Merge - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

CO: 322.4 BB (VPIP: 35.73, PFR: 17.82, 3Bet Preflop: 1.59, Hands: 1,151)
BTN: 37.5 BB (VPIP: 19.73, PFR: 9.56, 3Bet Preflop: 2.33, Hands: 2,241)
SB: 107.2 BB (VPIP: 31.73, PFR: 14.59, 3Bet Preflop: 4.69, Hands: 2,136)
Hero (BB): 172.3 BB
UTG: 61.9 BB (VPIP: 41.46, PFR: 5.44, 3Bet Preflop: 0.28, Hands: 1,863)
MP: 116.5 BB (VPIP: 30.04, PFR: 21.56, 3Bet Preflop: 6.50, Hands: 3,434)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A K

fold, fold, CO raises to 2.8 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 1.8 BB

Flop: (6.1 BB, 2 players) 2 A J
Hero checks, CO bets 3 BB, Hero calls 3 BB

Turn: (12.1 BB, 2 players) J
Hero checks, CO checks

River: (12.1 BB, 2 players) J
Hero bets 3.6 BB, CO raises to 316.6 BB and is all-in, fold


Okay, so as title says I know this hand is played badly. My reasoning at the time was vil was very aggro/tricky player and gives up to any aggression post flop, so if I call pre I can possibly get 3 streets of value of him doing the betting. This is what happens on the flop. On the turn, I was hoping this would happen again, and it didn't. And then on the river, it seemed like it was a spot where we both were slowplaying, and I figured the best I could hope for was a chop, and that doesn't even seem very likely. So, not looking for anyone to say I played the hand horrible up to the river, as I know it is. More, I want help with the river decision.

I wouldn't trap even still. Instead of trying to trap more if he gives up to aggression just bluff more.

He probably has a jack. Good fold. He can't guarantee you don't have Jx so it doesn't make too much sense to go all-in as a bluff.

I'd size up a little, but the river fold is good

I think you butcher this hand pretty hard.
Preflop: 3bet the best none paired hand in holdem

Flop: You have top pair top kicker nutflush draw. Get some money in your hand is totaly underwraped

Turn: Villain is unlikely to have a jack here. Tripps would bet here. Yes he might slowplay a boat but not that often. You block A/J pretty much and 22 will bet.
River: "at the time was vil was very aggro/tricky player" You get to the river with top boat and fold? Because some crazy guy jams it all in there. Yes its 300bb you can fold here and I don't blame you, but you just got in this spot because you misplayed your hand until this point so much. You cant just call here with quads or villain can shove with any two cards here and you fold.

Conclusion: This happens when you go to overboard with "reads" and not play YOUR GAME/YOUR STRAT. Just play your game. 3 bet preflop, bet bet shove get his money if he has quads good for him.

I think this is a well played hand. Facing this sort of super aggr villain, to play in a very passive way and let him hang is not a bad approach. On the river, I will either check again, or make a blocking bet (to induce bluff) like the hero did but if villain shoved over 150bb well I would just fold.

Agree with TheGodson: you should be bluffing this clown more often. You should 3-bet preflop, and you should be 3-betting reasonably often, so that you don't define your range too narrowly with your 3-bets.

You should be bluff-betting/raising a lot postflop too. You should also be value-betting/raising your value hands, because if this clown starts to call you more often, you need value in your range to make them pay for the privilege.

If tricky players confuse you, play so that their trickiness doesn't help them, i.e. as game-theory optimally as you can manage.

No-one else feel that villain is being mega spewy? I'd be a lot more concerned if villain 3x the river rather than shoving. I'm likely sigh calling!

As discussed though i'm 3betting pre against such an opponent and then value towning his ass back to 5nl.

We have to be somewhat sure he's not just a station to be playing this way though, I would think. Even thought he's tricky, just looking at VPIP/PFR indicate a loose passive station.

To make that decision we would really need to look at villain's postflop AF or AFq. (I wish PT included this in their hand history stats; is there a way this can be configured?)

Failing that, we should go by the OP's read. OP says the villain is aggressive.