Line check, deeper 1/3 game

So you completed the SB with trash, flopped top-two pair, simply check-called the flop and turn despite a neon sign flashing "SAFE BOARD, " and folded the river on the assumption that Villain had either Ax or 3x?

I can't tell if this is a troll post or if one of us is having a stroke?

Action isn't clear whether this is 4-handed or 5-handed but no matter, you're getting minimal discount on completing when you have an unsuited two-gapper and ten high. I mean really.

I wouldn't be narrowing a limper's range much based on position when we're short handed, mind you. You'd much rather your hand was bottom two than top two, it's hard to make any money here. On the rare occasions I end up OOP in a limped pot (usually from the BB with ATC) I normally just come out swinging with a bet when I make a hand, as unimaginative as that sounds, although probably I need to work on my limped pots more.

You've got to raise the turn.

Anyone who open limps 54 won't be observant enough to notice they're double gutted on the turn. I doubt V bets flop with a random Ax, but I doubt he bets turn and river with a random Tx. Honestly I don't hate a river fold but we shouldn't be anywhere near the position we're in

no idea why you didnt raise the flop or turn

as played id be tempted to call the river because his line makes no sense and i think he has air very often. its close.

Fold pre

The villain is the straddle, right?

Can't they just have AKo that didn't feel like bloating the pot OOP?

They stab flop, bet their ace on the turn to get value from draws and weaker aces, and now when the board pairs, they are ahead of all two pair hands and bet when checked to, and just are hoping that you have some A5s type hand with backdoors you didn't fold on the flop or turn.

T7o is pretty loose pre, but this is a good check-fold on the river since you lose to all Ax now. You could have lead the river big since you block TT and 77, and TT and 33 and AA aren't likely. But versus an unknown who is maybe never folding a big Ace? Very risky.

And sometimes you'll run into a 3. But really, it's the board pairing that kills you.

First thing fold pre, easiest decision ever. Paying 2.8bb to play absolute garbage OOP, no just no.

Second, action says you have 5 players not 4, I think you added an extra player for your preflop description.

Rest of the hand, I probably lead out or raise flop. After that I play the same.

You could have saved $119 by just folding pre though.

Echoing most of what is said.

For the love of god, fold pre.

I probably raise flop, but call is OK. By turn you gotta raise.

As for River, meh, you got counterfeited. I think this is a fold.

Many I play with shove 2pair on the flop and they likely win this hand. This is why folding to an all-in is usually a smart move at low stakes. Nobody is bluffing.

Personally, I’m fine with your flop play, but I would have check-raised the turn. You have got to give villain the opportunity to fold. If he comes over the top, you know you’re beat.

If I’m villain, I could have just about anything and take this line. Your range appears capped, you have shown no resistance, and it seems likely I can blow you off your hand.

You were there, I can’t read the player, but 2pair is an absolute monster 4 handed. You raise the turn, villain credits you with an ace. If he has AT, you find out now. It becomes all about that ace, because if he has one you’re beat. But villain doesn’t know the board will pair, and he may let that AQ go.

As played, you’ve given yourself a tough river decision by not prying any info out of villain earlier. Any ace beats you, so I can’t argue with the fold now, but I think you let this one get away from you.

Pre:

Flatting is a mistake here imo. I’d much rather be raising with 10/7 than flatting the straddle.

You are the small blind - such a disadvantage here! - folding is probably be the best option (especially with new players coming that you have no idea of how they play) but if you’re gonna play 10/7 four way in early position then raise it up at least pre.
Flop:

Betting here is the best play imo. As played; I get slow playing top two on a dry board but again you’re first to act - you’re better off betting that $25 rather than check calling.

side note - The only way I’m flatting here is if I hit a set - I know it’s a boringly standard play but at 1/3 most players are oblivious that you’re slow playing a monster. They’re usually more worried about draws.

Turn:

As played, you’re in an uncomfortable spot. You didn’t raise pre so it’s hard to rep that you have A10 or A7 type hand (that’s if even the villains are paying attention…which can go either way since some of the players just sat down). Villain definitely hit that Ace is my gut feeling and he probably puts you on 89 or some gutter type of hand cause why else would you just flat the flop?

Now even with that Ace on the flop - you’re probably still ahead unless villain has A10 or A7 (and if he did why didn’t he raise pre also? - a lot of bad playing here) so check calling here isn’t so awful if you put villain on a bare Ace (something like A with a low kicker)

River:

It’s a fold. You laid a trap and it didn’t get sprung. A little bad luck on the river here.

The only critique would be your pre flop play. Raise it up if you’re to play 10/7 type hands in early position.

Sorry for the long winded reply…took the day off and I wrote this while finishing my morning cup of coffee…lol.

I suck at shorthanded and will actually stand up when it gets to four handed in order to wait for a fifth (the minimum number of players to qualify for a BBJ).

Preflop seems meh even for this price and almost closing the action.

Mostly I would just bet/bet/bet and then evaluate if raised. If someone is super aggro I'm ok with a passive check/tarping line, so kinda cool with flop/turn against that type of guy. ETA: I do not agree with others regarding check/raising the turn, which I think in general mostly gets worse to fold and better to continue, plus we actually have a fairly marginal hand that isn't looking to build a large pot.

River is pretty read dependent. The one thing to keep in mind is that even though the combos of value versus bluffs are about the same, it really depends on how often he barrels his bluffs. Some opponents literally never do, but of course always bet their value, so this is just always 100% value (for those opponents). So where does this guy land on the bluffy barrel spectrum? Against an aggrotard, might have to grit our teeth here.

GcluelessshorthandednoobG

Flop we are check/raising here like 100% of the time here for value.

Turn I like donking here since most of V range is checking back.

River probably fold as played.

Grunch:

PRE - from your user name, I'm guessing this is played in TX? Not sure it matters, but I understand the reputation TX games have for being a bit looser pre.

Even so, I think we're probably OK just folding T7o pre, even getting a bazillion to one odds. If we call, multi-way, our plan should be to play hyper-fast post if we hit.

That really ought to be a new theorem for 2+2: when we VPIP garbage, we fast-play when we smash the flop with vulnerable value.

FLOP - For the love of God, this is the most clear donk-bet ever. Don't check. Bet.

The problem is if you check from the SB, action will often check to the BTN, or one of the later-position players. Even if one of them bets, we lose value from the EP players when we check-raise. It's better to just donk out into the field, and get value from as many players as possible before an action-killing turn or river.

As played, when V bets (on the BTN, I assume?), we still have a clear check-raise for value. I'd probably make it at least $100, if not $150, and if we're deep, I might make it $200.

My reasoning is that V is betting over half pot, multi-way, in a limped pot. With four opponents, he's unlikely to have pure air or a really weak hand. If he has pure air or weak value, he's not likely to keep betting on the turn when we call next to act, unless he's maniacal.

If he has a strong hand, he's unlikely to fold to an obnoxiously large check-raise, so we should target his strong hands with a big x/r, rather than flat and hope he continues to barrel with his BS.

TURN - Ugh. Now we're in no man's land. V could have AT, A7, A3, or possibly a worse 2P, or just KT, or 7x that doesn't know when to pump the brakes, and we'll never know before showdown, unless someone starts shoveling money in.

RIVER - Depending on how deep we are, I might block bet small here, to avoid getting blown off our hand. We're beating all his TX that isn't AT or T3. If we block, it's hard for him to raise without a really nutted hand when the board pairs on the end. We could conceivably get here with something weird that boats up, like A3 or T3.

As played, we're getting 2.3 to 1 on a call, with what may be the best 2P. Our hand is pretty under-repped, so that somewhat pushes me towards thinking we should call. At the same time, V is repping pretty strong, like A7 or better. And I'd think some of his AX might slow down and check here, at least sometimes.

I dunno, man. This is a tough spot we've put ourselves in by VPIP'ing garbage and slow-playing when we smash the flop. I don't think it would be terrible to fold or call. I don't think we'd ever want to raise.

Maybe raising the flop would be better. You’ve got to confront villain. It’s not so much about making better hands fold & worse hands call. It’s about you’ve got value, so get some money in the pot. You may get beat by the river, but you’re probably ahead on the flop.

I have replied from the flop forward, because I honestly, would have folded pre-flop. I hesitated, because I’ve caught more than enough flack for playing a speculative hand pre. But there’s not enough money shorthanded to speculate.

You do have to play loose shorthanded, so I might play any ace, but I’m not getting involved in a family pot with T7o. I would be that guy thinking “dang, I would have hit that flop.”