J9s in the BB - this is WAR (1 Viewer)

DrStrange

4 of a Kind
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
5,622
Reaction score
11,615
Location
Outlet Mall in San Marcos
We are playing 1-2 live, five handed. It is a cold rainy night over the holiday weekend. The game was a spur of the moment session where the three 'guests of honor' didn't show up even though the asked for the game to be set - - - Grrr. We are missing a lot of the action players, started with seven and now five are left.

Cast of characters:

The small blind has $400, but on a $700 buy in. He is the perfect calling station. Hyper loose, very sticky and rarely bets or raises without a hand.

Hero is in the Big Blind with $500, solidly ahead. The night has been good to Hero - preflop hands have been mostly garbage or gold, not so many to get into trouble with. People joke about how tight Hero plays but they call even so. This hand is playing out a hour after the pocket kings hand.

UTG has $200. He is tricky/trappy quite loose {perhaps correctly in a five handed game} and sticky. Notable - UTG is normally a losing player and avoids this game but he came last session and won ~$2,000. This has emboldened him and improved his game. UTG was the villain of note in the pocket kings hand.

Villain has the button with $750 in chips. This is our old friend, Crafty. If you judged by appearances, you might mistake him for OMC or a nut peddler but after a few hands you would reassess your read. Crafty is a seasoned, wily LAG. To be fair, a better description would ultra loose, somewhat aggressive preflop and thinking aggressive post flop. Marginally profitable (though he would argue otherwise). Even so, he is capable of complex reasoning and deep thinking. He knows Hero very well.

Special conditions this session. Early in the night Hero gouged out a big chunk of villain's early stack in two hands where hero got to play out of character cards from the blinds (in Crafty's opinion) in a limped pot. {94o and pocket twos} Crafty announces that Hero isn't every going to see a limped pot in the big blind again. Hero poured gas on the fire by making his share of snarky comments.

Crafty has been true to his word. Hero hasn't seen a limped pot from the big blind again except the few times Crafty folded his button preflop. Since we are playing so short handed, this has been a lot of hands. Crafty has had a lot to say about how easy it is to steal Hero's blind and its true. It is also likely true that Crafty is trying to provoke a confrontation with Hero is good position.

The hand:

UTG limps, MP folds bringing us to Button who bets his normal, blind stealing bet of $6. SB calls.

Action on Hero with :jd: :9d:. Fold, call or raise, if raising how much? If hero calls, it borders on 100% certain that UTG will call. If Hero raises anything reasonable, there is almost no chance Crafty will fold given the table dynamic. {hero might raise to $100+ and take down the pot, maybe}

DrStrange
 
Given your layout of the cast of characters I say your options or call or fold. I honestly cant see a raise here considering the table dynamic you layout. Personally I call here and see what the flop brings.
 
call > fold > raise

Since you're not folding...
 
Raise = spew, so probably worth avoiding. Can't be run over can we? Also you have children out there that require protection, so folding is not so desirable. Easy call for $4.
 
Given your layout of the cast of characters I say your options or call or fold. I honestly cant see a raise here considering the table dynamic you layout. Personally I call here and see what the flop brings.

^this - those cards have big pot potential.
 
Hero has no respect for his "children". Once they go out the door and leave home - - - well sucks to be them if things go wrong.

I absolutely could respect a fold preflop suggestion. I was pondering that question at the time of he hand.

DrStrange
 
The remote possibility of flopping a full house and cracking button's improbable pocket aces (and the metagame results it would generate) make this an easy call. Under other conditions, I'd probably still call but would consider folding based on opponent's nit level.
 
Although I hate this spot (being sandwiched between players), I'm calling, but I'm also proceeding with caution as there are a lot of possible hands that have us dominated.
 
Call or Fold seem fine to me. I might lean towards folding since we have a few things working against us:

1. We are positionally at a disadvantage post-flop
2. Our hand is a trouble hand that can make 2nd best flush and straights and presents kicker problems when we pair up
3. UTG could be limp-raising
 
*** Ok - flop incoming ***

Hero calls as does UTG. Four way action, $24 in the pot.

Flop is < :9c: :7s: :4s: >

One check to Hero who holds :jd: :9d: Bet or check? If betting, how much? Is it a bet/fold line? Any plan for the hand?

For what it is worth, Hero is know to bet his draws from time to time but not always.

DrStrange
 
Semi-wet board presenting flush and straight draws. Don't really want to bloat this pot OOP, don't think we're missing massive value by checking here to see what transpires, but if we bet I think we risk valueowning ourselves here.

I opt for check and evaluate
 
How often will Crafty c-bet if it checks to him? If very often, check. If half the time or less, bet $12.
 
Bet this flop always. We probably have the best hand and can get value from a lot of junk, and can't afford to let a free card roll off. Crafty will check back against 3 players if he doesn't have anything. Bet $15 and if raised by Crafty I'm calling, folding to a raise from the others.
 
Crafty has a high c-bet rate. I'd say 50-50 to 65-35.

However, Hero value owned him with bottom set (pocket twos) early in the session on a similar flop by letting Crafty hang himself for two streets and then bluff catch hero on a river shove. Hero has made comments about this hand a few times subsequently. I do not know how this memory will affect the current hand, but I am mindful of it.

DrStrange
 
Crafty has a high c-bet rate. I'd say 50-50 to 65-35.

However, Hero value owned him with bottom set (pocket twos) early in the session on a similar flop by letting Crafty hang himself for two streets and then bluff catch hero on a river shove. Hero has made comments about this hand a few times subsequently. I do not know how this memory will affect the current hand, but I am mindful of it.

Based on the likelihood that he will skew toward the low end of that c-bet rate with 4 players to the flop and the likelihood that he might recall that previous hand, I say bet. $12.
 
Bet this flop always. We probably have the best hand and can get value from a lot of junk, and can't afford to let a free card roll off. Crafty will check back against 3 players if he doesn't have anything. Bet $15 and if raised by Crafty I'm calling, folding to a raise from the others.

I like this. I probably fold to a raise from Crafty though if one or both of the other players call my $15.
 
*** OK! Lets do it. ***

Hero bets $15. UTG folds. Crafty calls, I'd say reluctantly but let's not put much weight on that. SB folds.

Two way action with $54 in the pot. Effective stacks $480.

Turn is: < :9c: :7s: :4s: > :3c:

Action on Hero. Check or bet, if betting how much? Thoughts?

DrStrange
 
Loving the call, loving the folds, loving the turn. Bet $25-30.
 
Now that we're heads up with Crafty I think checking to induce/pot control or betting are both about equally good options. If I bet I'm betting at least $40.
 
*** OK! Lets do it. ***

Hero bets $15. UTG folds. Crafty calls, I'd say reluctantly but let's not put much weight on that. SB folds.

Two way action with $54 in the pot. Effective stacks $480.

Turn is: < :9c: :7s: :4s: > :3c:

Action on Hero. Check or bet, if betting how much? Thoughts?

DrStrange


With multiple flush and straight draws possible I'm betting $38-42 in this spot
 
If a LAG had any significant draw on the flop I'd have expected more aggressive action by villain on the flop. I'm still putting him on two overs and want to lay a price that will appear better than it is. I'm sticking with $25-30.
 
*** Off to the river ***

Hero bets $30, villain again calls.

River is: < :9c: :7s: :4s: > :3c: :ks:

Action on Hero, Bet or check. If betting, how much and why. Is Hero calling a bet from Crafty? Or even raising Crafty's bet?

DrStrange
 
*** Off to the river ***

Hero bets $30, villain again calls.

River is: < :9c: :7s: :4s: > :3c: :ks:

Action on Hero, Bet or check. If betting, how much and why. Is Hero calling a bet from Crafty? Or even raising Crafty's bet?

DrStrange


$114 in the pot then? Check with the intention of raising. Hero could've easily been betting on the come, and Crafty is prone to try a steal in this obvious spot and will be hard-pressed to call a checkraise from Hero without a flush.
 
If a LAG had any significant draw on the flop I'd have expected more aggressive action by villain on the flop. I'm still putting him on two overs and want to lay a price that will appear better than it is. I'm sticking with $25-30.

In addition to laying him the wrong price (a lot of his "mediocre" draws still have a lot more equity than we'd like) I also really don't want to induce a raise here. If we fire $40 and he makes it $140 I think we can comfortably get away; if we bet $30 and he makes it $100 we're in a really crappy spot because he may very well be bluffing/semibluffing, but still has outs regardless, and we don't necessarily know which ones they are and are OOP. (Gawd I hate being OOP.)
 
Pretty gross river - if we check I think he is betting that card 100%, whether he has us or not. But he could very easily have us...

Is Crafty capable of raising the river as a bluff? Even among so-called "LAGs," there is a pretty big percentage who would never do that.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top Bottom