.

Flop ($300): AhJs3h. We have nut flush draw and wrap for high but no low. Seemed like a pretty good flop all things considered. Any Ax low probably got counterfeit, which is a lot of the btn opening range. Even against the low draw we have close to 50%. A24 is the only hand we’re in worse shape against, closer to 38%.

Rec pots from sb, hero? $1,500 cap in this game.

Thanks,
DT

What a nice small game to learn what hands are good and what are not. I definitely wouldn't raise, so it's between calling and folding and I think it's surprisingly close.

Would you care to elaborate on why it’s call or fold?

It's just a matter of how much equity you have on average. http://www.propokertools.com/simulations

You're a 3:2 dog against a random ace. You have 8 straight outs, three of which put a spade draw on the board, and five of your flush outs make a low. Equity wise you are unlikely to be ahead especially when SB donks into two players. Not having even an emergency low draw is terrible for you here. Raising here would be setting money on fire.
You can call and reevaluate turn, where your equity will probably change greatly on way or the other, but what do you do if button raises?

What's a good opponents' range to put in?

Why is being a dog to Ax relevant? Are people continuing with just top pair? Fine, say we call and turn is a board-pairing J. Now what?

Well, you can put just "A" or maybe "10%" (meaning top 10% of the starting hands), just to get an idea on how your hand is doing.

Because one or likely both of your opponents will have at least an ace.

Depends a bit on the full flop action (is BTN along?) and what SB does OTT. But clearly that's a very bad card for you and you shouldn't be looking to put any more money in.

Thanks!

Because most people don't play middle cards in this game. So, if villain has an ace they will either have a broadway draw or a low draw to go with it, and some of the time both. Two to a low and two to broadway is a really dangerous flop for you when you have no low draw - you can be drawing to a split for high at worst. Hands like AQT45 are going nowhere and have you in really bad shape.
If the low completes on the turn, your hand is dead. If you make Broadway, you can still be splitting high with villain drawing to quarter you. SB has bet into you and the preflop raiser - this is not going to be a naked nut low draw. And you have button behind yet to act.
Range the SB and see where you are against that range. I think you are in bad shape a lot of the time. A raise here is a (semi)bluff and SB is telling you he likes his hand. It's call or fold, and I think it's only just a call.

This game was probably built around a big donator. Many of the biggest losers in Big O are quite aggressive with one-way hands, and don't know/care that middle cards are bad. Is SB the spot in this lineup? OP describes him as a "rec," which is about as precise as calling a jaywalker a "criminal" equally with a serial killer.

More specific reads are needed. Your advice is fine for "standard" opponents, but high-low games this big don't really happen without someone playing extremely non-standard.

I agree more/better reads would help. However, we still have button to act who OP describes as a pro.
"Many of the biggest losers in Big O are quite aggressive with one-way hands".
Yes. Let's not join them. Our draw has 2 outs to the unique nuts. If we turn the nut straight, we need to dodge a low or pair otr.
If SB has a one-way hand, it's either high or low. Either are likely to have an ace, and if it's high he may have the same or similar wrap. Hard to see him potting with nothing. Just can't see raising here as anything but torching money.

I think SB is a donor tbh, not sure though - I saw some hands go to showdown he was in and was a little wtf? And I take back my statement about btn being pro, given what I have seen from him lately too he seems quite splashy. Seems like a pretty soft line-up all things conisdered.

Maybe I wasn't clear, I wasn't suggesting a raise. Only that folding isn't a real option if SB is less than solid.

In fact with the pot size and the $1500 cap, call seems clearly best. Most turns should be very simple to play, since there is only one meaningful bet left. The cap matters a lot: you suggest having to "dodge" scare cards on the river, but if we hit the turn we'll always realize all of our equity, and often push the button (if he continues on the turn) off of his.