snonk

No one raises preflop, no one bets the flop, no one raises the turn, so it seems like ranges on the turn are either very weak made hands (A3, A5, 6x) or draws (i.e. flushdraws, 3x, 5x, 78). I don't think you're getting value of the weak made hands by betting the river, except maybe A5.

However, many turndraws now hit a strong hand (flushdraws, 3x, 78). I think ou will get value out of straights and flushes when betting half pot and a FD might even raise. I think a straight won't call a check-raide, and might als not even bet here 4way, so you'll might lose value against straights by checkraising.

I would just bet half pot here.

When you have 2000 hands on him, I think there are way more stats that you can use here to make your decision.

• What is his fold vs 4bet? -> If he calls many 4bets, you can 4bet JJ for value. If he folds much to 4bets, I would rather call JJ and 4bet with hands like A5s/A2s.
• How much does he Cbet in general? And how much in 3bet pots OOP?
• How much does he skipfold?

Based on these stats and some more you can make better decisions than on assumptions as you say.

I think bet bet betfold is fine, but I don't really understand your sizing. Against a huge fish like this I would rather bet something like 75% flop & 85% turn, since the board doesn't change that much, and bet 50% on the river to get value from weaker hands like 66-99 and Tx.

The sizing that you use know I would use when bluffing. Since the Q is a scarecard for most of his range, by betting big he will probably only continue with strong hands and fold weaker hands. But, you want him to call with those weaker hands since you have KK, so betting this big doesn't really make sense. On the flop/turn however, he will probably call bigger sizes with draws, 5x and Tx anyway, so if you have a value hand, bet bigger I would say!

Recs are very capable of bluffing this board.

Yeah, and therefor calling is an exploitative play, right? However, the earlier quoted sentence implies you take balancing your range into account in the decision.

I think your hands needs protection vs 2 players + recreational player has less than a potbet, so he will probably stack off faster. If the recreational player is known to bet much vs missed cbet, or the reg does insane betting vs missed cbet, I would check. Otherwise just bet.

I'm not sure about the sizing though. Curious what others think

If he calls turnbet with 22,66-JJ and JT-KQss, KJss and ATss-AQss (with ss I mean spades), you have 58% equity. So I would bet turn here.

You need 33% on the river. If he bets river with 22,66,77, TT JJ QJ/KJ/KQ/AJ/AQss you have exactly 33%. I can't really think of any more bluffs, and I agree with Jeff_. If he doesn't bluff AQ/AJ, then it is a fold.

So probably a fold, yes.

As played, I like calling on river. If you only call with flushes, you
won't have enough calls because you're opening from UTG

I think it is a mistake to try to play a balanced strategy instead of an exploitative strategy vs a recreational player.

You need about 30% equity to call here. Against 44, 77, JJ, QJs, and ATss you have 7%. If you add AQo & AQs you have 48% equity. Any other hands, like KTs or T9s seem unlikely to call flop OOP vs 1/2 bet.

So, I guess the big questions is if he shoves AQ here. Without any stats or history that is hard to say... Wouldn't know what the best option is here. Curious what others think.

I do like your turn bet because of the reason you mentioned. Plus, you will have lots of draws in your range too.

River is pretty close. If he calls with all 8's above 89o you beat 60% of his callingrange, so then you should bet. If you add some flushes like T9d JTd J9d A7d A6d A5d, you still beat 51% of his callingrange. I think the big questions is; does villain call with 7x hands? That makes all the difference in equity for this hand. If he does, it is a very profitable value bet. Since you also have many missed draws in your range, he might call wider on the river with hands like 7x.

Now you know that he calls with hands like this, I would definitely make a note. In other marginal value bet spots you know you can bet.

VS an unkown I would rather check this close spot on the river.

If you get bored at every poker game you play, maybe you just don't like poker that much? As much as I agree with the above answers on how to make poker more fun/interesting, maybe there are other things in life that give you more fulfillment than playing poker. I know this is a poker forum haha, but there is more in life ;)

Since BB is shortstacked + donkbet, it is probably a fish. Since it is a fish:
- I would steal 3bb instead of 2,42bb. Get more money in vs weaker players!
- I would raise flop bigger so that you have a pot sized turn shove left.
- Turn as played I think is fine.
- Why would you ever shove the river? When he calls, you need to beat more than 51% of his calling range, assuming that this is a value bet. What do you think he is going to call with and do you think that you beat 51% of that range? I think the answer is no, you don't beat 51% of that range, so I would never raise the river.

Haha yes you can call me a nit! I think it is wise to have a tight opening range from UTG, especially when you start playing poker on the lower stakes. You're going to be dominated by most callranges. Unless you're confident postflop or know that there is a weak player in the BB, I would open tight. QT is on the boarder tho.

I would fold preflop. but as played, what do you think that his range is on the turn? And do you think that there are hands in his range that will fold against your bet here?

Why do you raise? What do you want t accomplish?

If it is for value, which weaker hands will call here??
If it is a bluff, which hands do you think he will fold?

What are his draws that call an UTG open and raise here?

Which hands in his raising range on the turn do we beat?

You probably have no information that he bluffs/valuebet thin. You have a big hand vs a fish that is donkbetting, get that money in! Raise to 10bb, het might even call with 3x/4x.

In these spots you can ask yourself this question: If you really think that you should let him bluff/value bet thin, would you always raise 67s or other bluffs in this spot? Because you think he has bluffs and thin value, so you should bluff a lot of worse hands, to make him fold those weak hands, right? When the answer is no (because he will call a lot) well then raise your bigs hands here because he won't fold. If the answer is yes, (yes I will bluff a lot because he is weak and will fold) then don't raise your big hands and let him bluff.

Why would you want to 'protect your range' against a player who plays 52bb on 10NL?

I agree the most with this comment. There is a big difference between 4betting for value and 4betting as a bluff!

You should 4bet with AJo or something (as a bluff) because those hands are too weak to call this squeeze with. IT is probably best to call here wit QQ, Unless you know that villain will call 4bets with AQ/KQ/JJ/TT, than you should 4bet QQ for value. Why would you ever 4bet QQ when you know that villain won't call wit TT JJ etc but will only conintue with AA/KK/AK. Then you kinda 4bet QQ as a bluff. You can better call with QQ because QQ dominates his squeeze range. And bluff with hands that don't.

''Honestly playing QQ oop vs an aggressive player is just going to be tough in itself. So many boards will give us trouble. I'm 4 betting pre which will really condense his range. ''

Why would you want to condense a raise that you have dominated? If you know that this 'condensed'range will probably dominate you. I would love to have QQ against an aggressive player, You already have a big pair and he will put the money in. It would be reasonable to 4bet AK against an agressive player because AK will miss lots of flops and you'll have to fold vs his agression.

When you cold4bet jj/aq for value, you expect them to call or shove your cold4bet wit hands like aj tt qk etc I guess? I think this is not realistic in most games. I do agree that weak Ax are suitable as bluffs because their call/shove range is more likely to be ak ko qq aa, which Ax blocks.

So i would 4bet aa kk qq ak and add Ax (number of Ax depending on how much BTN opens en folds vs 3bet) and flat with hands like JJ TT Aq Aj which dominate his 3betrange.

Could you elaborate why 3bet JTs would be standard here? vs 22% CO open this is not a value3bet but a bluff right? His callrange probably contains AJ AT KJ QJ etc so we are dominated a lot and have reversed implied odds, right?

When villain cbets 18% in these spots and he is OOP I don't think he has many or any bluffs at all here, maybe 78s only (if that is in his PF range). So I think betting the turn doesn't really get you much value against his range, I would rather check. There isn't much need for protection either.

You call the flop vs UTG cbetter 3way with someone behind you so you represent at least a pair imo. By betting the turn so small you don't represent a very strong hand here so I think there shouldn't be a river valueshove/bluffrange at all because with this line you represent no missed draws and no strong hands.

Because you don't really have missed draws here and your turnsizing doesn't really indicate a set or something, I think he is trying to get value out of your medium hands here (like you have), so I would fold river.

I think I would rather 3bet other hands here as a bluff than JTs preflop.
Your sizing isn't that big so I think he calls the 3bet with every suited ace here because you're so deep.

I just don't see many bluffs here on the river. Value hands are all clubs AK A5 A4 A3 A2,( A9 A8 too?), maybe his bluffrange could be JTs? Which are 3 combo's. I don't think someone would bluffraise the flop here with AJo for example with the A of clubs so his bluffrange is rather small here.

So without any reads that villain makes these kind of bluffraises on the flop I would fold.

I like the 3bet wit A5s, it blocks strong hands and has decent equity against pairs if they call. These flops I often plan to 3barrels, almost every reg raises a strong hand on the flop because the board is so wet, so when they call the flop their range is often weak, Aq jj tt aj at kj qj etc. Big part will fold the turn/river on most turns and rivers and you also have tons of Equity against this range.

Although it could be the reason, playing aggressively isn't a direct consequence of a rising or break even redline.

Instead, you should think about the ranges of your opponents every hand you play and make decisions using these ranges. This can be hard in the beginning but is one of the fastest ways to become better at poker imo. Just speak out loud what your opponents range is when playing and what the correct play is vs that range. If you don't know his range or what the correct play is, post that hand here or use programs like flopzilla etc. to figure it out!

It doesn't only help you to become better but it also is a lot of fun when you exactly know how to own your opponents:)

It will probably be hard in the beginning and cost you a lot of time so I would recommend playing less tables and posting a lot of hands.

Keep up the good work:)

Just read the whole thread, really like it and will follow :)

I agree, villain probably puts hero on 22/44 and flushdraws, their aren't more draws or bluffs in his floprange imo so I don't think you get any calls from worse here when shipping turn.

Once you bet and he checkcalls the flop I would probably plan to 3barrel him off PP's. You're repping a pretty strong range by betting vs 3 players so when he x/r the turn I would fold. I don't think he is ever floating the flop OOP with CO still behind or something? And why would he turn a hand like 77-AA into a bluff? 

I think his line is pretty weird but I can't really make sense of him trying to bluff here.