Interesting EPT hand

[Mr.Poker]

Live hand from EPT Dublin main event.

This hand took place quite early on, blinds are 75/150. Villian is an experienced pro and has been the most active/aggressive player on the table. Hero has not been out of line or played too many big pots yet. This was my first hand with Villian though. BB was also an experienced pro.

Stacks
MP3: Villian - 22,000k
Button: Hero - 12,000k
BB: 8,000k

Action:
Villian raises to 450 in MP3
Hero calls on button with AJo
Big blind calls blind and checks in the dark

Flop:
Kh 5c 6c

Villian checks, Hero bets 850. BB checks his cards and folds. Villian calls. (Pot=3125)

Turn:
Kh 5c 6c Ad

Villian leads for 2300. Hero calls 2300. (Pot=7725)

River:
Kh 5c 6c Ad Kc

Villian asks how much i have left (around 8400) and bets out 6000. Hero?

I think all streets are fairly marginal, with the turn action probably the most difficult decision IMO. The amount he raises makes it difficult to reraise without being pot committed, but his line still has me fairly confused. How often is he bluffing here? what is his range by the river?

Comments on all streets appreciated.
Regards Mr.P

[SuperUberBob]

Do you think he would check/call with a flopped top pair?

Maybe he was slowplaying a flopped set, lead turn hoping that the ace hit you and is betting a full boat.

I'm more inclined to believe that this guy wants a call though. Would he really check/call with ace high on the flop? If not, then he probably hit the flop somehow and that he improved his hand along the way.

He's got something pretty good. The asking for a chip count thing and then betting out 6000 of your remaining 8400 kinda makes me feel that way.

I think he's holding a hand better than just an ace. He probably figures that you hit it and is value betting to suck you into a call. In the moment, I don't think I could fold. I'd be suckered. But as I look at it now, you're probably beat.

[Luisgallo]

Since villian is aggressive he could have been drawing with Axc and its game would have been pretty solid here, he had top pair with flush draw this would justify a 3/4 pot bet.
At the river 6,000 seems a fairly huge bet too me compared to pot size, at that point board is very scary with 4 clubs and a pair, if he has the nuts then why betting so large when he knows he would only get called by AK?
either a monster (AK or 55 or 66) or a big bluff.
But why not raising preflop? you had position and you said he is aggressive, I did not like that call.

[FortunaMaximus]

No, I think it's a call sometimes. I'm not certain if the comment was to mindrattle you, but I wouldn't be surprised if his flopped 2p was counterfeited. Although you're paying off baby flushes and any K's, there are still straights that missed.

Obviously, he's caught a piece of the board, it may have decreased in value by river. But you're facing a rather difficult decision with top 2, decent kicker.

Saying he's active and aggro doesn't do much for me, but it tells me he's capable of using scare rivers and table talk to induce folds. Had I been at this table and known his range, I'd be inclined to call moreso based on image and probable range + bluff frequency. He's not putting you on an A the way you played the hand, I don't think.

[Mr.Poker]

I kind of figured by the end that this isn't a bluff very often. I don't think he fires all three streets often enough especially with this river card which would mean I call with a lot of holdings, Kx, flush.

I think that this 'big' river bet is definitely trying to get paid off by a second best hand. As you said, I dont think he puts me on the A very often here so is likely to think the K gave me three-of-a-kind. Plus, if I was on a flush draw, I just got there as well.

The way he played, I can't see AK playing this way too often either, mainly due to the flop action. This means he probably hit the flop pretty hard, ie. a set.

I thought for quite a while but folded eventually. I couldn't figure too many hands I was beating if this was a value bet and he wasnt bluffing here enough to make a call +EV.

Im not sure I can do anything different on the turn though..I think I have to call but cant really raise as it is too much of my stack committed to fold. Anyone play the turn differently? Plus, I think the call in position with deepstacks is fine with AJo.

[FortunaMaximus]

A smallish raise to under 6k might be viable here with deeper stacks. I'm just not sure how viable it would be for equity considerations. However, with your stack size, if you think your hand is good at this point, and that's debatable, your only other viable options would seem to be folding or shoving. I'm not a fan of the flatcall, to be honest.

[Foucault]

I'm not a fan of the flop bet. I think it's very unlikely Villain is checking with the intention of folding a flop of this texture. I'd keep the pot small while you've got position and potentially the best hand, albeit one that can't stand action. I would also check a K on this flop a lot of the time.

That way, when he leads into you on the turn, which he almost certainly will, the bet will be smaller and his range will be wider, giving you more flexibility whether or not you make a pair.

As played, I agree that the turn is a close decision. If you call, though, it should usually be with the intention of folding to a big river bet, especially when pretty much the worst card in the deck falls for you. His river bet feels like a flush or full house that is willing to let you fold one pair in the hopes of getting paid big when you have trips.

Flat call or reraise preflop are probably both fine. I'd probably lean towards re-raising because I like to protect my button from aggressive players on my right, and that usually means raising when I have the best hand.