PartyGaming - $0.50 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BTN): 94.6 BB
SB: 165.2 BB
BB: 67.28 BB
UTG: 145.38 BB
CO: 55.54 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 7 8

UTG raises to 2.5 BB, CO calls 2.5 BB, Hero raises to 8.5 BB, fold, BB raises to 25 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 16.5 BB

Flop: (55.5 BB, 2 players) 4 8 A
BB bets 11.5 BB, Hero calls 11.5 BB

Turn: (78.5 BB, 2 players) 6
BB bets 30.78 BB, Hero calls 30.78 BB

River: (140.06 BB, 2 players) Q

Hero shows 7 8 (Flush, Queen High)
(Pre 41%, Flop 24%, Turn 36%)
BB mucks A K (One Pair, Aces)
(Pre 59%, Flop 76%, Turn 64%)
Hero wins 134.06 BB



Long story short, decided to 3bet the lose UTG players open when player in BB 4-bets to 25bb. I figure that since he 4-bet from the BB that villain is quite strong but didn't put AA or KK in his range because he would likely have just jammed those with his shortish stack. I put villain on AK or possible QQ, JJ so I called because I figured my equity was in line with pot odds.

I would have leaned towards folding on the flop but villain bet so small so I figured I had enough equity to call and I was right - I had about 37% equity vs 17% pot odds.

Same story on the turn - villain jammed for 30 into a pot of 78, so I only needed 28% equity to call and figured with the flush and gut shot that I had 30%+ against most of his range.

Got lucky and took down the pot obviously, but should I have played this any differently?

I think your reasoning to exclude AA or KK from his range preflop is flawed. It's more logical to jam AK rather than AA, because you want some fold equity.

The preflop call seems optimistic to say the least : "I called because I figured my equity was in line with pot odds" -> not sure you'll be able to realize this equity !, when villain will barrel so many flops and turns.

If anything this logic is backwards. If players do have an exploitative preflop sizing it's that they are more likely to go smaller with AA/KK because they want the action, whereas with JJ or AK they just go huge to avoid bad flops. It's often a running joke in live games that suddenly oversized preflop raises mean JJ.

Either way, just fold to this 4-bet.

Postflop is fine as played.

Ya, I see the point on the preflop thinking but it's just that for the most part in these games when I get 4-bet jammed its with AA or KK - sometimes AK as well.

Squeeze is OK with 87s...doesn't have to be every time, you can also fold sometimes. But good intentions. Be aware of CO stack size which isn't ideal if he calls. I would also size up very slightly.

87s is at the bottom of your 3betting range. BB now comes over the top of your squeeze which shows pretty extreme strength. What hands are you folding if you don't fold this?

Notice also that BB stack size means that (1) it's now going to be difficult to realise your equity and (2) the cold 4bet size means he has pot committed himself.

All that stuff about AA and KK is just nonsense.

In short: squeeze OK. Call of 4bet not OK.

Postflop is OK but notice that the stack sizes mean that there's nothing left in the tank once you hit your flush. If turn hadn't been a diamond I hope you would have folded.