One gapper in the BB (5 Viewers)

[RagingAZN]

This is a hand from my regular homegame. It is a 50c/50c, uncapped with your typical mix of sharks and fish.

Villain 1 is a calling station, really nice guy but terrible at poker. Will call down with any piece of the board but will also do the same with the nuts.
Villain 2 is very experienced, a good LAG but has been running bad this session and probably on tilt a bit.
Villain 3 is an average player, doesn't get out of line too much but can throw in some crazy bluffs here and there.
Hero is the host, plays pretty snug, known as one of the tighter players on the table.

Hero is in the BB with .

Villain 1 (UTG) limps for 50c off a stack of $100.
Villain 2 (BTN) raises to $2.00 off a stack of $300.
Villain 3 calls from the SB off a stack of $200.
Hero calls from the BB off a stack of $120.
Villain 1 (UTG) calls.

I think preflop is an easy call. Not liking being OOP against Villain 2 but deepstacked with a suited gapper, easy call.

Flop (Pot $8)



Villain 3 (SB) checks.
Hero checks.
Villain 1 (UTG) checks.
Villain 2 (BTN) bets $5.
Villain 3 (SB) folds.
Hero?

 

[bernielomax]

A check raise will look super strong. I think you should just call and try to keep Villain 1 (the calling station) in the hand.

 

[Jonesey07]

A check raise will look super strong. I think you should just call and try to keep Villain 1 (the calling station) in the hand.

calling all day.

 

[atrodex]

I would raise.

BTN has a wide range of hands that can continue if you raise.

You're at the top of your hand strength, UTG is a calling station, and a lot of action killing turn cards that you won't want to see if you just flat. Also balances your check-raise bluffing range.

 

[thetikiking]

I’d probably just call. As mentioned above it might keep the calling station around, and has the added benefit of disguising a bit to the guy who might be tilting.

 

[RagingAZN]

A check raise will look super strong. I think you should just call and try to keep Villain 1 (the calling station) in the hand.

calling all day.

I’d probably just call. As mentioned above it might keep the calling station around, and has the added benefit of disguising a bit to the guy who might be tilting.

Yes, I agree with all the above. Calling keeps the calling station in and keeps the BTN’s range wide. Very hard for both players to have a piece of this flop.

I would raise.

BTN has a wide range of hands that can continue if you raise.

You're at the top of your hand strength, UTG is a calling station, and a lot of action killing turn cards that you won't want to see if you just flat. Also balances your check-raise bluffing range.

If BTN has a wide range of hands, is it not best to be calling and keeping that range wide? By raising we allow him to fold everything that we beat.

 

[RagingAZN]

Carrying on…

Hero is in the BB with .

Villain 1 (UTG) limps for 50c off a stack of $100.
Villain 2 (BTN) raises to $2.00 off a stack of $300.
Villain 3 calls from the SB off a stack of $200.
Hero calls from the BB off a stack of $120.
Villain 1 calls.

I think preflop is an easy call. Not liking being OOP against Villain 2 but deepstacked with a suited gapper, easy call.

Flop (Pot $8)



Villain 3 (SB) checks.
Hero (BB) checks.
Villain 1 (UTG) checks.
Villain 2 (BTN) bets $5.
Villain 3 (SB) folds.
Hero (BB) calls.
Villain 1 (UTG) calls.

Turn (Pot $23)


Hero?

 

[chippitydoodah]

Why must these drag on and on. The delay never creates anticipation only frustration. There must be dozens of PAHWM that I've never got to know the outcome. I hope you lose to pocket aces

 

[Kentucky]

Flop thoughts:
Two questions for Hero:
Is the 7-2 game on? Lol.
Do we want to play for stacks, or are we happy to wait in the weeds to pick off an unimproved top pair/two pair? OOP we have a strong hand that’ll find it difficult to improve on a very dynamic board.

What does a LAG range look like from the button? A2s-Q2s? 77s certainly, but in a lot of combos. Both ranges are pretty wide in this configuration.

We have work to do to get stacks in by the river. With two calls, it’s a $23 pot with a 5-6x SPR. We will have to raise at some point and I think I’d do it now while we are likely ahead - planning to slow down on panic inducing turns. Villain could put you on middling overpairs, or diamond draws as well as sets and trips. He still has all the premiums and double broadways that could continue especially with one or two diamonds.

I guess we’re assuming the calling station has nothing and would fold to a raise… maybe he’ll still call anyway. Maybe he’s the one that will get to the river with 10-2 diamonds.

 

[Kentucky]

Turn thoughts:
This is a somewhat board changing card that we didn’t want. OOP Against two other Villains im checking in flow and proceeding cautiously. I’ll call a single raise. We obviously lose to flushes, but are ahead of Ax that just made top pair.

 

[Kentucky]

Why must these drag on and on.

Because I was thinking about it overnight.

 

[Jonesey07]

Turn thoughts:
This is a somewhat board changing card that we didn’t want. OOP Against two other Villains im checking in flow and proceeding cautiously. I’ll call a single raise. We obviously lose to flushes, but are ahead of Ax that just made top pair.

Pretty much my thoughts. Not the worst card ever seen but if someone is holding K-something of diamonds we just handed them the nuts for the time being unless you can get the board to magically pair.

 

[atrodex]

unless you can get the board to magically pair

The board is paired

A followup comment on the flop strategy: your opponent opened preflop and bet into 3 people on the flop. They’re representing a strong range. In general, you want to deny equity from weak drawing hands and keep all of the holdings you beat in the pot.

In this scenario there are multiple classes of hands BTN can have (all of the over pairs, all of the 2 over cards + diamonds, etc.) that you unblock, which makes this a prime candidate to raise.

Even if your check-raising range is strong and tight, villain will likely have a hard time folding all of their strong holdings.

 

[thetikiking]

Hero leads $10, targeting A-X with a diamond?

Obviously the flush gets there, but how much K-X diamonds are there? I'd be worried about 8-9d, Q-Jd which limped and then got sticky. If you get raised, its an easy fold.

 

[upNdown]

I would raise.

BTN has a wide range of hands that can continue if you raise.

You're at the top of your hand strength, UTG is a calling station, and a lot of action killing turn cards that you won't want to see if you just flat. Also balances your check-raise bluffing range.

I like this. I think a min click raise is perfect here.

 

[Jonesey07]

Hero leads $10, targeting A-X with a diamond?

Obviously the flush gets there, but how much K-X diamonds are there? I'd be worried about 8-9d, Q-Jd which limped and then got sticky. If you get raised, its an easy fold.

I could see a K-10 and K-9 limp as well.

 

[RagingAZN]

Why must these drag on and on. The delay never creates anticipation only frustration. There must be dozens of PAHWM that I've never got to know the outcome. I hope you lose to pocket aces

But I thought you love mysteries!?

Add it to the list of unsolved mysteries!

 

[RagingAZN]

Carrying on…

Hero is in the BB with .

Villain 1 (UTG) limps for 50c off a stack of $100.
Villain 2 (BTN) raises to $2.00 off a stack of $300.
Villain 3 calls from the SB off a stack of $200.
Hero calls from the BB off a stack of $120.
Villain 1 calls.

I think preflop is an easy call. Not liking being OOP against Villain 2 but deepstacked with a suited gapper, easy call.

Flop (Pot $8)



Villain 3 (SB) checks.
Hero (BB) checks.
Villain 1 (UTG) checks.
Villain 2 (BTN) bets $5.
Villain 3 (SB) folds.
Hero (BB) calls.
Villain 1 (UTG) calls.

Turn (Pot $23)


Hero checks.
Villain 1 (UTG) checks.
Villain 2 (BTN) bets $12.
Hero?

I think the turn card is a very polarising card for us. It completes the flush draw but now allows anyone with Ax to continue and is also the perfect turn barrel card for a LAG opponent. I did think about leading here but with everything considered (my image, board texture) I think it looks super strong. I think I'm also now well ahead or way behind so probably don't want to (or can) play for stacks.

 

[Jonesey07]

Call and see what the river brings.

 

[chippitydoodah]

Please fold
The End

 

[Kentucky]

Shrug call. Just enough of the board to get into trouble.

 

[Frogzilla]

quick PSA: wheel hands like and should be considered two-gappers (like ) because of the frequency they make straights

 

[Dbxela]

I'm not sure 42s is a profitable call for 4x OOP, multiway makes it worse. Unless you are spending a bit of EV now to keep the game fun for future profit!

 

[Taghkanic]

I'm not sure 42s is a profitable call for 4x OOP, multiway makes it worse. Unless you are spending a bit of EV now to keep the game fun for future profit!

The only thing I like about 42s multiway here is that the other players are likely counterfeiting a lot of higher cards. So you have a better chance of making good hands on low flops.

But you can’t really continue postflop with worse than two pair+ or good draws…

The flush possibility is also not that valuable given that someone could make a better flush if it comes in. Worst of all is if you get four spades on the board; then you’re beating basically nothing.

 

[Dbxela]

How strong is card bunching? intuitively I thought it was almost zero in practice, I'd guess closer to zero with no 3-betting.

 

[thetikiking]

BTN's line seems interesting to me. Raise preflop, C bet turn, continues blasting when the flush gets there. What range do you put him on? To me, this line seems like he's got an over pair with an diamond. If he held the king high flush, wouldn't he check turn?

Agree with others that your exact holding OOP isn't profitable in the long run, and I think you could justify a fold. But, if your read that he's a tilted LAG I probably call this street and evaluate a river.

 

[Taghkanic]

How strong is card bunching? intuitively I thought it was almost zero in practice, I'd guess closer to zero with no 3-betting.

Generally not very strong, and I’ve certainly heard some commentary that this should not be a factor… But with four players in the hand, one of them UTG, another calling out of the SB, hero in the BB with 42s, I’d think that of the 6 cards against you, most are higher than a 7.

Sure, it’s possible everyone has a low pocket pair or low suited connectors.

But you’re blocking some of those; and in the games I play there are tons of people not playing anything but a Q+ paired with a suited card below 6. Many more offsuit combos of 9+ I would guess.

 

[RagingAZN]

Carrying on…

Hero is in the BB with .

Villain 1 (UTG) limps for 50c off a stack of $100.
Villain 2 (BTN) raises to $2.00 off a stack of $300.
Villain 3 calls from the SB off a stack of $200.
Hero calls from the BB off a stack of $120.
Villain 1 calls.

I think preflop is an easy call. Not liking being OOP against Villain 2 but deepstacked with a suited gapper, easy call.

Flop (Pot $8)



Villain 3 (SB) checks.
Hero (BB) checks.
Villain 1 (UTG) checks.
Villain 2 (BTN) bets $5.
Villain 3 (SB) folds.
Hero (BB) calls.
Villain 1 (UTG) calls.

Turn (Pot $23)


Hero checks.
Villain 1 (UTG) checks.
Villain 2 (BTN) bets $12.
Hero calls.
Villain 1 (UTG) calls.

River (Pot $69)


Hero checks.
Villain 1 (UTG) checks.
Villain 2 (BTN) bets $82.50.
Hero?

This hand is probably the perfect example of why playing OOP is so hard but on the flipside, I think 200+ BB deep, getting over 3:1 preflop, against a BTN raise from a good but tilted LAG and pretty sure to be closing the action (UTG is a calling station so not likely to limp reraise), I think I'm going to be calling here everytime.

When villain overbets here, I think he is polarised to either a monster or air. Thoughts?

 

[upNdown]

$82.50? Seriously with the fracs?
That’s enough to get me to rage snap call, which is probably the plan. So annoying.

I dunno. Why the hell did UTG call the turn? Is he really that bad? Were they both chasing diamonds?
I’d bet a lot that your LAG does not have a 2. I suppose he could have a couple of diamonds but I’m probably going to pay to find out.
As played, I’m making a pained call. But I never would have flatted these cards pre to begin with, fwiw

 

[Frogzilla]

Good spot to do a live read or exploit

Absent a history of overbluffing with overbets into two players on the river or a decent live read that is correlated with bluff, this looks like a fold.