$25NL 6-max: WTF is villain's range, and how's my line?

Villain is 22/13/40% over 63 hands. 36% to steal.
I know, reload my stack. Had just lost a hand.

Seat 3 is the button
Seat 3: i_straddle ( $34.12 USD )
Seat 5: Hero ( $21.19 USD )
Hero posts big blind [$0.25 USD].
Dealt to Hero [ ]
Shmack folds
hercbball22 folds
Riviera01 folds
i_straddle raises [$0.85 USD]
recon3366 folds
Hero calls [$0.60 USD]
Potsize = $1.80
** Dealing Flop ** [ ]
Hero checks
i_straddle checks
** Dealing Turn ** [ ]
Hero bets [$1.35 USD]
i_straddle raises [$4.00 USD]
Hero ($18.99 behind)
Pot odds on Call = 2.7:1


Villains range looks like total freakin' air and some draws here. I have loads of trouble putting him on an ace. 23/A4 might actually get played this way though... Thoughts?

villain looks like he has flopped a hand that absolutely crushes you. I fold since all you can beat is a bluff which is only a very very small part of his range imo

switch0723 said:

villain looks like he has flopped a hand that absolutely crushes you. I fold since all you can beat is a bluff which is only a very very small part of his range imo

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Um, what? Name a hand where it makes sense for him to check behind on that flop.

People check behind sets and two pair hands (and raise/bet the turn) all the time. Just because it doesn't make sense doesn't mean people won't do it.

Why would he check behind a draw and raise the turn? Why would he check behind a jack and raise the turn?

You're basically in a wa/wb spot on the turn. I understand you're a pretty lag player, so you might get less respect for a bet and get looked up from TT or a worse jack on the turn, but in general you just want to keep the pot small and get to showdown here.

ChuckTs said:

I understand you're a pretty lag player, so you might get less respect for a bet and get looked up from TT or a worse jack on the turn, but in general you just want to keep the pot small and get to showdown here.

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So you're checking the turn. What about after we're raised? Fold? Get to showdown?

Well the point is that I don't think we should be in this sticky spot. Keep your decisions as easy as possible. I can't say how often he'll be bluffing/semibluffing with the information given, so I have no idea how we proceed.

Folding's probably best, but if you think he's bluffing often then we can flat it with position and possibly get to showdown cheap.

i think on this flop ure beat. i dont know how hes been playing but im sure he has a weak ace and bet the 4$ because he thinks ure on a flushdraw so he bets strong there and can either take the pot down now and give off aggressive image or u could make the call and still win with no diamond. if a diamond comes there may be a chance to bluff him off the hand but i have no idea how he was playing so who knows. but i def. think ure beat in this spot. and not betting the flop prolly just saved u money.

I think you can avoid this tricky spot by playing differently preflop.
Open raising from the button, he could have almost any two cards. Folding your hand seems a bit weak (though it's so easy to make 2nd best hands with KJo in raised pots), so 3 bet what could easily be a blatant steal, planning on folding to a 4 bet/shove. If he just flats your 3 bet, you've got information (he probably doesn't have a big hand), and taken control of the hand.

Make a cbet with your mid pr, top kicker, and he should be playing more straightforwardly now after the pf action.

GrantGreen said:

so 3 bet what could easily be a blatant steal, planning on folding to a 4 bet/shove. If he just flats your 3 bet, you've got information (he probably doesn't have a big hand), and taken control of the hand.

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Imo, this is terrible. KJ plays absolutely horribly against his 3-bet calling range. Why 3-bet and fold out hands like K9, KT, QJ, JT, ect. that we have dominated?

So when we 3-bet, we may take control of the hand, but we're setting ourselves up to win a small pot, or get owned for a stack in a big one. 3-betting KJ essentially turns it into a bluff, since no worse hands call. Why do that when it has good value against a button raiser's range? I'm not afraid of him owning me postflop, because honestly most people suck postflop at 25$ NL.

I'm routinely flatting hands like KQ, AJ, KJ out of the blinds, since they play piss-poor in 3-bet pots, but play very well in a small one against the button raiser's wide range.

c9h13no3 said:

Um, what? Name a hand where it makes sense for him to check behind on that flop.

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a,5 a,j j,5, 5,5 4,4 j,j a,a even a,k may check this flop as if it's the nuts. He may even have kings or queens and for whatever reason is raising not thinking you have an ace.

The more plausable question is name a hand where it makes sense for him to check behind on the flop and raises on the turn that you beat?

If he really has air why would he check flop then raise turn??? Surely with nothing he cbets the flop?? If he is raising with a draw, why wouldn't he bet the flop with the draw?? I seriously don't think you beat anything here.

fwiw i don't mind the turn bet since we may be able to eek out some value from lower pp's/king highs that think they are good or chasing a gutshot.
But checking is certaintly easier, the best line is probably check/calling the turn then check/re evaluating river, or betting river if villain checks turn behind

I just do not understand how this is not air. All of those hands would be scared of a flush/straight card since thats generally the main thing that goes through player's minds on flops like these. "Oh noes, I has a hand, but thar be a flush draw! Bet bet bet!". On a dryer flop vs. a more passive opponent, I think this is an easy fold.

Plus, you're saying that this is more likely to be a slowplayed monster than a mediocre made hand. Well if his range is polarized towards infrequent monsters that have us crushed and air, shouldn't we be more inclined to call down?

remember not all of these players are going to be playing perfect poker. I lot won't see the flush cards and go omg i has multiple pairs i will slowplay. Also what are the chances in you having the flush draw in a heads up pot?? Its pretty slim so he has more reason to slowplay his flopped monster. People slowplay sets on monotone boards at 25nl.

Im not saying his range is polarized towards inferquent monsters and air, i'm saying his range is polarized towards frequent monsters and very very rarely air meaning i fold this.