C
c0rnBr34d
Visionary
Silver Level
This was the last 2/5 game that was running on this particular night, all the other games were either PLO or smaller. There were a few action players and to keep the game alive some of them suggested playing "The Rock", where the winner of the previous hand was forced to straddle for $10 in the next hand. If the winner of the previous hand was in the blinds the next hand then UTG had to take the straddle.
To this point Hero has one of the tighter images at the table. Has personally picked off bluffs from both Vs in this hand during this session though. Sitting rather short stacked in this game with about $400 due to some nasty suck outs. I should be topping up in such a big game but getting some practice at short stacking isn't bad either and it's so swingy that by the time the floor comes back with my chips I could have over the max $1k buy.
V1 tries to play LAG but he's more loose passive pre, calling super wide then trying to outflop or outplay everyone post flop. Hero has these two HHs with V1. H1: Hero opens over V1s limp with QJhh, V limp calls with 24cc. Flop Ad4h2h, checks around, turn 6h, V checks Hero $40 into $100, other guy calls, V raises to $100 with $250 behind. Hero calls (to keep both Vs in and encourage further bluffs). Other guy folds, river 4. Ouch. Other hand we raise T9s on the button and V limp calls with A4o. Flop QT4xxs, we cbet $45 into $75, x calls. Turn 6s (flush draw). V x, we bet $125, V jams about $300. We tank, replay and call. We miss but our T is good. Few other players have caught him bluffing as well. Effective stack with about $310.
V2 is similar. Seems to have sizing tells. Large bets mostly meant to intimidate and get folds. Smaller bets more often want action. Loves to call wide pre and get there. Has deep pockets and seems to enjoy winning from behind more than standard play. Has called our raise pre with 73s and flopped trips. Checked flop and turn before value betting river. Of course we turned top pair so we had to call to see the bad news. Also put in a large raise on a J high flop with a naked flush draw with A6h. Hero jammed over the top and got snap called and held. Both players raise their value pre, but they also call super wide and will slow play monsters post. Covers with about $1k
OTTH: V1 won the last hand and is in the BB so Hero posts the $10 straddle UTG. Folds around to V2 in SB who limps. BB also limps. Hero looks down at A9hh and raises to $60 (my standard open size was 4x or $40 plus $10 per limper). Ideally we would like to be stronger here but against these two and with position it would be great to get it to heads up and if we get called we also have the best hand almost always. Vs could limp 66- but I would expect raises from anything that beats us. V2 tank calls, V1 pauses then back raise jams about $250. V2 has us covered but his range is capped. We have V1 covered but are now the effective stack with about $400 behind. Our options are, fold, call, re-jam. Hero?
Since we have not been getting out of line much my thoughts are that both V1 and V2 expected Hero to check back pre flop a LOT. Maybe 85% ish of the time. So they should never be trying to trap here. Pre flop they are more loose passive and raising value so the backraise jam just doesn't make sense to me. I think the top of V1s range is 88 or ATo. Very rarely better. V2 is even more capped after limping then tank calling. This makes flatting unattractive because he's loose enough to call and jam any flop that he thinks we missed or that he likes and putting us in a spot. So it's really re-jam or fold. And I feel we are well ahead of both ranges. Thoughts?
To this point Hero has one of the tighter images at the table. Has personally picked off bluffs from both Vs in this hand during this session though. Sitting rather short stacked in this game with about $400 due to some nasty suck outs. I should be topping up in such a big game but getting some practice at short stacking isn't bad either and it's so swingy that by the time the floor comes back with my chips I could have over the max $1k buy.
V1 tries to play LAG but he's more loose passive pre, calling super wide then trying to outflop or outplay everyone post flop. Hero has these two HHs with V1. H1: Hero opens over V1s limp with QJhh, V limp calls with 24cc. Flop Ad4h2h, checks around, turn 6h, V checks Hero $40 into $100, other guy calls, V raises to $100 with $250 behind. Hero calls (to keep both Vs in and encourage further bluffs). Other guy folds, river 4. Ouch. Other hand we raise T9s on the button and V limp calls with A4o. Flop QT4xxs, we cbet $45 into $75, x calls. Turn 6s (flush draw). V x, we bet $125, V jams about $300. We tank, replay and call. We miss but our T is good. Few other players have caught him bluffing as well. Effective stack with about $310.
V2 is similar. Seems to have sizing tells. Large bets mostly meant to intimidate and get folds. Smaller bets more often want action. Loves to call wide pre and get there. Has deep pockets and seems to enjoy winning from behind more than standard play. Has called our raise pre with 73s and flopped trips. Checked flop and turn before value betting river. Of course we turned top pair so we had to call to see the bad news. Also put in a large raise on a J high flop with a naked flush draw with A6h. Hero jammed over the top and got snap called and held. Both players raise their value pre, but they also call super wide and will slow play monsters post. Covers with about $1k
OTTH: V1 won the last hand and is in the BB so Hero posts the $10 straddle UTG. Folds around to V2 in SB who limps. BB also limps. Hero looks down at A9hh and raises to $60 (my standard open size was 4x or $40 plus $10 per limper). Ideally we would like to be stronger here but against these two and with position it would be great to get it to heads up and if we get called we also have the best hand almost always. Vs could limp 66- but I would expect raises from anything that beats us. V2 tank calls, V1 pauses then back raise jams about $250. V2 has us covered but his range is capped. We have V1 covered but are now the effective stack with about $400 behind. Our options are, fold, call, re-jam. Hero?
Since we have not been getting out of line much my thoughts are that both V1 and V2 expected Hero to check back pre flop a LOT. Maybe 85% ish of the time. So they should never be trying to trap here. Pre flop they are more loose passive and raising value so the backraise jam just doesn't make sense to me. I think the top of V1s range is 88 or ATo. Very rarely better. V2 is even more capped after limping then tank calling. This makes flatting unattractive because he's loose enough to call and jam any flop that he thinks we missed or that he likes and putting us in a spot. So it's really re-jam or fold. And I feel we are well ahead of both ranges. Thoughts?