Stacks: Hero - $1200, Villian - $700

Read: Villain was a guy in his late 20's who seemed to be a solid TAG. I had been playing with him most of the night but had yet to play a significant pot against him. He seemed to be a solid player and also mentioned that he had recently won a ME seat at Bodog.

Preflop: UTG made a live straddle, so it was $10 to go. Hero called from UTG+2 with 2 2 . Villain, immediately to my left, called also. It folded to the BB who called and UTG checked his option.

Flop: 2 5 5

BB checked, UTG bet $15. Hero called and Villain made it $55 total. BB folded, UTG folded, and I called fairly quickly.

Before the turn came out Hero checked dark.

Turn: 3

After much thought, Villain bet $75. Hero made it $200 total. After about 4 or 5 minutes, Villain flashes a 5 and folds. He told me his kicker was a 4 which would have made him open-ended.

Where did Hero go wrong here? Reraise the flop? Take the lead on the turn rather than check dark?

I know that checking dark is unconventional, but I figured he would assume I was on a draw and would bet any non-heart hard.

Thanks in advance.

A solid TAG does not chase an open-ended straight draw on a paired board that shows a flush draw.

I have no idea why checking in the dark would mean you are on a draw. It seems it just as likely means 'I have the current third nuts and hope you can call my raise'. This kid seems like a decent player and saw through your ploy.

I am not sure you are getting much more out of this hand any other way. You called a bet on the flop, then called a reraise out of position. Your hand screams monster, not flush draw. Re-reraising the flop seems even more obvious. I may just push this flop if my image is one where persons think I am capable of pushing A Q .

TAG just made a big laydown. You played it well, but must have a HUGE tell, for someone to lay down trips, knowing, they cant be drawing dead. If it was me, I shove and pray. Just in the future, try not to phil helmuth shiet, and dark check. Its stupid.

This is a standard line I'd take against a donk.

Against a solid TAG I would call the turn and bet into him on the river.

If you're TAG, do you lay this down? How can you? Cant be drawing dead here. At best our opponent has 53, which is a small range in which to fold set/OESD.

checking in the dark is gay fps at it's finest...instead of checking in the dark, lead into your opponent for 1/2 to 2/3 the pot...I think you have a better chance of him re-raising you or worst case calling you with a 5.

What hands could hero have against which TAG is a favorite? With what does hero cold call twice on the flop and check raise the turn? Aside from an exceptionally tricky player executing an exceptionally elaborate semi-bluff or an idiot with an overpair, at best TAG is against a ridiculously played naked case 5. A 5 is the minimum with which I can see someone using this line, and TAG is drawing to 11 outs at best with a slim chance of getting paid off if either the A or 6 hit, and the possibility of not getting paid off if any A or 6 hit. The fold is not difficult if TAG realizes this scenario is the best for which he can hope.

He has to call 125 to win 440. With one card to come, hez got rougly a 1/4 chance of hitting one of his 11 outs (if he thinks they are all live). Pretty sure he's getting the right price to call.

I bet 1/3 ish right into him on the turn... smooth call his inevitable raise trying to blow you out of the pot then smash the river


but thats just me

I like this line. Really unorthodox.

I push the flop, or at least reraise the flop

Re-raise the flop. If you choose to just call, lead the turn for 1/2 or so. Your quick call and check check-raise in the dark really gave away your hand. If you wanted him to think you were on a draw than why raise anyway?

Thanks for all of the responses. It is pretty interesting to see all of the different thoughts on how to play one hand.

After reading the responses and thinking over the hand some more I am still not sure what I should have done on the flop. However, assuming all of the flop betting happened as it did I am convinced that there are two ways to proceed that would be better than any others.

First, I could take the lead on the turn and bet about $100 (into a $165 pot). I think at this point villain would have gone into call down mode. Then on the river, assuming the board didn't pair, I would have bet about $150. I am pretty confident that the villain would have paid off those two bets.

The second line I could have taken is to smooth call the turn bet and then make a large over bet (maybe $400) on the river. I think this would even better if a non-heart fell since it would look like a busted flush draw.

Thoughts?

heres how i wouldve played it:

fold preflop
lead out on the turn

your flop play sort of screams a weak 5. and on the turn, villian had the weakest 5 so i can see how he got the fold.