$200 NLHE Full Ring: $200 NLHE Live

This is at the Atlantis Casino in Reno, NV. I go up there every so often because my Fiance's parents get everything for free. Plus, Reno has really soft 1/2 games that play bigger than 1/2 sometimes because they allow buy-ins up to biggest stack.

Anyways, I just sit down UTG1, $300 stack. UTG puts on a live $5 straddle. Never seen him before but he has $200 after the straddle.

Hero is dealt JJ and I make it $20 to go. Folds to villain in UTG who thinks about it for a minute and he flats.

My reads/assumptions: He straddled the hand, so I'm going to assume he likes action. Second, in live games, a lot of people will flat in their straddle because they feel that the action they create is a steal most times.

Flop KcQc2d.

He says, "I check to the raiser".

Since we don't have any history, I assume he thinks my range looks like broadway cards and TT+, along with some steal hands a very small % of the time. With that said and based on my assumptions above, I believe his range looks like 56s+, 22+, Broadway, Axs. I find this to be common in straddled hands as the 'straddler' will call wide. I think this is a fair assumption given I don't know specifics about him.

I figure that QQ,KK is not very likely and AA is possible because he could have been trying to trap pre. So I think his most likely broadway hands which hit the board are KQ, AQ, AK, QT, KT.

I think I can maybe fold out the QT,AQ (really a maybe) with a c-bet and I will get value from all FDs and OESD.

Would you guys c-bet here?

EDIT: I also have Jc

we don't get any value from worse. well maybe a flush/straight draw. just check and try to get to show down cheap.

I check and fold to a turn bet, call a river bet.

You played it fine preflop and your preflop assumptions are sound. Just consider yourself unlucky that a bad flop has come down and expect to lose the hand most the time.

I think your postflop assumptions conflict with your preflop assumptions. Villain thought you where stealing pre. Now a bad flop for you has come down you've changed your mind and villain now thinks you hold powerhouses... I think your talking yourself into fighting for pots that don't belong to you. I get bored playing live and do it myself (especially with big hands) so recognize the thought process when I see it.

Straddle/call in this situation..is pretty much ATC. Straddlers generally want action and rarely straddle/fold like a8 or 78.
You're ahead of that range-cbet.

Check to turn a club, T, 9, or J. Plus, you get closer to showdown.

Poker_play said:

Straddle/call in this situation..is pretty much ATC. Straddlers generally want action and rarely straddle/fold like a8 or 78.
You're ahead of that range-cbet.

Click to expand...

This was actually my assumption. I cbet $25. He c/r to $50.

I actually call his c/r. I did this for 2 reasons. I'm sure he would do this with draws at least 20% of the time and I would evaluate on the turn depending on his action.

The second thing is I had been playing with the rest of the table all weekend. I didn't want to ruin my image and fold my c-bet to a min c-r when I was getting over 4:1, so I figured I will pay $25 to save face. This was the primary reason I called. I might have thought too much into it, as I'm used to playing 500 and 1k NL. I guess you can call it 200NL metagame. LOL!

Anyways, the turn bricks. He bets $40. lolz wtfbatman?

Hero?

EDIT: I just wanted to also mention that I do agree with the above posts that I probably should check this flop.