$10 NL HE 6-max: Do I call with a bluff catcher?

[pokernomad]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Stakes

$.05/$.10

Table Format

6-max (6 seats)

Currency

$

Pacific Poker - $0.10 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 127.2 BB
SB: 116.9 BB
Hero (BB): 344 BB
UTG: 206.9 BB
MP: 131.2 BB
CO: 69.9 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A:heart: K:heart:

fold, fold, CO raises to 2.5 BB, fold, SB raises to 10 BB, Hero raises to 27 BB, fold, SB calls 17 BB

Player is a super agro player (I posted a hand with them previously) so the 3Bet doesn't surprise me - calling the my 4bet does, however I am in position with a great hand. Could I call instead of 4betting? Is my sizing good here?

Flop: (56.5 BB, 2 players) J:spade: 3:diamond: T:heart:
SB checks, Hero checks

I would normally c-bet most of range here, but he is capable of check-raising so I am happy to keep the pot small at this point

Turn: (56.5 BB, 2 players) T:diamond:
SB bets 14.1 BB, Hero calls 14.1 BB

Small bet is an easy call with a gut shot and an 2 over cards - I think he can bet any Jx Tx, any straight or flush draw

River: (84.7 BB, 2 players) 2:spade:
SB bets 75.8 BB and is all-in,

My hand a pure bluff catcher. In game, I think he can do this with Jx, Tx, over-pairs, sets or a missed straight/flush draw, but I am not good at counting combinations in game, so I find it hard to come up with a good strategy here.
After reviewing, I think calling the 4bet means his missed flush draws are AQd, KQd, and his missed straights are AKo, AQo KQo, Q9s

Spoiler: Do I call the all-in shove?

fold
SB wins 80.5 BB
I err on the side of caution and fold - I think this is an ok fold against an unknown player, but because of the history I have with them, I am doubting myself

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Fine spot for a cold 4-bet, and since SB is 117BB deep and also a maniac, your sizing is fine. My plan here would be to get it in against either opponent if facing a 5-bet. Thats not always the case with AK preflop, but this is a late position confrontation, CO only started with 70BB, and SB is a maniac.

Flop
You could bet small here, and you would then have to call it off, if he check-jam. Checking back is also ok though.

Turn
As played you have to call a small bet here.

River
You do still beat AQ/KQ, and he could be bluffing. But there are so many other hands, you lose to, and you whiffed completely. So I think, this is just a fold, even it sucks to fold to a maniac.

 

[canbora]

It's my opinion you absolutely have to fold. He can have a pair of twos and he beats you. Like I always say, making a raise and calling a raise are two entirely different things.

 

[fundiver199]

It's my opinion you absolutely have to fold. He can have a pair of twos and he beats you. Like I always say, making a raise and calling a raise are two entirely different things.

Exactly. Hero even loses to some potential bluffs like A2 of diamonds, which feel, they dont have enough showdown value to check the river.

 

[canbora]

Exactly. Hero even loses to some potential bluffs like A2 of diamonds, which feel, they dont have enough showdown value to check the river.

Despite some of my seemingly aggressive loose play, I never make the hero call with Ace high. I shouldn't say never but it's extremely rare. The only time I'll do it is if the bet is extremely small relative to the pot or just small overall, like a single bet.... Or if I have ace high and the board double pairs and I feel that my opponent either has nothing or got counterfeited. Like say they had pocket threes or something and the board is fours and eights. And again it has to be a relatively small bet. I just don't do it. Literally anything has you beat... It's astounding at the really low stakes table how many times people will call with literally and absolutely nothing. I've even been called down to something like I think even 10 high once, I couldn't believe it.

 

[fundiver199]

Despite some of my seemingly aggressive loose play, I never make the hero call with Ace high. I shouldn't say never but it's extremely rare.

Neither do I. Its one thing to stack off on the flop, where at least we are never drawing dead with a gutshot and BDFD both of them to the nuts + 2 overcards, that are also sometimes live. But when all cards are dealt, and we whiffed completely, its time to let AK go. It was a good hand preflop, but now it loses to even a pair of ducks, as you say.

The only time I'll do it is if the bet is extremely small relative to the pot or just small overall, like a single bet....

Sure. Some people think, that a small bet cant be a bluff, but it can. And if they bet 10% of the pot, we only need to win 1 out of 10 times. We cant let people steal pots with tiny bets.

Or if I have ace high and the board double pairs and I feel that my opponent either has nothing or got counterfeited.

Thats almost a mandatory call, unless they overbet or something. When I call in these spots, sure sometimes I lose to a boat or a pocket pair, that play. But more than often enough I win against a bluff or chop with another ace, that bet for no reason.

 

[gustav197poker]

If your V is not too aggressive, the most likely hand you can ever beat here is AQ. The texture of the board is interesting and the fact that they haven't bet OTF increases the bluffs in your opponent's range a little.
Additionally, by having AKhh you unlock an additional AKs combo that from SB could take this line.
However, when you are not sure you should fold.

 

[Station_Master]

It's close but I lean toward to fold.

The problem with not cbetting your hand looks alot like AK. So the maniac will likely be bluffing very wide, in particular 12 combos of AQ, 9 combos of AK you chop with, possibly some KQ and suited aces. Of course you lose to all the premium pairs 16 combos (though some may be 5bet), any J, T or even low pocket pairs. If he calls AJ that's 9 combos..KJ (if this wide) 12 combos etc.

He might be a maniac but he is not necessarily going to be bluffing every possible bluff combo, so as I say lean towards fold, but i do think it's close and probably not a huge mistake to call against this type of opponent who will bluff.

 

[fundiver199]

The problem with not cbetting your hand looks alot like AK.

C-betting for a small size makes the hand much easier to play. If we get check-jammed on, we can call it off with reasonable equity against his range. And if he just call, we can jam turn ourselfes with fold equity and at least some equity when called.

 

[pokernomad]

Thanks all - this is really helpful as always

 

[Aballinamion]

fold, fold, CO raises to 2.5 BB, fold, SB raises to 10 BB, Hero raises to 27 BB, fold, SB calls 17 BB

I think that villain being an aggressive player it might call some 4-bets lighter than usual. But the sizing we are giving it is a bit spicy, so consider that villain is calling with a better range of hands than usual. We could've called here as well if we had some assurance that the player sitting on the CO would fold more than call.

I would normally c-bet most of range here, but he is capable of check-raising so I am happy to keep the pot small at this point

This is the only spot where we can bet safely. Most of turn cards are going to be bad, and now we have a back door, two overcards, etc we must fire it to try to win the pot now.

Turn: (56.5 BB, 2 players) T:diamond:
SB bets 14.1 BB, Hero calls 14.1 BB

Here there's no point in calling it. We cannot float this villain on the river and sometimes when we hit an ace or king on the river it will not be so good. We aren't going to hit an ace or a king on the river very often, and now most of river cards will be very bad for us. So, why are we calling this?

Small bet is an easy call with a gut shot and an 2 over cards - I think he can bet any Jx Tx, any straight or flush draw

It is not an easy call, it is an easy fold. Even if villain has this range you assigned, most of it is beating us.

River: (84.7 BB, 2 players) 2:spade:
SB bets 75.8 BB and is all-in,

We shoudn't even think about it. We are calling with ace high because villain is aggressive and we want to level against it. Easy fold. If we start to level like this we are entering the risk of losing tons of blinds in the long run.
My point here is clear: we should've c-bet flop and gave up on most of turns that doesn't complete anything good for us.