$100 NLHE, Pacific Poker

Stacks of the parties involved:
MP ($96)
MP+2 ($121)
Hero ($107)

I'm on the button with J :icon_suit_club: J :icon_suit_diamond:. My image kind've sucks right now because I keep missing flops while my opponents seem to be outdrawing my hands. Four folds, and MP, a player who got stacked about an hour ago on his first hand holding tp2k against a set raises to $3.00. Because of his recklessness, I put him on a TV tournament range of raising hands (couple of big cards, 77s or higher). One fold, MP+2 flat calls. MP+2 reraised with QQ earlier, so I have him on a smaller pair, two big cards, or suited connectors(since he busted a raiser earlier with them). CO folds, I reraise to $12. Both blinds fold, MP and MP+2 call. (pot ≈ $36.00)

FLOP = 4 :icon_suit_club: 6 :icon_suit_spade: 4 :icon_suit_diamond:

MP checks, MP+2 checks. I decide that MP+2 is probably holding a pair, so the only hands he holds that might beat me would be 44 or 66. As for MP, I'm not really sure what he has. Some players like to just call a PF reraise with AA because they know their opponent has a big, but smaller, pocket pair. However, seeing how fast he played when he thought he had the best hand (the tp2k hand earlier) made me doubt I was behind.

I bet $22. MP pushes all-in for $84. MP+2 folds. It's now $62 to call. (pot ≈ $142)

Gut check time. At this table, I've been forced to fold to an all-in raise several times, once when I was bluffing, and twice when the board wasn't too pleasant (overcard to pair, KQT suited in spades holding AK w/ no spade). MP has been here for each of those folds. I know from experience that the all-in move online is typical of a player representing a bluff when strong, but I can't fold to it every time. I decide I'm up against four possibilities: (1) a semibluff with some overcards to the board (2)a lower overpair to the board; (3)a overpair that he slowplayed; (4) the unlikely set of fours or sixes over fours.

I'm a pretty big favorite to the lower pair and the overcards, but I'm crushed otherwise. Given the previous action (MP's earlier play + my folds to all-in moves), I decide it's time to take a stand. I call.

TURN: A :icon_suit_diamond:

RIVER: Q :icon_suit_club:

(final pot ≈ $204)

I thought about it after and figured my bet on the flop was large enough to define my hand, so was calling a good play(I pretty much announced I was strong)? I was already pretty much committed, so I don't think a larger flop bet was necessary... maybe I should've made it more expensive preflop? Was a fold better here, since MP has to put me on a big pair since I reraised preflop(ie. I'm probably not folding)? In hindsight I'm guessing the call is probably pretty marginal at best, because even MP should realize I'll get tired of folding to big bets eventually.

Given that you raised 12x the BB (im assuming .5/1) I dont see much calling here that you have beat except maybe AK. The fact that there are 2 callers pf complicates things, if its full ring i fold, 6 max i think im still folding here.

Yeah, I understand you're frustrated with the cold-decking, but it seems like you want to make a call here because you finally have a good hand with a good flop, and aren't interested in feeling out the players in the hand with you, particularly the mofo who decided to checkraise you. He probably has QQ, I don't think AK is an option (he would've reraised preflop if he was willing to checkraise postflop), and 10-10 or lower would've bet out.

Since you have a good read on the style of play at this table, would you possibly consider checking this flop? Putting in a bet to protect your hand is almost always the right play, but considering (again) what you believe their possible holdings to be, you have to think that you are going to AT LEAST get a call here by an AQ or AK, and certainly by a higher pocket pair. You should've just let the $36 or whatever go and just punched a pillow instead of getting rid of the rest of your stack.

RESULTS:

I show [J :icon_suit_club: , J :icon_suit_diamond: ] for Two Pair, Jacks and Fours
Villain shows [6 :icon_suit_club: , 7 :icon_suit_club: ] for Two Pair, Sixes and Fours

Despite being right when the results were on the table, I still question my call. Thanks for the input.

Haha, I just realized you were playing at Pacific Poker, I could have called out that hand! 6c7c. Well you didn't put him on an overpair so your read was correct. You probably wont be profitable enough in the long run to keep on cold calling all in with jacks but in this case it worked out in your favor. Now that you see he had 6c7c you could definitly see him calling with A4suited or another weak hand.

COME ON IT'S PACIFIC POKER, THE PLAYERS ARE TERRIBLE!!!

(sw)