AQ vs Station

Villain is 43/12/1.4 over 61 hands and is a station. Obviously this board sucks for us, I c bet because he insta checked the flop and this is often weakness with these guys. Does this look okay?

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.20 BB (5 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($19.70)
BB ($28.70)
UTG ($5.47)
Hero (MP) ($20.62)
Button ($9.40)

Preflop: Hero is MP with A, Q
1 fold, Hero bets $0.70, 2 folds, BB calls $0.50

Flop: ($1.50) 8, J, 3 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1.20, BB calls $1.20

Turn: ($3.90) A (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $3, BB calls $3

River: ($9.90) 7 (2 players)
BB bets $4.95, Hero calls $4.95

Total pot: $19.80

i actually see the insta check and think flush. if im not sure and i make a bet and they call, i slow down.

I might be just me, but i find insta checks actually correspond to strength, rather than when they take a long time and check, like it was a really tough decision but really they missed completely.. anybody else felt this timing tell??

He's a station and the flop his range pretty hard, so you cbet? If he's a station he's calling with any remote piece of the board and probably any pocket pair...most all of which has a ton of equity against air I dunno (since we don't really have fold equity against him). I just really don't like a cbet here I guess. I'd probably only bet $1 on the flop anyways if I did.

As played I'd call the river, but it kinda seems like a fold to me.

My default play is to check this flop since I agree it hits his range pretty hard. I got one of those feelings his check meant weakness here, and also it is a scary board for him if he has no club or decent pair and the monotoneness will prevent his usual donky floats with air and even low pairs sometimes imo.

I'm overvaluing the timing tell obviously sicne it isn't very accurate.

Been looking to reduce my c bet% since it's currently like 80%. Although a contributing factor to this would be isolating weak limpers and taking it down on the flop - a play I make a ton in position in these games.

i don't like the cbet with this board either, but if you have a good read i MIGHT buy it, but i am slowing down after he calls. its a little suspicious, although i doubt he has a huge draw cause he didnt raise you.

as played, i think i'm calling here. for some reason i think he missed his flush and is just trying to make up for it by making what looks value bet-ish.

Okay you apparently know this dude is a station. So I must ask, why are we c-betting this shit bag drawy flop? Whether he's strong or he's weak, he's a station. Semi-bluffing with 2 overs with 3 to a flush against a station really isn't in my bag of tricks and probably shouldn't be in yours either. Just my .02

If the guy is a true station don't call his river bet.

Just bet/fold against these guys, rarely call - especially a river lead. Although this guy isn't an absolute station since he still does bet sometimes. At worst he's got 2 pair probably.

C-bet looks ok I guess since you're heads up. And when somone insta-checks the flop I'm betting 100% of my range, if they call, I'll make a note that they do it with a draw/strength. Usually the insta-check is followed by an insta-fold so there's no way you can't c-bet here. Screw hindsight I don't see anyone giving a reason not to c-bet. Although if he made a normal timed check I'd probably check back since the board is so wet.

Originally Posted by Airles™

Okay you apparently know this dude is a station. So I must ask, why are we c-betting this shit bag drawy flop? Whether he's strong or he's weak, he's a station. Semi-bluffing with 2 overs with 3 to a flush against a station really isn't in my bag of tricks and probably shouldn't be in yours either. Just my .02

Yeah the c bet was pretty bad, but I've already given my thought process in my previous post, and like I said, this isn't my standard line in this spot. It isn't in my "bag of tricks" but can be called upon when I have some donky read that's prolly bullshit!

On a side note, I think if we all had a set bag of tricks for poker, we'd be rigid players who couldnt adapt to their opponent and would therefore suck.

Also agree with micro on checking back vs a normal timed check. Your post pretty much summarises why I bet here.

Originally Posted by Carroters

Otter for Mod.

Completely off-topic, but where has this Otter been?

fwiw I would cbet as well. Weird thing is he might fold 22/44-77 or some other better hand than yours and he's calling with quite some hands you're slightly ahead of. Also cbetting gives you info which you can use when you hit. Like this hand, you can valuebet turn and river against his flop c/c range.

Snap call river.

I'd cbet, check back the turn and call a river bet if no club

C-bet here isn't too terrible, but yeah with a call I'm likely to call it down if he makes it cheap enough or just check it down. In those levels of games you don't want to put yourself in marginal situations. You hit your ace, if he has nothing or just a flush draw you'll get the pot, if he hit the flop right you get out cheap. Play against this type of guy when you have a hand and get maximum value out of it. Don't play this guy when you have very little.

Play against this type of guy when you have a hand and get maximum value out of it. Don't play this guy when you have very little.

I felt betting the turn was better because:

A. If a club peels off on the river I've often cost myself the pot as much of his range is weak pair with club draw, just the Qc etc etc. I want to make him make a mistake by calling a bet with this sort of hand which he holds quite often imo.

B. I can get value from these hands, top pair, middle pair, pps. I think I'm ahead of is turn range here and can easily bet for value as well as protection.

The fact that he's stationy is surely more of a reason to bet a marginal hand that's ahead of his range, not less of one.

Anyways, he sucks and had 10c 6c and played it so horribly.

don't cbet/bet the turn/insta call the river

This is given your read. Esp. something specific you say he is. Hope this helps.