PokerStars - $0.02 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: $2.01 (VPIP: 14.29, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 8)
Hero (SB): $4.68
BB: $2.57 (VPIP: 18.18, PFR: 9.09, 3Bet Preflop: 5.26, Hands: 45)
UTG: $5.39 (VPIP: 20.45, PFR: 15.91, 3Bet Preflop: 6.25, Hands: 45)
CO: $2.11 (VPIP: 66.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 3)

Hero posts SB $0.01, BB posts BB $0.02

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.03) Hero has J A

UTG raises to $0.05, fold, fold, Hero calls $0.04, fold

Flop: ($0.12, 2 players) 2 5 J
Hero bets $0.06, UTG raises to $0.42, Hero raises?? to $1.38, UTG raises to $5.34 and is all-in, Hero calls?? $3.25 and is all-in

I think this is stupid. Now, I haven't played online in 7 years (just moved to Germany from the U.S... and I think if I wasn't so rusty, I wouldn't have paid him off... I really was playing Level 1 poker here.

When UTG raises big on that flop, I should have known he has something, especially since he's pretty damn tight. Instead, I do the stupid thing - I looked only at the strength of my own hand - TPTK + nut flush draw is a pretty damn good flop, but when a tight player raises on that flop, it's at *least* two pair, and very likely that he flopped the flush. When I raised to $1.38, I did so with the intention of getting it all in. I don't know if I could have folded it, but even with the redraw to the nut flush, I probably should have.

Am I wrong here? Are there any hands that TPTK + NFD beat on that flop that will raise me at 2NL here? Hands like KJx/QJx, JxT? I don't think J5, J2, or 52 are in vil's PFR range. It's likely BX here.

This is why I'm playing 2NL to get back in the groove.

Really tough spot on the flop but I would probably fold. Your TPTK on this board isn't very strong. If another spade comes giving you the flush do you still get paid? (with villain's hand you probably do get another street). When villain raises this big on the flop, your pair is pretty much useless and your only outs are flush outs.

I don't think it's all that terrible, as you've got good equity vs everything, but once you've 3-bet the flop, it looks like you're just about priced in to call off the rest. (I haven't done the precise maths).
I'd usually just call the flop raise and see what happens on the turn. Check-calling the flop isn't a bad option either, as it's not as if your hand is vulnerable.

Is hero really getting a good price though? He has to call $0.36 to win $0.60 and villain will most likely barrel every turn but a spade or a card that pairs the board. I don't think hero has enough implied odds to see a turn personally. I would make a note on villain and move on to the next hand.

Fold pre.

Oh, weird. I thought hero had 3-bet pre adn then c-bet the flop. Oops! Calling pre in the SB isn't going to be great, and then donking is quite bad.
Folding pre would indeed be the standard line.

Call pre is clear.

Don't lead out on the flop -- just check-call. You have a range disadvantage, but relatively good showdown value, and a hand that can improve to the nuts. And there's not many bad turn cards for you.

If you play it faster, for example by check-raising, you're going to fold out hands that have relatively little equity (the hands which fold which have the most outs against your hand (5) are KsQx and KxQs, but they also have reverse implied odds if a 4th spade hits), and you'll get called by flushes, overpairs, or trips and not much else (maybe KsJx). Of course, you always have equity -- so it's not _that_ bad -- but check-calling is much superior I believe. Although occasionally villain will catch a lucky turn or river and win the pot that would have been yours if you check-raised, you'll get some value from villain's low-equity hands from check-calling. Not only will villain bluff them occasionally, if you check-call flop, the turn is a blank that's checked through, you can bet small-medium for value on the river.

As played, I think correct is to call villain's 3bet on the flop, even though it's a big one, and see a turn. 4-betting is a big mistake. Check the turn, no matter what it is.

Fold pre.

As played, x/c flop.

As played, b/c.

I misread the hand, and thought you were in the BB. In the SB, you should either 3bet or fold pre.

Don't do this.

You'll be burning money.

I don’t like your line on any street.

Without reliable stats on V I prefer a 3-bet w/ AJo out of the SB.

As played, I’m not leading the flop. But I do think their are two reasonable ways to play hand. One is check/call flop and turn and evaluate river if unimproved.

The other, is to set the betting up so I can put him in a tough spot, because despite the results he has a lot more combos of overpairs than flushes. Their just aren’t a lot of flushes in V’s range here with card removal and blockers.

The best way to do that is to check raise, so you get the shove in - rather than V getting the shove. It’s very hard for him to call off in that spot with most of his range. The down side of this is you waste the equity of your Jack, so this is a line I like a lot better when my Ace is unpaired, with that said since his most likely holding is QQ or KK your A, J or spade are all live.

There just aren’t than many flushes here and V is at the top of his range.

With all that said, I think you bungled the hand a little bit preflop and a lot on the flop.

Really? AJo in 6-max?

Facing an utg open, fold without even thinking about it.

Vs a minraise by someone opening 15%+ UTG, it might just about be breakeven. Vs 2.5bb+ or a tighter range, just fold.
Playing OOP with a potentially dominated offsuit hand is never much fun. There are so few flops where you get paid when you have the best hand, and quite a few more where you lose twice as much when second best. Mostly, you'll be check-folding when you miss.
An additional wrinkle is that it's bad for you if the BB overcalls, and it's even worse if he squeezes (as you'll always have to fold).
About the only hands you can flat here profitably in SBvUTG are TT-88 and probably AQo. Any better hands than those should be 3-bets (balanced by a couple of bluffs like AJs, ATs, A5s, A4s, KQs) and anything worse is just a fold. (You could also consider flatting AJs, KQs, QJs if the open was a minraise. Most winning players are mainly 3-betting or folding in the SB, however.)

I think you should mostly fold AJo, but it can't be too bad to occasionally 3-bet assuming you can play ok post-flop. It sucks when you're called or 4-bet, but I've found in 2NL on pokerstars is often quite nitty preflop, so people will be folding too much and 4-betting too little (and never as a bluff), and playing quite badly in 3-bet pots, making the 3-bet ok.

For sure, folding is the normal line.

Interesting, I have found it the complete opposite. People are 3betting way too much and way too light at 2NLz - especially from the blinds and calling way too wide LP vs blinds as well.

I agree with 4bets very rarely being bluffs though.

Fold pre. Really.

I don't see a massive mistake in the hand. The contentious action is your flop raise which isn't a huge mis step. A tight opponent will mostly be opening decent/premium pps and Ax broadway hands utg so your As makes it pretty hard for villain to flop a flush here. Even if villain has a flopped flush were in decent shape gii otf but I think I favour flatting the flop raise as the shove is still mostly getting called by better and villain can barrel with some worse hands if we just flat the flop raise.

You dont think putting in 3.25 into a .60 pot with 25% equity is a bad play? Fold to the raise on the flop.