Deep 2/5 NL Live, Top two pair, and I play Bad (?)

[tradingman123]

I have posted this in middle limit, but wanted to get the higher stakes players thoughts since this is fairly deep (~300 BBs). Feel free to delete if it doesn't belong here...

Live 2/5 NL. Game is very good, I have been sitting for about 2 hours and have been running pretty good. My image is solid and I have shown down only good hands. I have bluffed a few times and have gotten my opponent to lay down his hand. However, I have yet to get involved with the other big stack at the table, which is the villain.

Villain is a regular, very LAG, plays some very weird hands, he has shown down 10/2 suited when he reraised to 80 pre and hit a flush on the turn. However, I think villain is a pretty good LAG.

I have 1500, opponent has 1600ish.

EP limps, 1 other limper, MP (likes to post oak bluff and raise small) makes it 15, LP calls, Villain calls in Hijack, I call on the button with J/9 off. Blinds fold.

Flop (~90): J/9/4, 2 spades. Post oak bluff player bets 10, tight LP calls 10, Villain pops it up to 60. Hero?

I just called, figuring that I was either way ahead or way behind (flame away... villain is capable of raising here with pair plus flush draw type hands or a set or even TP decent kicker)...

Turn (~220), 5 of spades, making the board: J/9/4/5 with 3 spades. Villain cks, I ck.

River (~220), off suit J, board is now: J/9/4/5/J, I have the nuts. Villain leads for 125, I push... comments?

Should I have raised earlier? Is this pot control too weak tight? If so, where would you raise this?

[Panella]

Wow, great thread

[KingNeo]

Well the way you played it isn't terrible.

I would have raised on the flop to push out any draws as they are all having excellent odds to call.

Why the hell are people betting $10 into a $90 pot?

As far as your play goes, I would raise the flop.

Probably check the turn, either someone made the flush and check to you on the button, so you can get away cheaply on the river, also this will induce river bluffs from people bluffing the flush.

The push on the river isn't bad, I would probably raise something a little more reasonable such as $600-800.

[BIgMc]

What do you think this guy has... If you've been playing solid and haven't shown any bluffs, what kind of value are you getting from this push? I know if I were in Villain's shoes I wouldn't call with any hand other than jacks full (and that wouldn't even be an easy call). Just put a smaller raise down. If his hand is big, he'll push himself.

[alphanumerics]

at first i didnt like it... pushing 1300 more at a 500 pot... seems like a lot... then i liked it cuz a raise to 600 or so looks like a value raise... but i think he pays it off with a flush... which i think he folds for the whole stack... but he may not reraise with an underfull, yet he would pay you off. ::sigh::
i like a value raise, as another boat might push against you, and a flush would pay you off. but the flush would fold to the all in...

[creedofhubris]

[ QUOTE ]

Flop (~90): J/9/4, 2 spades. Post oak bluff player bets 10, tight LP calls 10, Villain pops it up to 60. Hero?

I just called, figuring that I was either way ahead or way behind

[/ QUOTE ]

The rest of the hand looks pretty standard, this is the street where you need to reevaluate your thinking. You are not way ahead or way behind, you have a hand of nutlike power vs. a LAGgy villain. You want to play a big pot with top two here and position. Note position, which is key.

Villain is very very likely to have a draw here. So you have your choice of raising now or raising on the turn if it's a blank.

The problem is that there are a lot of non-blank turns.

You could make it $250 on the flop and see how he jumps. That'll still leave you plenty of room to fold if he moves in on the turn or river.

If he's gonna gamble with you with a draw then raise him on the flop. If he's gonna continue to semibluff huge with a draw then raise him on the turn.

[tradingman123]

Thanks for all your replies. Here is my rationale, I would appreciate any further thoughts from you all...

The issue I had with the flop was that I was putting him on a draw+pair 35% of the time, set 35% of the time and top pair the rest of the time. If I raise the turn, he folds the top pair hand easily and would push with the other two type hands. In that situation, I would be left with a tough decision. For those advocating a raise, would you fold to a push?

On the river, I pushed figuring that either he had a smaller boat or the nut flush (though I put him more on the former than the latter since he cked the turn, I am pretty sure he would bet all his flushes on the turn.) This game plays rather loose and I have never seen anyone fold a boat before...