5/10 ... levelling myself into a call...

This hand was at a 2/5 pounds table a few minutes before the hand in question
-comments on this hand are welcome as well

Cryptologic
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $2/$5 pounds
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $1011.90
UTG+1: $498
Hero: $587
Button: $476.50
SB: $490
BB: $376

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is CO with
UTG raises to $20, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls, 2 folds, BB calls.

Flop: ($62, 3 players)
BB checks, UTG bets $45, Hero calls, BB folds.

Turn: ($152, 2 players)
UTG bets $105, Hero calls.

River: ($362, 2 players)
UTG is all-in $841.9, Hero folds.

-same villain in the hand in question as above
-He has been owning me lately at 5/10 and 10/20. I ran a huge 160bb 3 barrel bluff on him the other day that he c/c'd all the way down with a flopped set at 10/20
-I have been folding to a ton of river bets today, to other people and a few hands with him like the hand above
-Given that I had been taking passive lines against him and he's been barrelling on me, I thought the best line here was for sure to call down, but the turn was gross and the river even worse
-up to this point, I'd have to imagine he figures I just fold all riverbets, so am I levelling myself into making a bad hero call here?
-villain is runnin 25/17/3.1 and I have him at 26/20 from UTG over a small sample (only 100 hands UTG)

Cryptologic
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $5/$10
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $1102
BB: $376
CO: $870
Hero: $1572
SB: $626.50
BB: $2929

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is Button with
UTG raises to $40, CO folds, Hero calls, 2 folds.

Flop: ($95, 2 players)
UTG bets $80, Hero calls.

Turn: ($255, 2 players)
UTG bets $170, Hero calls.

River: ($595, 2 players)
UTG is all-in $812, Hero??

thats rly not a bad spot for a hero call

not that id make it probably but its not silly

Hand 1: I would only take this line against a pretty horrible and spewy player. I think either raise flop or fold turn. I prefer the latter.

Hand 2: The turn is a very good card for you, you've got sick IO here because of gameflow. I don't think villain can bluff the river profitably with his image and history. Muckit fistpump!

Originally Posted by pocketfours

Hand 1: I would only take this line against a pretty horrible and spewy player. I think either raise flop or fold turn. I prefer the latter.

P4's, this is a spot I rarely rarely rarely ever raise the flop. Isn't this a definite wa/wb spot on the flop? I can't really see why I would want to raise here and just make him stop barreling into me, especially since thats what he had been doing.

I'd like to hear why raising this flop would be optimal though, especially considering I rarely do it. I'd raise air here or KJ before I raised AJ.

Originally Posted by griffey24

Originally Posted by pocketfours

Hand 1: I would only take this line against a pretty horrible and spewy player. I think either raise flop or fold turn. I prefer the latter.

P4's, this is a spot I rarely rarely rarely ever raise the flop. Isn't this a definite wa/wb spot on the flop? I can't really see why I would want to raise here and just make him stop barreling into me, especially since thats what he had been doing.

I'd like to hear why raising this flop would be optimal though, especially considering I rarely do it. I'd raise air here or KJ before I raised AJ.

I did say I PREFER to call, but I also like a raise because:

1. Many players cbet their entire range on Ace high flops and only about 25% of his range actually contains an ace (guessing he opens utg something like ATo+, A9s+) AND only half of that has you beat.

2. Stuff like 67s, 56s, QT, QJ, KQ all have 5 outs to beat you (even more if you count runner outs) so it's not a strictly wa/wb situation either.

3. I like to raise this flop with a balanced range (sets, two pair, top pair, middle pair and bluffs) instead of a polarized one (sets, two pair and bluffs). This makes it more difficult for my opponent to figure my hand on later streets (this is good for both my calling range and my raising range).

4. I don't like to always call or always raise in a certain spot with any hand. So top pair is included in both my raising range and my calling range here. Almost always calling with top pair in this spot seems to me like a pretty serious leak.

5. Raising makes your style of play more aggressive and intimidating, which is generally considered better. Forces villain to play the guessing game.

Need more?

Originally Posted by pocketfours

Originally Posted by griffey24

Originally Posted by pocketfours

Hand 1: I would only take this line against a pretty horrible and spewy player. I think either raise flop or fold turn. I prefer the latter.

P4's, this is a spot I rarely rarely rarely ever raise the flop. Isn't this a definite wa/wb spot on the flop? I can't really see why I would want to raise here and just make him stop barreling into me, especially since thats what he had been doing.

I'd like to hear why raising this flop would be optimal though, especially considering I rarely do it. I'd raise air here or KJ before I raised AJ.

I did say I PREFER to call, but I also like a raise because:

1. Many players cbet their entire range on Ace high flops and only about 25% of his range actually contains an ace (guessing he opens utg something like ATo+, A9s+) AND only half of that has you beat.

2. Stuff like 67s, 56s, QT, QJ, KQ all have 5 outs to beat you (even more if you count runner outs) so it's not a strictly wa/wb situation either.

3. I like to raise this flop with a balanced range (sets, two pair, top pair, middle pair and bluffs) instead of a polarized one (sets, two pair and bluffs). This makes it more difficult for my opponent to figure my hand on later streets (this is good for both my calling range and my raising range).

4. I don't like to always call or always raise in a certain spot with any hand. So top pair is included in both my raising range and my calling range here. Almost always calling with top pair in this spot seems to me like a pretty serious leak.

5. Raising makes your style of play more aggressive and intimidating, which is generally considered better. Forces villain to play the guessing game.

Need more?

haha.. good reply sir.. good reply!

Yah, I should have been more specific. I almost always call in this spot primarily against this opponent, or opponents like him who I believe will barrel on me. I would balance my range here by flatting pretty much my entire range against him (66, AQ etc...).

Though I do agree in generally I should be raising some strong top pair hands here to merge my range a little better.

I do think thats a leak of mine at the moment, raising a far too polarized range and not adding in more strong marginal hands that may or may not be ahead.

thats a rly good post p4s

Yeah agree with p5's about the first hand.

I fold both hands pretty fast though. Opps normally are too pussy to bluff here or steal a split, 2nd hand river hit some of his two barrels.