QJs on the button, short handed (2 Viewers)

[DrStrange]

Playing 1-2 live, five handed. It is late in the session. We have lost half our players, dinner is long gone. Even the plate of cookies is running short. The table is getting weary, both is a physical sense and mental.

Cast of Characters:

Hero has the button with $300. Things haven't gone Hero's way tonight. The cards have been poor and Hero's luck failed him the times he needed it most. Hero hasn't been raising preflop much at all. This might not be worth anything in terms of respect.

Crazy Jr is the SB with $450. He has seen lots of action, been quite lucky several times, yet is still down for the night. Hyper loose, often over aggressive but weary. A classic LAGtard.

The big blind is the big winner for the session, playing $1,100. As his stack gets bigger, he gets looser and a weird mix of tricky/trappy - station - aggressive, becoming hard to read.

The hand:

Two folds bring us to Hero with the button. Hero was dealt again. Fold, limp or raise? If raising, how much?

For what it is worth, the "normal" raise has fallen from its mid-session peak. I'd say $7 to $12 is normal at the moment.

DrStrange

 

[Mr Tree]

On the button with a lower average raise I think this one is worth bumping. Make it the standard $7 and hope for calls and a nice flop.

 

[MegaTon44]

Decent hand for 5-handed game with good position. A raise would just pad the pot as SB and BB will both likely be in the pot anyway. I don't believe the money here is going to be won through a slugfest since both blinds have hero covered. I would get tricky/trappy and just limp, and if there is a standard raise, just flat and hope to hit the flop.

 

[detroitdad]

I'm making it 8 bucks.

 

[Anthony Martino]

I like the $7 raise

 

[DrStrange]

*** on to the flop ***

Hero raises to $8, both the SB and BB call. $24 in the pot, three way action. Hero holds

Flop:

Both villain check, action on Hero. Bet or check, if betting how much?

DrStrange

 

[Ben]

Bet $15, which I would with literally 100% of my range with this action on this flop.

 

[Anthony Martino]

I agree with Ben on the c-bet and amount.

 

[MegaTon44]

Hero could always c-bet like 80% of the pot on a semi-bluff, but I feel like that is a risky play into a $24 pot vs bigger, looser stacks.

Check and get a free card. Gut-shot with back door flush draw vs 2 big stacks is a good IO situation.

 

[atomiktoaster]

C bet of $15 or so. An ace seems unlikely from either villain. Let them think you have ace-rag in position. You play the draws if they call, fold to a re-raise.

 

[Mr Tree]

Bet $15, which I would with literally 100% of my range with this action on this flop.

I agree with Ben on the c-bet and amount.

C bet of $15 or so. An ace seems unlikely from either villain. Let them think you have ace-rag in position. You play the draws if they call, fold to a re-raise.

+1

Plus even if your opponent has an A you do still have a draw to the nuts even if it's only a gunshot. I think you will get lay downs quite often with this bet and if you don't shut it down unless you hit.

 

[BooRayUSA]

I would check here for the free card. Given the aggressive play of villains I would expect calls on a $15 bet or raise. Would not count out a hole Ace given the night Crazy is having with lucky cards

 

[detroitdad]

Check.......

 

[DrStrange]

*** the turn ***

Hero bets $15, Crazy Jr folds, BB calls. $54 in the pot, heads up. Hero holds

turn is: [ ]

Villain checks, action on Hero. Bet or check, if betting how much?

 

[Mr Tree]

*** the turn ***

Hero bets $15, Crazy Jr folds, BB calls. $54 in the pot, heads up. Hero holds

turn is: [ ]

Villain checks, action on Hero. Bet or check, if betting how much?

Personally, I took my stab and now check behind.

 

[MegaTon44]

I advocated playing this hand slow, but it hasn't materialized. The big stack checked on 2 streets, either indicating that he hit the board hard and is trapping, or he is floating with a hand he is not comfortable with and will try to push you around on the river. Given hero's solid reputation, I believe an 80% pot bet ($43) could very well take down the hand before the river.

 

[BooRayUSA]

BB is big stack and in the hand probably ahead maybe most likely? Only thing we got going is the gut shot str8 draw. Check

 

[atomiktoaster]

Check behind. Way less fold equity than usual, given villain is feeling rich and is too tired to think things out.

 

[Ben]

Betting $45. We managed to get Crazy out; I'm betting this guy can fold a king or bad ace here under pressure.

 

[detroitdad]

Betting $45. We managed to get Crazy out; I'm betting this guy can fold a king or bad ace here under pressure.

I agree with Ben. I'm not checking here. 45 sounds like a solid bet.

 

[Anthony Martino]

I agree with Ben. I'm not checking here. 45 sounds like a solid bet.

I agree with Detroiddad who agrees with Ben. We aren't winning this pot by checking. We still have an opportunity to fold out hands that beat us.

 

[DrStrange]

*** OK, now the river ***

Hero bets $35 (65% pot), villain calls. $124 in the pot, Hero has

River : [ ]

Villain checks. Action on Hero. bet or check, if betting how much?

 

[Anthony Martino]

Hero has committed $58 thus far and has $242 remaining in his stack. Villian could have JT and we could have the best hand and he was just trying to hit his draw because he's been winning tonight and feels lucky.

I'm fine if you want to give up and cut your losses, but I also can't fault the courage to fire a third bullet on the river for $75-80

 

[MegaTon44]

If this is a trap, it's a damn good one. I'd have to stick with an 80% bet and go with $100 and hope villain balks.

Edit: Ace rag (maybe even King rag) would certainly call $100 as the K99 negated any kicker concerns. However, judging by the description of the villain, I find it hard to believe he would check all 3 streets, which is typically a sign of weakness. The effective range I have for villain is JT or underpair and I think a $100 bet can push him off the hand.

 

[BooRayUSA]

Called down to River and our effort to take down the pot was dismal failure and now we are dead man walking as any effort to take pot now will most likely be called. Check

 

[BukNaked36]

99 with a K on the board just counterfeited all good kickers. Ace rag is now safe to call.

Villian is up huge for the night and isn't going to be scared away easily.

Check and take our free card.

 

[stocky]

99 with a K on the board just counterfeited all good kickers. Ace rag is now safe to call.

Villian is up huge for the night and isn't going to be scared away easily.

Check and take our free card.

Check river for free card? Or you saying we should check turn?

 

[Ben]

This is completely villain-dependent at this point; there are some villains against whom I would bomb for $100 every time here, some I wouldn't even consider it (even among villains fitting the same general description.) This is all on the Dr. and his history with villain at this point.

 

[DrStrange]

This villain isn't folding an ace here without a lot of stress, maybe not then. Second pair likely folded on the turn given the dry as toast board.

 

[Jimulacrum]

We have best kicker, so if he was getting stupid with TJ or QT, we either scoop or get half the pot.

If he wasn't getting stupid, he clearly thinks we're betting air, so we shouldn't expect to successfully steal even if he's holding a hand as thin as 22. The only hand we can really steal from is QT, and we're only stealing half the pot in that case. Not really worth the chance of paying off a made hand (or getting check-raised by a frisky TJ, for that matter).

Check behind and expect to lose.