Live, 4 handed Villain is a holdem kid who does well in omaha as well but lacks reading skill in stud... doesn't read other players boards well especially

Same game as always .5/1 NLHE and PLO and 2/4 stud with quarter ante and dollar bring-in

Hero is dealt T J K

Villain has 9 showing and completes on 3rd street

Fold to hero who calls

Bring in folds as well Other two players up cards were both little and neither or

So there is $6 in the pot and we head to 4th...

I get the Q leaving me open ended

Villain gets K

Hero Checks Villain Bets Hero Calls

Hero gets A

Villain gets 7

Villain has an unpaired un coordinated board of 9 K 7

Hero has Broadway... I'm very certain I will win this hand at this point and Villain will for sure play to river to see if he makes a hand...

So I check raise raise 5th and 6th... He got the 8 on 6th so I'm praying he makes his lower straight as he will go crazy with raises

Going to the River there is $28 dollars in the pot

As a little side note I never looked at my river card just to see if anyone at the table was paying attention and only my brother noticed sitting directly to my right

I decide it's best not to check raise the river if he doesn't make a hand he will likely check behind me so I bet he raises...

I'm still very certain I have the winning hand but I slow down for a second and think of his possible holding... He has 2 clubs showing so he could have gone runner runner to make a flush which kind of goes with his 3rd street completion bet... if he had 3 clubs in the hole he'd probably raise...

I think either the lower straight, 2 pair, trips are more likely so I raise to $12 Do you like this play? Should I be cautious or is this a good raise for "finding out if he has the flush" - I hate that notion

He reraises and now I'm just confused so I just call...

Pot of $60

Thoughts all around

Thanks

James

What did you have showing on 6th? It's hard to dissect his thought process if we don't even know what your board is that he's looking at. He can't give you any real credit for broadway here, but if your 6th paired you or put another broadway card out there, it changes the hand entirely.

With the information given I can't imagine capping river being anything less than a hugely +EV situation considering any flush possibility is runner runner backdoor, and we essentially have to pay-off sets. Top players will question who could cap against you unable to beat a broadway straight, but the answer is: A NL/PLO player who donks it up in stud. That's exactly this situation. If he's got you beat, boo-hoo, you got your money in good on 3rd/4th/5th/6th. with a chance to be looked up light on 7th. Plus, it's 4-handed. Kings up is the nuts! Recognize!

i would play the early streets a LOT more aggressively, raising 3rd and capping 4th (this will make it a lot more difficult for him to put you on a straight. if you just cap 4th after playing 3rd passively, you're fairly transparent against most decent players). as played, c/ring 5th and 6th is sexy, though.

also, when you're playing live and you're strong, ALWAYS look at your river card and subtly act like you need it to help you out.

I couldn't tell you exactly what my card on 6th was... I had made my hand and had no draws to a flush or anything so I was really just focused on his board hoping he was catching enough to pay off my hand... but I know what you saying that my card is important because of how he see's the hand being played

Thanks


James

In this situation, I'm inclined to give credit until villains demonstrate they don't deserve it.

If you give him credit him as decent in other games, I'm going to assume he has at least a minimal awareness of whats going on. We are showing AKQ?, haven't shown ourselves to be concerned about his bets, and have actually cr'd twice and have led out on the river. I can't assume all of this is getting by him.

Against regular low limit donks, the raise typically means we're beat. Considering it's shorthanded and he's competent at other forms of poker, I will open my expectations of him raising with a worse hand (kings up or something). But he has to confirm he'll do this with a lesser hand before I 3bet him here. So I'm going to call, and adjust my call/raise percentages for the next time.

I'm showing KQA6 with no flush draw...

I am more than happy to give a player credit until they prove otherwise... but I know him to be a weak stud player

He had two pair on the end; Ks and 9s

He said he pegged me for the broadway draw...

It was an interesting hand and his play on the river was courageous



James

lol.. so in what form of poker does raising someone who you put 'on a draw' a profitable move? He can't expect a *fold* from anything that beats Kings up, and anything that beats him raises and collects an extra bet or two.

Hug him, tell him you got lucky, do whatever it takes to keep him at the table.

That is the funniest thing I'd read in a while...