Top set in $1/$2 no limit home game.

There's a live straddle to $4, and I raise to $8 total with J-J in late position. A loose donkey calls my raise, as does the player who straddled. The straddler is somewhat fishy as well, but occasionally makes aggressive semi-bluffs. Flop comes J, 2, 3 rainbow, straddler checks to me, I bet $12, donkey folds, and straddler raises to $24. What are his likely hands, and what is the best way to proceed?

I think he can make this play with any 2.

He was in for 4 blind, and had to call the raise just based on odds.
The fact that he straddled shows he's a gambler.

The flop comes J high and more than half of the hands that are a typical raise from your position are overcards that missed.
16 combinations each of AK, AQ (32 total hands)
6 combinations each of AA-JJ (24 total hands)

His raise is good to set up a turn bluff to fold out AK/ AQ.

I think you have to proceed just as you think he would if he had AK. (or how he thinks you would play AK)
Specifically bite your lip, lean back in your chair give your strongest mean look and call.
If he bets the turn you have to try to "bluff" him out of the pot. If he doesn't bet, you make a weak " I hope you fold" bet, and hope he comes over the top again.

I thought exactly the same as demi. I wouldn't make his range as large as any two though. I'd put him on a pp >3 and <JJ.

Playlike a busted AK as demi said.

What does to "straddle" mean?

"Straddle": to put in a voluntarily blind after the big blind, double the size of the big blind, without looking at the cards.

T.

Also, in some casinos/home games, when you straddle you are given last option before the flop. Basically you assume the role of the BB.

Some casinos don't give you the option though, and a straddle turns into a dead bet.

getting C/r'd with top set is heaven. what happened? (btw i ham up a call here, and very likely flat call a turn bet too)

So, do you have to be drunk to straddle, or does it just help?

How deep is the money?

Without this information any further comment is useless.

Originally Posted by iRICHeyes

Play like a busted AK.

I take back what I said....sort of...

Check/folding is clearly incorrect.

Fnord, we each had reasonably-sized stacks (he had about $100, and I had him covered with about $300).

I knew he wasn't capable of doing this as a pure bluff, so I figured he probably either had bottom two pair (he was that loose), a set, or a straight draw, given that there was only one jack remaining in the deck. For each of these hands I thought the best play for me was to reraise. I also wanted to build the pot beyond his min-raise. So I reraised, he thought for a while, turned over the case jack and folded.

I think I probably acted too quickly, since after thinking back on how this guy plays, he usually slow-plays sets and two pair, and check-raises with top pair "for information." So, even though I had top set, it was still reasonably likely that he was holding only top pair. He also heavily overplays top pair, so I think I lost a lot of money by not slow-playing.

i definitely wouldnt reraise into such a show of strength. theres a time for a slowplay (and this is it).

Originally Posted by dsaxton

Fnord, we each had reasonably-sized stacks (he had about $100, and I had him covered with about $300).

With deeper money a 3-bet might be a better idea. He has around $70ish behind with a $70ish pot. You still have 2 streets left to get it all in.

Originally Posted by journey075

i definitely wouldnt reraise into such a show of strength. theres a time for a slowplay (and this is it).

I think it's often a good idea to fast play a monster against strength. Your opponent is going to give you action, why not let him? There is some risk that you may slow an opponent down who wouldn't have otherwise, but if done carefully, you often win a lot more than you would have by slow-playing. (By carefully, I mean using lines like check-raising the flop, calling a reraise, then checking the turn, check-raising the flop, then checking the turn, leading the flop, calling a raise, and then checking the turn. Essentially any aggressive play that can later be disguised as weakness. These have the dual benefit of building the pot while still leaving your opponent confident in his hand.)

To answer the question. The best way to play this is clearly to flat call. This is a situation where you dream of being UTG. That position would make this hand way more profitable.

T.