Kestral123

Yes. If I am heads-up in position, and raised preflop, I'm betting 90% of the flops. The remaining 10% is split between checking terrifying boards and checking monsters, so that my opponent can't assume a check means I'm weak. About half the time I would even bet a flopped boat here, again for the same reasons - I don't want my opponents to be able to limit my range for betting or checking that flop.

I think I don't really care, to be honest. All I'm interested in (without more history or reads) is whether I'm ahead of his betting range here, and I'm not by a wide margin. But, to address your question, yes, if he was slowplaying a set, or if he caught two pair (both highly plausible as played), and he thinks we have a big broadway card we're not folding, then yes. Also, the bet could be a weak pair hand that thinks it's trying to scare us off a larger pair hand, which we don't in fact have. I can come up with several explanations for the bet size other than a bluff, and when you combin

Absent a specific read, his range could be as broad as any pair, any broadway cards, any suited connectors, or any suited ace. Against that range, you aren't going to find very many hands that we're beating by the river; we lose to any pair other than 22 or 33, or another 5 without an ace kicker. Every hand with two broadway cards beats us.Also, a half pot bet on the turn isn't a weak bet.I'd also add that the way WE played the hand is very weak also, so a speculative call on the flop with middle pair, second pair, or a weak queen would suddenly look like the winning hand after we check call

I don't think you can check this flop. You have to bet and represent the ace here heads-up; otherwise you might as well stamp "rob me" on your forehead and just hand him your chips on the turn. But, you don't need to bet as much. I would bet half the pot as a standard play here, and then you get away cheaper when he comes back over the top. I agree that limp calling with weak aces is a common (if bad) play by the sb here.

Generally agree with this except I think the flop bet is fine; his only likely draw is a flush and you are pricing him out with your bet just fine.You can't rule out AK here; a lot of players play AK is a drawing hand in position. I do it myself sometimes. But, more often I think you will see a draw or a weaker pair or king here.

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I'm having a hard time putting villain on very many hands at all that we can beat on this board on the river. Basically a ragged ace with a middle kicker is pretty much it; maybe some middle suited flush cards but all but a couple them have a piece of this. That's a bloody narrow range for an UTG limper. You're really willing to call off a huge chunk of your stack with 52 on that board? I generally like your posts, but I think you're flat out insane and spewing if you make that call.Maybe a better question is: what range do yo

Yes. I see AK and AQ played this way all the time; probably at least once in every MTT that I play in for more than an hour. But, that's why I said it's read dependent. Some donks will call liberally with overcards hoping to catch and then fold the river when they don't. Or it could be a rock with TT who is afraid of a set but won't lay down.

Well, for starters, you aren't including the 800 you called on the turn. And for seconds, I completely disagree with you that you are going to see a bluff more than 1 out of 3 on this board. If you are calling that turn and river, you are losing way more often than you are winning with 52o. That's just a ridiculous risk to take here, IMO.

I'm calling this particular shove with these stack sizes every time with JJ.

I disagree with simo that his river bet makes no sense. It MIGHT be a "I don't want a call bluff" but it also might be a "he's got a hand and I can take a lot of chips from him bet." If I have a big hand and I'm against a donk who can't lay down, I will frequently overbet the pot expecting to get called down and frequently do. An overbet is a perfectly appropriate bet size against a calling station.There is absolutely no way I'm putting another penny in this pot after I get called on the flop. Frankly, I'm probaby checking the flop anyway here to see how it develops, but leading into that

This is read dependent. In most cases I would interpret his play as having overcards like AK or AQ, because most players would have reraised an overpair at some point here. If so, a bet on the end SHOULD take it down. But, it also should have taken it down on the turn. So, depends on the player and whether he can look you up with a big ace. I'm probably not shoving here, but I might bet 1000 or so, which is more than half his remaining stack and still leaves us with a little bit of fold equity to try and get back in if we get snapped off.

A draw, a weak made hand, or even a naked bluff. When I see that open donk overbet shove, that is usually my read, and most of the time I am right. So, notwithstanding the results of this hand, especially heads-up, there's no way I'm folding absent some sort of specific read that this guy is capable of this sort of extremely clever double reverse psychology kinda thing.

I was going to post my own reply, but Grinder said exactly what I was going to say. When somebody makes a move that is highly likely a resteal, especially after doing it before, I'm going to beat him in the pot with my AK, especially with your stack size.

This is a really interesting decision. I generally interpret a massive overbet like that as a hand that is scared to play a flop, like a middle to high pair (up to QQ) or AK. So, if that's the range, you are only behind to one hand and only flipping with one other, which means this is a call. But man, if I were in that situation, that would be pretty tough. In the end, I think you have to close your eyes, grit your teeth, hit call and hope for the best.I'd be really interested in seeing results of this hand if UTG showed.

I think you're probably throwing away chips here. He can't lead into that board without a flush, and based on the board and his UTG raise, I'd say it's pretty likely he has the A or K. I think you're taking too big a risk here.

Assuming hero folded to the raise, hero played it well IMO. I have no issues with calling to see a flop and try to catch a big hand when the pot is already multiway and hero closes the betting, as long as hero can get away from a one pair hand with lots of heat. I like the checkraise on the flop, since the board isn't really that scary. In most cases I would lead with top two and hope to get raised. You have to lead the turn; if you don't you are inviting a huge bet and a tough decision. His bet size was great here, because he found out that he was probably beat while at the same time bet

Was wondering that too, especially with a big stack on the button. I'm raising that every single time (or any other hand I'm opening the button with).I agree with the sentiment expressed by the others that you should bet less than half his remaining stack. That seems to be the pschological threshhold. He obviously has something (A8 or some other hand with an 8 if I had to guess) to keep donking into you like that, so he'll be inclined to call I think.

Carry on then.

AK is a difficult hand after the flop. I like what you're describing in terms of how you play it; my only observation is that you need to be prepared to fire second bullets at some of those flop callers if the board texture isn't that scary. If you don't, you become easy to read. I see this pattern all the time from players who will cbet the flop but give up the turn if they haven't hit, and I regularly take pots away from people who exhibit this pattern. But, generally, you seem to understand it pretty well.I strongly suggest that you don't vary your raise size with specific hands, unless

You can't limp shove here because you don't have enough chips. Anybody that raises you will then be getting 2:1 or better depending on the other action. As short as you are, and with this hand, you need to shove first and get heads-up or pick up the blinds.

You have to fold this, because (1) we are quite possibly way behind, and (2) just calling OOP means we are going to face another big bet on the river with no clue where we stand (read Lederer's chapter in the new FTP book for a great explanation of this leverage concept).You have to consider the range of hands that he is limp-calling with in late position. This flop hits lots and lots of them (suited or unsuited connectors, middle pairs, etc.). He could even have a made straight already. The drawing hands that he could have would be a diamond flush or a hand like JT, or maybe a random 7, an

I agree with this. This is an instacall.

How much to raise here is dependent on your playing style. If 5x is your standard EP raise, then this play is fine. If, however, you are raising AKs to 5x for other reasons, and might raise other hands in EP differently, then you are, IMO, as I have said before, making a fundamental mistake that can give away the strength of your hands over time.For me, when it's pre-ante, I raise 3x any time I am the first player into the pot, regardless of my position or holdings. And I play a fairly loose aggressive style, so that consistent betting pattern means players have to make tough decisions post

Stack sizes are the important thing here. If he's a decent player, he could make that shove with a huge range of cards, almost any two, in an effort to pick up a lot of dead money. So, if I have a big stack, I'm calling here with AT, because that's way ahead of his range.The problem here is you you don't have a big stack. If you call and lose, you will suddenly be short stacked yourself. So, even though you are ahead of his range, you aren't THAT far ahead, and it's not worth risking that many chips to snap off the short stack here.

FWIW, if there are bigger donks on this earth than in Tunica, I have yet to see them. Some examples from recent trip (both limit hands from Gold Strike):1. UTG raises with ATs, MP1 calls. Flop is ten high rainbow. UTG bets, MP1 calls. Turn is another undercard. UTG bets, MP1 calls. River is a queen. UTG checks, MP1 bets, UTG calls. MP1 shows...Q8o! So, cold call preflop with Q8o, call on flop with no pair no draw, call on turn with no pair no draw, and then hit the queen.2. My favorite hand of the weekend. Limp, limp, raise to my right, I call with 44, guy on button calls, BB calls