Small Stakes Shorthanded NL Poker Forums

I thought this hand was kind of interesting. I've played a ton of hands against PFR, he's a reg playing 24/20, but opening 24% from UTG. Cbet 64%. BTN who overcalls is a 21/16 reg and SB is pretty weak, playing 57/21. When villain cbets, I think his range is pretty strong here. Something like Jx+ and some FD's. The reason I decided to flat here was because I want to keep the weaker player in and I also think UTG will barrel me often because he probably expects me to raise my sets here. I think I look really strong when I raise OTF, and villain will fold most of his range imo. Are these good enough reasons to slowplay in this spot or would you guys just raise? I think calling is better, but line-checks are always good. Turn and river seem standard.

Merge Network $1.00/$2.00 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 1696117
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

BTN: $499.17
SB: $165.90
BB: $495.62
UTG: $328.55
Hero (CO): $247.30

Pre Flop: ($3.00) Hero is CO with 6 6
UTG raises to $7.00, Hero calls $7, BTN calls $7, SB calls $6, 1 fold

Flop: ($30.00) 6 4 J (4 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $20.00, Hero calls $20, BTN folds, SB calls $20

Turn: ($90.00) K (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $67.50, Hero calls $67.50, SB folds

River: ($225.00) 8 (2 players)
UTG bets $225.00, Hero calls $152.80 all in

I think your play is fine.
Villain might discount sets from your range because even with a fish behind some players still go ahead and play it fast on the flop.
If you got stacked by JJ/KK or 88 or 7d5d it's a cooler in my opinion.

88 might not bet the flop with 3 players behind and is never betting the turn after the flop action. That's suicide. I think the hands that make the most sense here are JJ,44,KK and
AK & AQ
Against this range we have 45% so easy call and well played.

88 might not bet the flop with 3 players behind and is never betting the turn after the flop action. That's suicide. I think the hands that make the most sense here are JJ,44,KK and
AK & AQ
Against this range we have 45% so easy call and well played.

Cool, thanks guys. Like I said, just a line check because I'm often tempted to just fast play here. I should note, I think his range also probably consists of Q9dd, QTdd, ATdd, etc. since he is opening pretty wide UTG. Obviously, he's not 3 barreling these all of the time, but enough for this to be an easy call. FWIW, he showed up with Qd9d.

Yeah I took the worst range for our hands and even then it's a call. Altho I would raise the turn because I hate my life when villain hits his flush when I just flat on the turn, lol. But the chance he makes a flush is even to us making a boat so flatting is fine.

Yeah I took the worst range for our hands and even then it's a call. Altho I would raise the turn because I hate my life when villain hits his flush when I just flat on the turn, lol. But the chance he makes a flush is even to us making a boat so flatting is fine.

Yeah I just thought it was better to keep repping a weaker range. I think I look a lot like Jx so he might just go ahead and value bet thinner OTR, thinking he's just forcing me to bluff-catch.

hmm do you have a lot of Jx in your range vs an UTG open?

Usually not a lot, but we are somewhat deep and there is pretty weak player in the SB. I'd probably be calling here with like J9s+ and like KJ+. If I thought I was going to get squeezed a lot, I'd obviously tighten up, but none of the players behind are 3betting that often.

I don't mind the flop call with the fish behind, but the turn call is really worth discussing. Your perceived range for check/calling that flop is Jx and diamond heavy, his perceived range for barreling the King is "bluff heavy" and check/calling with diamonds twice is "really thin" so in theory this is a good place for you to check/raise semi-bluff in his eyes because A) the King is a scare card that increases his perceived range for bluffing X% of the time B) you're not getting direct odds to call and your stacks aren't deep enough for implied odds vs the fish with a draw and the reg isn't paying you off IP C) your range for check/calling twice can only be Jx+ probably D) you wouldn't really care if the fish over calls with a bluff catcher even if you had a draw because you're getting a sick overlay with the villain's dead money regardless.

With all that in mind, I think the villain actually bluff catches your turn check/raise wider than he value bets you on the river and you get the side benefit of folding out any flush draws he or the fish is holding.

Yeah, that turn check/raise gives me a massive hard on.

Thanks for posting man! Interesting hand.

@direstraights

I understand your reasoning but don't you think that he folds all his semi-bluffs and maybe hero fold ie AA ? I mean raise the turn seems strong enough esp with the fish inside + his big turn bet. I am playing 100nl so I don't know how the level at 200nl is. Maybe I am way off.

Ah we're IP, whoops, I still think the turn raise works out the same tho'.

looks fine.

Thanks for posting man! Interesting hand.

@direstraights

I understand your reasoning but don't you think that he folds all his semi-bluffs and maybe hero fold ie AA ? I mean raise the turn seems strong enough esp with the fish inside + his big turn bet. I am playing 100nl so I don't know how the level at 200nl is. Maybe I am way off.

Depends on his hand reading skills, it's possible at SSNL he just screams "Baluga Theorum" and pisses himself without top set.

Depends on his hand reading skills, it's possible at SSNL he just screams "Baluga Theorum" and pisses himself without top set.

Yeah villain is one of the tighter postflop regs that I play against, so I'm not sure if he would often bluff-catch a turn shove. Against most villains who are more stationy post, shoving makes a lot of sense. One thing I would say in favor of flatting is that being IP with the fish still to act, I think that keeps some draws in my range. So OTR my range still looks like busted draws and Jx, and he might decide to either continue bluffing with his missed draws and also value bet thinner.

Well I'm not certain it's a question of whether or not he's "stationy," it's more a question of how he views your post-flop reasoning. For instance, if he assumes you'd either bluff catch vs Kx or call to trap the fish behind you with your entire value range that means your raising range is strictly semi-bluffs here in his eyes and he should bluff catch extremely wide in theory.

I agree tho' that calling here is more reasonable IP than OOP as I previously thought, just think turn shoving is an interesting leveling spot.