Villain is brand new to the table.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)

UTG ($49.25)
UTG+1 ($60.05)
MP1 ($50.25)
MP2 ($61.25)
CO ($147.55)
Button ($68.80)
SB ($82.55)
Hero ($61.65)

Preflop: Hero is BB with T , 8 .
UTG raises to $1.5, 4 folds, Button calls $1.50, SB calls $1.25, Hero calls $1.

Flop: ($6) 8 , 8 , A (4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, Button checks.

Turn: ($6) 3 (4 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $3.5, UTG calls $3.50, Button folds, SB folds.

River: ($13) J (2 players)
Hero bets $5.5, UTG raises to $44.25, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $62.75


I think leading the flop may be better, but it could go either way, IMO.

River is my biggest question. Clearly my hand is strong, but can you see anything that isn't AA or a remote possibility of JJ playing like this? I also think I should have bet more on the river, anyone think that could have elicited a bluff from the preflop raiser?

Does anyone call here? Is the fold good?

Merci beaucoup.

Fold preflop. (ok, maybe not, but I had to say it)

Bet flop.

Bet more on the turn.

As played, fold river.

I'll defend my preflop call to the death, given the depth of a lot of the stacks at the table.

The rest is what I put in my OP, so I got that going for me

Zach, from what I have read, you know what the hell you are doing


Why the heck are you asking for our help?

I know, that's why I put in brackets NOT to fold PF. Too much money in
there to not at least see a flop.
You played the rest pretty weakly, like you already said.

As played, fold.

Your flop play is more suited for an 882 flop than an 88A flop. In this instance you want to find the preflop raiser with a strong Ace and try to sell an unsure ace for the rest of the hand.

river is probably a good fold, but I hate folding to sets. but, this is rarely a bluff and villian should be concerned w/ the 88 since so many people saw the flop.

i'm probably calling this on the river. i think it's a nit-tastically played AK/AQ/AJ/bluff way more often than AA/JJ. a really strong hand is more likely to raise small on the end; this looks like he doesn't want a call. betting the flop is much, much better than checking, too.

I'm calling too. This is a pretty friendly board to trips...no flushes or straights.

Say he's got 3s or Jacks full - if he knows you've got an 8, then of course he's pushing the river knowing you'll have trouble folding. But by the way you've played this hand he probably doesn't figure you for an 8. You're just betting kinda weakly on the last two streets. Now if you had C/R on the flop and led out on the turn, or led out on both streets, and he THEN pushed on the river, you can safely fold knowing he's got a weak 8 beaten.

As others have said, you really should bet this flop, and bet more on the turn (river bet would be dependent on flop and turn action). At higher stakes, I'd say this could easily be a good player taking the pot away from you, as your bets scream weakness. As played, I'd fold. Oddly enough, if you were playing 1-2 or higher, I might be advocating a call.

As a final note, it's entirely possible that villain has JJ and caught his boat on the end. His play is consistent with a JJ that would like to see a cheap showdown and found his gin card on the river.

good fold, this is played exactly like JJ by the villian. You are not heavily invested so this is a fold.

the hand plays out extremely differently if you lead the flop here and preflop is a no brainer call with deep stacks.

i likely call this as well as id say strong ace maybe even aj and he caught aces up on the river. i call but its opinion...

Lesson here seems to be, bet the flop and turn more aggresively. There would be less question of what the villian had, strong ace vs. a boat with either AA or JJ, based on their reaction to someone demonstrating more strength.

I think you can make a case for folding or calling here based on the way you played the hand.

I would lay 2:1 that the villain had aces here. Good fold. I'm too bad to fold here, but I think you had to make it.

Hands that beat us now include
J8
A8
K8
Q8
JJ
AA
33

I think its a good fold, but Im not saying I make it.

But of these hands, how many can he reasonably hold seeing as how he was the pf raiser? Tough to put him on AA/JJ, because he would probably want to get more money in the pot, not push you off of your hand. I would guess that AK/AQ/AJ would play it the same, definitely tough. I'd probably call.

I don't know. I thought about it, and timed out during the hand. I could really really see AA or JJ making this play, putting me on that 8, or even an A, and want me to pay him off his whole stack. Not all players would do this, but it certainly cannot be ruled out.