Live, raise EP 66, 4-6 callers, flop=347

I'm really edgy with some of details of this hand. I was UTG+1/2 with about 45BB; I raised 8BB over one very weak, loose limper.

I had a bunch of callers, 4-6. This amount of calling was fairly standard at this table, they like to see the flop with lots of garbage, regardless if there was a raise. The flop was, 347 rainbow. Figuring to have the best hand, I put in a decent sized bet for value and protection.

I got one caller from a loose spastic player. He didn't seem to slow play his big hands preflop, rather came out with big raises. He did one very speculative play; a player did a decentish size raise pre and he came over the top with a shove, giving his opponent about 2.5:1 to call, our villian had J8s... He limped a lot of hands pre but was fairly passive most of the time. I raised 8BB a few times in the last few orbits and I think it was annoying the limpers. This player in particular limped UTG and openly told me that he was getting pissed of with this "8BB crap", he was considering reraising me with 55. He called instead and c/f on a AKx flop

Back to the hand. The turn was a 3. He checked and I bet again. He then shoved over the top, giving me about 1.7:1 to call. He seen me count the chips in the pot and when I asked him what he had he replied, "you havn't got the best hand, nor the odds so fold" something like that. Basically he seem to be trying to convince me to fold in a friendly matter.


If I've left out something please let me know!

You left out what happened. I would like to know that. I think i would have called after he said that.

I left out what happened on purpose but I guess I'll tell now

I decided to call him; my reasoning at the time was that he was seemingly getting frustrated at me and was probably trying to play back at me, with the pot odds offered I thought that a call was best. The problem with this reasoning though is that I only really beat a bluff, and even that still has a decent chunk of equity.

He had pocket 44, so he hit a set on the flop. After he busted me he said sorry and reminded me that he told me I should fold. I found that incredibly bizarre as the sympathetic tone in his voice implied he was being sincere.

He was telling me to fold simply because he didn't want to see me bust. This player wasn't their for the money, he was their for the fun.

Anyone else had a remotely similar situation?


If a similar situation arises, how should I go about pulling the sympathetic button to determine whether villain is being truthful or not? Hard question to answer for you online grinders, eh?

Ignore chat at the table.

Limp pre IMO, given it's live.

Don't bet too much flop - chances are someone has caught at least a part of it and you'd much rather see a cheap showdown than go broke when your hand is very rarely good if raised.

this pretty much says it all. try to keep the pot small with a hand your not sure that your best in and try to build it when you have a monster.

Why limp given it's live? I understand the arguments for limping, but why are you more inclined to do so in a live setting?

Because players tend to be so much more weak passive live. If you raise to 5x BB and get 3 callers, your low pocket pair is in terrible shape. You've invested 5BB and you'll only hit the flop 10% of the time, so when you add in the times you are 3 bet or lose hands you've got to win fairly big pots to make raising low pocket pairs +EV, especially from early position. This is less of an issue online as players are more likely to respect raises. Just my experience.

And you said that a lot of limping/calling was common at the table. So if that's the case, you should definitely just limp with a spec hand like 66 and hope to catch a set with many limpers. You don't want to invest a ton of money with a spec hand preflop. You simply want to limp, see a flop, then go away if you miss (again assuming we have a large field).

nah. i think he was using reverse physicology. he told you to fold but wanted you to call. just a reminder, everyone on the poker table is your enemy