$100 NLHE 6-max: Bad tasting spot with Aces up OTR

This hand stood out during review. I usually don't flat the SB with AJo like this. I do remember this V being very aggressive post and I was a bit deep so perhaps I was thinking of implied odds. He's also been folding to our 3 bets often.

PokerStars - $1 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 155.98 BB
MP: 122.74 BB VP 34 / PR 25 / 3B 5 over 188 hands
CO: 170.54 BB
BTN: 110.31 BB
Hero (SB): 303.6 BB VP 24 / PR 14 / 3B 5 over 188 hands
BB: 57.71 BB

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has J:spade: A:diamond:

fold, MP raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 2.5 BB, fold
As mentioned pre is marginal. I should 3 bet or fold here mostly but against a 25 PR I don't think this is terrible.

Flop: (7 BB, 2 players) Q:diamond: J:heart: A:club:
Hero checks, MP checks
Given texture here and Vs propensity to make large bets I'm not donking here. Unfortunate that he found a x behind. His CB was over 70.

Turn: (7 BB, 2 players) 2:diamond:
Hero bets 5 BB, MP raises to 16 BB, Hero calls 11 BB
Now we have to try and get some value and get raised. I think calling here is fine. Raising seems like an overplay and folding seems too nitty.

River: (39 BB, 2 players) 4:heart:
Hero checks, MP bets 45 BB, Hero?
This is more what I expected from V. So are will calling here or letting it go? His river aggression factor is 3.

I am calling here. He is only representing 22 and something, he sandbagged on the flop, which I dont really see, why he would do. He is also a LAG, so I certainly think, he is able to take this line as a bluff with for instance backdoor diamonds. It does suck, that KT flopped a straight, but again I just dont think, he would check behind a nutted hand on the flop very often. It is somewhat close though, so folding would not exactly be a leak.

I Call. Villain can have us beat (22 is the most likely hand to have us beat I think), but the way this played out is suspect; Villain can have one pair + turned FD hands that he decided to turn into a semi bluff OTT and now he doesn't want to give up with. I don't know how well he balances his sizing here but personally I'd be raising larger with my whole range if I were him. If he doesn't balance his sizing then he can be more weighted towards the draws IMO.

Plus we are at the absolute top of our range here and under-repped as Villain likely knows you will 3Bet AQ+most AJ so he can just try to push you off whatever you don't 3Bet the turn with. If we are ahead OTT then we are still ahead OTR and shouldn't be folding the top of our rang when it is disguised somewhat.

c0rnBr34d said:

This hand stood out during review. I usually don't flat the SB with AJo like this. I do remember this V being very aggressive post and I was a bit deep so perhaps I was thinking of implied odds. He's also been folding to our 3 bets often.

PokerStars - $1 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 155.98 BB
MP: 122.74 BB VP 34 / PR 25 / 3B 5 over 188 hands
CO: 170.54 BB
BTN: 110.31 BB
Hero (SB): 303.6 BB VP 24 / PR 14 / 3B 5 over 188 hands
BB: 57.71 BB

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has J♠ A♦

fold, MP raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 2.5 BB, fold
As mentioned pre is marginal. I should 3 bet or fold here mostly but against a 25 PR I don't think this is terrible.

Flop: (7 BB, 2 players) Q♦ J♥ A♣
Hero checks, MP checks
Given texture here and Vs propensity to make large bets I'm not donking here. Unfortunate that he found a x behind. His CB was over 70.

Turn: (7 BB, 2 players) 2♦
Hero bets 5 BB, MP raises to 16 BB, Hero calls 11 BB
Now we have to try and get some value and get raised. I think calling here is fine. Raising seems like an overplay and folding seems too nitty.

River: (39 BB, 2 players) 4♥
Hero checks, MP bets 45 BB, Hero?
This is more what I expected from V. So are will calling here or letting it go? His river aggression factor is 3.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for sharing with us.

The Preflop

What implied odds were you thinking about? I think calling with AJo is okay, if we have information of the player sitting in the BB to be a whale. When you do call, your preflop range is already caped for these types of hands A9, AT, AJ, KQ, KJ, QJ, QT, 22-99. We cannot be very creative postflop because our range is capped and we are out of position.

the postflop

The Flop

Standard for your side. Not standard for Villain that should be c-betting this flop in a high frequency given how drawie it is. However, Villain can check all of its range here, including the nutted ones such as QQ, JJ, AA, AQ, KT (?). Villain can check more here because SB will almost always fold to a c-bet flop when it comes a flop like this.

The Turn

Remember that we don't own the nuts here. Although Villain seems aggressive postflop, its preflop range still contains AK, AQ, AA, JJ, QQ, KK, KTs, etc. I like your calling here, because SB can be floating here a couple of times with draws and besides the fact Villain still can have the best hands in its range.

The River


I think calling here is very close. Given the size of Villain it seems it wants to be paid.
The problem of calling from the SB is that when we get good hands on a river like this we are not really sure of what to do. Calling seems fine, but this line represents real strong hands and there are just a few missed draws of flushes.

Regards;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

Against this kind of player, I think you have to have a plan going into the hand. And folding top and middle pr at any point of the hand should not really be a part of that plan.

The problem is that sometimes even these players have the nuts and you will end up paying him off.

Not super happy, but gotta call. You do beat one value hand, A2, and block plenty of his value range. I also think flatting AJ here is better in most cases, but it's close.