I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

I have sat with this AJs hand for a week and I am still unsure. I have had some pretty differing advice from good players so I guess it may be worth posting. The game is playing pretty typically with plenty of steal/restealing and nobody folding anything. I think we have a walker or two so it is 7 or 8 handed. I am fairly new in the game so detailed reads are absent but I do know that UTG is aggressive (likely overly so) and CO ssems to be a little too loose but not retarded.

UTG raises, folded to CO who calls 2 cold, SB folds and I call with AdJd.

Flop: Qd9d9c.

I check, UTG bets, CO calls, I call.

Here is the initial decision. I sometimes CR here but have been told I play draws too passively at times and need to CR here almost always. I don't think I clean up outs and my equity 3 ways isn't that great with this board. Thoughts?

Turn: 8d (Qd9d9c)

I decide to donk out. UTG calls and now CO raises. my turn and I do what?

I will stop the action here for now. Who prefers a checkraise here?

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

Flop call is fine. Turn bet is great, now 3-bet.

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

i probably would have checkraised the flop, but i don't think it's TOO big of a deal. although i do believe checkraising is definitely better. failing a flop checkraise, i love a turn lead, since it usually gives you the chance to 3 bet.

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

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Flop call is fine. Turn bet is great, now 3-bet.

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This pretty much sums up my thoughts. You can c/r flop if you want, contrary to popular belief it is okay to just c/c flop with an almost guaranteed equity edge because then that possibility cannot be ruled out on future hands. If they do rule out the possibility of you c/c here with a great flush draw then that's fine too, it may earn you a ton of action when you hit. I would c/r the flop but c/c is fine and I have done it many times.

This is the absolute perfect turn donk card. I would have donked any flush, but this is just awesome because hopefully someone has JT. Things get quite exciting when the CO raises, because now JT is looking extremely likely. 3bet and procure his dollars. If CO 4bets after UTG folds then I would c/r river.

BTW sit in 60/120 preflop.

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

Daryn/Tiger: much respect for your games. Kinda hoping for some reasoning to go with your responses.

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

Id 3 bet this because I dont think UTG is gonna call a raise with like KQ here except if he has say KdQx he will call 2 also most likely.......Im not worried about being behind as QQ, 99 seem impossible, 98 is combinatorically unlikely and would probably raise the flop, so he could have a worse flush, JT, various 9s, some other retardo [censored] way more than he has you beat, Id feel very very good about your hand and just look to get as much money as possible in on the turn.

Disclaimer: not a live player.

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

Not sure why this hand caused you so much trouble. The flop play is fairly standard and I think you can go either way. The nature of the high limit games are very aggro so you might be facing a 3bet moreoften than not on the flop and thats not so good for you. I like cc'ing here

Turn: I prefer a c/r b/c I'm fairly sure utg will bet again and you can c/r the field. As played just 3 bomb and go from there. You most likely have the nuts as CO could be raising w/a worse flush, JT, a 9, or a boat.

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

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BTW sit in 60/120 preflop.

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Not sure what this means. Are you saying I should stay out of the 1/2?

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

For those saying he could have a smaller flush. I have the AJ and the Q98 are on board. That means the only flushes he can have are babies like 45,56,67 which are very unlikley or exactly KT which while possible would raise this flopped monster pretty darn often in position.

Re: I have sat with this AJs hand for a week.. Commerce1/2
 

I prefer c/r on turn. I guess either play on the turn is fine. 3 betting I'd say is standard, but calling and checkraising the river HU or leading it if the other guy overcalls the turn both seem ok to me. It seems like c/r river HU isn't that risky because the guy seems to like his hand plenty that he will bet the river with it.