NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

Opponent is: 37.5/22.8/1.77 sfter 75 hands

Poker Stars, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players

BB: $28.35
UTG: $22.70
Hero (MP): $15.40
CO: $23.75
BTN: $6.25
SB: $14.75

Pre-Flop: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (MP)
UTG folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $1</font>, 3 folds, BB calls $0.75

Flop: ($2.10) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">BB bets $1.70</font>, Hero calls $1.70

Turn: ($5.50) A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
BB checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $3.55</font>, <font color="red">BB raises to $7.10</font>, Hero ??

How to play from here? What range do you put him on?

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

Something with an ace, maybe a diamond draw, maybe a weirdly played set? But you're beat most likely...

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

I put him on a range of hands that all beat 88.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

Ya, Ace rag possibly...i agree most likely you're beat here.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

What's the mystery? 88 is no good. Fold.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

i don't really understand what your thought process is leading up to this. what do you think this guy donks into you with? what are you trying to accomplish with a turn bet?

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

i was trying to win the pot by betting. i folded. but i think the turn bet was fine.

like someone said earlier, his range beats 88, but i couldnt narrow it down. seemed like that ace helped him?

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

if you thought you were behind his range on the flop, you should have folded then. if you think you're ahead of it, you should check the turn.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

Edit: Sorry didnt see the pf action correctly. I would check
behind the turn here and see what he does on the river. You have a hand with showdown value that youre turning into a bluff by betting this turn.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

its not a float, because we had the lead. big difference.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

i wasn't sure he was ahead (or behind) on the flop. and his check on the turn "showed" weakness. i thought a bet could represent and ace and if i was ahead on the flop, better to get money in now anyways.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

Fold on the flop.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

I don't have a problem occasionally flat calling BB's bet with the intention of betting turn if he checks turn if we strongly suspect he donkbets weak. That goes double when there are likely to be a lot of turn scarecards. Here you kinda got lucky to catch a scarecard, but then you messed it up by making a half-hearted scarebet. Bet closer to pot for maximum effect. Then fold. He actually has a hand this time.

Re: NL 25 - 88 UTG - confused by \"insta-min raise\"
 

Have you seen him donk like that in the previous 12 orbits?

With a lot of people, that's almost always weak, and you can just raise and take it down. That's what I usually do, because who knows wtf he has when he donks like that (I think his range is big if you haven't been playing back at this move), so who knows what'll help him on the turn/river.

Sometimes, when I think the bet is weak and I'm feeling greedy, I call the flop, call the turn and hope the river checks through.

I don't like betting the turn here, though. If the ace is a scare card for him, you were probably ahead. If not, well, results aside, they love to c/r when they hit on the turn like this.

I think that flop insta-min-(check)raises are more likely to be weak than turn insta-min-(check)raises, and that river insta-min-(check)raises are almost always super strong.

EDIT: meh .. but maybe he's donking with a jack, and the ace is a scare card, so good bet on the turn if that's the case. I find that lots of people fold when you raise the flop here, so that's still my default play with this hand and with air.