[One Outer]

First off, I think I played really well today. Using the forum has been good for me. A couple of days ago I was thinking about situations and something just clicked. Elindauer's posts about ranges and equity have helped a lot. I tried to practice thinking about the game in that way, because it was new to me, at FTP play money tables the past few days (don't laugh). So I was excited to play today. I lost 16 BB, but I was very happy with my play. I was reading ranges accurately and making strong post-flop decisions. I just never got there in the big pots when I was drawing and the field got there in the big pots when they were drawing. Meh, moving on.

I did have two hands that vex me a little bit though. In this first one there is one loose passive player. He's fairly typical except that he will randomly wake up and start betting his own hand instead of checkraise when he has something he likes. Weird. And an older woman who typifies a lot of the players at CP. She's ultrapassive before and after the flop, but will bet top pair hands if checked to. Always checks a flush card. Her preflop opening range is exactly QQ+ and AK suited and offsuit. She limped JJ in MP twice that I have seen and open limped a suited AQ in the HJ.

Hero is SB w/ QdQs

some folds, lp guy calls because he has two cards, passive lady raises, all fold to Hero who threeballs his QQ, both call.

Flop: 4cKc5x

Hero bets, lp still has two cards so he calls, passive lady calls

Should I even be betting this? I beat nothing and tie exactly one combination in her raising range. It feels wrong to not bet, though. I suck.

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The other hand had a live straddle. Straddler is pretty laggy, cold calling a lot but not raising a terribly wide range that I have seen. The lagginess comes in postflop, with any hand that connects reasonably. Saw him limp some real crap in EP a couple times (J8o, and then capped an 8 high flop against passive lady lol, 67o, ragged aces). Passive lady will limp any two broadways, lots of suited trash as long as it vaguely connects (like 74 and whatnot). Both blinds are loose passive as well, but they don't figure into the hand much except for my overlay.

Hero is button with Ah4h

Live straddle, passive lady calls, Hero calls, both blinds call, straddler threeballs, all call

Flop (15sb): Ks6s3h

both blinds check, straddler bets, passive lady calls, hero calls, both blinds call

I'm getting an immediate 17:1 with one overcard and backdoor straight and flush draws. I still don't know whether or not this call sucks. I think it's close as if I do hit the Ace it's likely to be the only one out. Worst case scenario, I'd have to make up, what, like 1 BB even if I'm not being offered high enough immediate odds? I'm also confident that the straddler will threeball anything in his straddle and c-bet the flop. I don't have a lot to be scared of from his hand at least.

Turn (10 BB): Ad

blinds and straddler check, passive lady wakes up and bets, Hero hates his hand and calls. I'm the only caller.

River (12 BB): 7s

passive lady checks because she's scared of her shadow, Hero checks and gets ready to muck because she will show me A9+

If I made a mistake here it's calling on the flop. I think the preflop is a little better than marginally +EV.