One pair on a flushy board, somewhat deep

[ddubois]

BB is Dofnsman43, he seems like a TAG regular, heavy on the 'AG' at 22/19/4.4.

Poker Stars, $2/$4 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

CO: $559.10
BTN: $64
Hero (SB): $1,010.70
BB: $646.45
UTG: $285.60

Pre-Flop: A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] or T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] or Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] or A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] or Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] or A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (SB)
3 folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $14</font>, BB calls $10

Flop: ($28) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $21</font>, <font color="red">BB raises to $68</font>, Hero calls $47

What would cause you to 3-bet now, rather than "call and re-evaluate"? My "call and re-evaluate" seems to be a lot like "call and fold later" lately, and I feel like I'm hemorrhaging money with this tactic.

Turn: ($164) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">BB bets $104</font>, Hero calls $104

My downswing has gone on for so long now, I am lost so often. I no longer have any game sense, and have no feel for what the difference is between these one pair hands. Like, is he really stacking off 140bb with a jack? He range 'should be' draws and sets, right, since that board doesn't lend itself to 2-pair at all. So how big of a pair do I need to CRAI? How big of a pair should I have to "call one more time and re-evaluate some more"?

River: ($372) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">BB bets $294</font>, Hero folds

I don't know why he's saving the last $79.

[DJ Sensei]

with an overpair or AJ or probably QJ here, I prefer to 3bet the flop. So much of his range is draws, whether strong or weak, and you really should make him pay. Plus, since you're oop, its going to be quite tough to play later streets when you still have stacks behind. Because the flop is so spread out, you can expect that he never has 2 pair here. So basically its 22, 77, or a hand you beat. Which means you're way ahead of his range, but you're vulnerable.

If you just call the flop with those strong hands, I'd lead the turn and call a shove. However, given that you called flop and checked turn, i'd c/rai the turn to punish him and keep him from seeing a free river. River, I don't know what I'd do with the big hands, because i'd never be in that spot. Which means you probably had A7 or TT.

So, what should we do with those? Well 3betting flop is still an option, though a rather uneasy one since we could be way way behind to any jack. Calling works because we're pretty likely to still have the best hand, though if he's aggressive with his semibluffs and is liable to follow through, we're almost always in a tough spot here whether we check or bet turn. We can't really justify stacking off, however, you have to wonder if he'd really keep firing this hard with TPgK all the way. The river bet size certainly doesn't look like JT or QJ, it looks like either a bluff that wants to represent backdoor trips, or actual backdoor trips/boat. Given how aggro he is, I think its more likely that he's repping it to capitalize on your seemingly weak hand range. So i'd probably call down with every hand in your range. But, i'm a station.

Also, fwiw, i've seen players before leave a little bit behind when bluffing so that if you shove they dont have to show their hand down.

[Irish Mafia]

As always a great post from DJ. Although i'm not sure I agree w/ 3-betting QJ - though I can see the arguments for doing so, as villain is probably rarely raising w/ AJ/KJ (but occassionally they do).

Other than I agree w/ DJ. In this situation against someone who is so aggro (4.4 AF), a large part of his range is draws. And on this particular board, its hard for him to have a big combo draw. I mean, he could have Ah2h, and we are basically flipping. But we are in good shape again all other flush draws w/ our overpairs - so we might as well bump it up.

On the other hand, if you had QQ, and the board was 8h-9h-2s, then there are A LOT of combo draws/2pair/etc that we aren't thrilled to be stacking off w/. In that case, i'd call and then lead a "safe" turn (usually, any non-heart J/10/7/6) against most villains.

As for A-7, i'd usually just muck the flop. I guess against this guy, a case can be made for calling - but if likes to keep firing all kinds of turn cards, you are in a really blah spot.

[ddubois]

I did indeed have A7. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I figured A7 is better than TT, because 2-5 outs against Jx is better than 2, I block Axhh, and I reduce combos of 77. Meh.

I wondered if I could CRAI the turn to get him to fold a jack, yet get called by flush draws that have pairs or gutshots? Does AJ look me up, even this deep? But, if I ever had the balls to make big bluffs, I sure as hell don't now.

[futuredoc85]

i have played a ton w/ him all the way from .5/1 to 3/6 and he has shown me a set every time he has flatted pf and tried to put his stack in post.

[Hoopster81]

didnt read DJ's post yet but,

I'd be check the first two fairly often and bet/fold the other times

The rest of them I am 3betting and feeling great about it

[jj12]

I would b/f QJ, TT and A7. And b3b the other ones. I might b/c AJ and crai on turn. I don't think this is very well balance though and probably makes raising you pretty profitable so it is kinda a play in vacuum. If you play a lot with this guy you gotta vary your line and possibly c/r or c/c some of the decent hand and then put in a move on the turn.