Live 6/12 game, playing second orbit. I'm familiar with 7 of the 9 players at the table, it plays a lot like 1/2 game online would with any draw being chased no matter the price to the river. Villain is solid but basic ABC player, he is a little passive when faced with a lot of aggression.

Hero UTG+1 dealt As Ah

UTG folds, Hero Raises, 1 fold, Villain 3 bets, folds to Hero, Hero calls.

Flop: (7.5 sb) 9s, 5h, 2c

Hero checks, Villain bets, Hero calls

Turn (9.5 sb) Ks

Hero checks, Villain bets, Hero raises, Villain calls

River (8.75 bb) 4c

Hero bets, Villain calls



When Villain 3 bets my range for him goes to AK, AA (unlikely), KK, QQ, JJ and maybe AQs based on hands I had seen him 3 bet in previous sessions. If I 4 bet preflop anything he has besides AA/KK is going to shrink up without hitting the flop. I don't raise the flop because I wanted to get the extra bet in on the turn and try to squeak out as much as I can heads up.

Anyone get more aggressive preflop or on the flop with that type of player?

Should I be more worried about defining my hand/protecting it.

I've done this heads up in tight passive games, but I always feel like I should just cap and keep the lead.

Conflicting reads here, with the game as a whole chasing any draw to the river, but this player shrinking up on the flop if you cap.

Overall I like the line based on your read, but I try and remind myself never to slow play anything, so I'm conflicted.

Id raise or bet out on the flop and hope he has an overpair. A passive guy probably isnt going to bet AK ui on the turn so waiting for the turn doesnt seem optimal.

I prefer playing my AA aggressively by capping every time preflop.

I disguise it by playing lesser hands just as aggressively.

If a 3rd player entered the pot that's how I would have went about it, but once I got to heads up and thought I had a good read on my opponents holdings and was looking to maximize value. At this table there isn't much capping preflop and 4 betting usually screams AA. And actually at my B&M once your heads up there is no cap on the # of bets.

Leading the flop might have been a good idea and is probably where I missed the most value in the hand. He probably raises me on that board and I can get at least an extra sb in there.

I disguise my hand by playing my lesser hands just as aggressively.

I don't hate your line though.

I feel generally the same way.

If he's a tight passive player, why not give him a chance to call down with his QQ?

I realize deception value is what you're going for here, but I think you'll make more money pedal to the metal. Cap flop, bet/3bet flop, turn, and river.

Hypothetical question to support my point:

What do you do if he had 3-bet your check/raise on the turn K? He might have hit KK, or he might be reasserting his AK. In any event, you'd have to call down anyway. So why not spend the money building up fold equity and extracting value on earlier streets?

i don't hate this line, in that its strong metagame-wise, since you can play lots of other hands the same.

i do think you get more value by check-raising a nice low flop like that, or leading a turn. in situations where we're playing live, and metagame/pattern recognition might not be important, i'll generally look at the board. if nothing significant arises, i'll take your line. on a low flop i'll generally c/r and let him 3-bet, then c/r the turn, but that might not be best if he's too passive to 3-bet this flop even with his range.

for this specific hand (sorry for the blab), i much prefer leading the turn. he's never folding except maybe AQ, and he may raise AK. if we c/r we risk folding QQ and getting 3-bet by KK, since presumably he never 3-bets AK.

sorry, i'm blabbing. basically i'd suggest taking advantage of a flop that he knows you haven't hit, and force him to 3-bet, then get your value on the turn.

I would worry passive players don't bet the turn. (not this turn specifcally, I just mean, planning 2 streets ahead that you'll be able to get in 1 extra BB while giving up a certain SB preflop is a lot to aks for.)

This is a hand where I'll often check/raise the flop, and lead some turns, but go ahead and try to check-raise others.

You might be better served by capping preflop, leading the flop, and THEN check/raising the turn, or just firing out on every street depending on board texture. IN plenty of situations, hands like TT-QQ can't help but bet when checked too, even when it's terribly suspicious.


Wang