$200 NLHE Full Ring: AA on the BTN vs LAG

Hi guys played an interesting hand the other day at a 1/2 NL live table and would like some feedback on the way I approached the hand.

Hero: $600
Villain: $400
LP: $450

Villain UTG limps, MP limps, LP limps, and Hero raises to $30 holding A:club: A:spade: The raise to $30 might seem large but against these heavy action players it was best to get a good amount of the money in pre-flop with the best starting equity. Villain UTG calls and LP calls as well.

The flop comes: 2:diamond: 8:club: 8:spade: $95 in pot

Villain checks. LP bets $30. I opt to flat because the board is dry and fairly safe and LP is most likely to fire the turn if they improve. Villain raises to $110. Hero ???

Now given that villain limped pre-flop 8x hands are definitely part of his range. Villain plays a very wide range from any position and has called a big pre-flop raise with marginal holdings in previous hands. He has played Q2s UTG in a previous hand.

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

1/2 live tables looks a lot like 2NL online. I bet he has A8 suited

Is the villain overly aggressive? I think that will play a big part in my decision to shove here or not. If I think this guy is going to overplay a hand like TT, 99, or even 77 then I will shove and let him call.

If I see him tighten up post flop and only really get aggressive when he has hit, this is a pretty clear fold.

A check raise here seems a little suspicious. But, against an unknown on a dry board, I tend to give them credit until I have a good reason not to.

I think calling here is awful.

The raise with 8* or 22 doesn't" make much sense on this extremely dry board. I think that the villain considered the small donk bet and just a call from the hero as weak and decided to steal the pot or that his pocket overpair is good. I would call, because raise doesn't accomplish anything

I think the optimal decision here would be to fold considering the move villain made. It was a big check raise and made vs two opponents. I just don't think this is a spot worth risking our money anymore. Folding and finding a better spot next time around will be a better option in my mind. If we call he is most likely to fire on later streets and we will he risking our whole stack. Hence i fold here irrespective of the villain's style of play, irrespective of whether this is a bluff or otherwise. :adore: to villain.

Very interesting situation.

If we assume the villain a fish, I fold.

If we assume the villain a shark, I call.

hffjd2000 said:

Very interesting situation.

If we assume the villain a fish, I fold.

If we assume the villain a shark, I call.

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Exactly my thoughts too

As far as villian calling with Q2s UTG, its not really specific info since you didn't give any other details regarding outcome of said hand.

Course we could use some visual tells about villian.

hffjd2000 said:

Very interesting situation.

If we assume the villain a fish, I fold.

If we assume the villain a shark, I call.

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Some bad advice itt. V could have anything, a mixture of bluffs (senses weakness, thinks he can rep an 8) and value raises where he is x/raising a pp (to either take it down there and protect against overs coming on future streets, and also find out where he's at as he might fold to a 3bet).

If V had an 8 it is also likely he would just call and slow play on such a dry texture, so I go ahead and call his raise and basically commit to our hand, give him as much rope as we can and keep his bluffs in there.

GambitKing said:

x/raising a pp (to either take it down there and protect against overs coming on future streets, and also find out where he's at as he might fold to a 3bet).

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I agree with everything said, especially this. Lots of smaller pairs in his range.

c9h13no3 said:

I agree with everything said, especially this. Lots of smaller pairs in his range.

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You know the strange thing here is that against a range of TT-99, A8s, K8s, 78s, 89s I am a 58% favorite therefore making shoving profitable in this spot.

LeGenie said:

You know the strange thing here is that against a range of TT-99, A8s, K8s, 78s, 89s I am a 58% favorite therefore making shoving profitable in this spot.

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Assuming all those hands call. Also keep in mind he'll occasionally show up with pairs smaller than 99 and outright bluffs. It's just hard to make trips, so it's just not that combinatorially likely.

Kinda confused. You classify villain as LAG (loose aggressive), but he limped in UTG, which suggests a passive play style. This is an easy fold against a loose passive 1/2 player.

Mr Sandbag said:

Kinda confused. You classify villain as LAG (loose aggressive), but he limped in UTG, which suggests a passive play style. This is an easy fold against a loose passive 1/2 player.

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Exactely what I wanted to say.
This resembles a lot 2NL online.
They say that reraising here with an 8 does not make sense but calling 15BB OOP after a limp does?IMO a passive guy will call with 99+ all the way to the river and at least one street with a pair of 33-77. They will give action with an 8 though.

Mr Sandbag said:

Kinda confused. You classify villain as LAG (loose aggressive), but he limped in UTG, which suggests a passive play style. This is an easy fold against a loose passive 1/2 player.

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Let me clarify that villain is more LAG fish than LAG

I'm assuming LP folded after villain raised the flop?

This one would be very read-specific for me - if they're giving off "I'm so excited" tells then this probably is an eight played really badly.

But barring some read like that, if it's just us and the fish then I'm probably OK getting this in. 8x hands are in his range, but they make less sense given how dry the board is and the fact that there's a bet and call in front. Live fish are more likely to slowplay a "monster" like that. Aside from that, there's all sorts of other stuff that we beat (lower pairs, Ax hands, naked bluffs). Villain would probably figure something like 99 or TT was a monster here, but he wouldn't want to see any overcards which would explain the raise.