Line checks on two pretty common spots #1

Low stakes we relentlessly vaue bet. We have top 2, sure flush and straight draws are there, but we have plenty of value from pairs and 2p against typical low stakes player.

If we were larger, this would be a classic bet and fold to a raise place, but with half stack left stick it in.

Jamming, I think we get called by hands like KJ and AQ that played passive. He

i dont think flop and turn are right. river seems close but i guess id check

Grunch:

PRE - I don't hate the raise with KQo on the BTN, but it's important to understand that the limpers aren't limping just to fold to a $15 open at 1/3. If you want your line to seem credible, you'll need to make this at least $20.

Otherwise, it's fine to over-limp with KQo and save the raise for KQs.

FLOP - Betting 1/2 pot multi-way against limpers with a range of ATC isn't accomplishing much. Either bet 1/3 pot or less to see if someone wants to raise, or pot it, to see who likes their hand enough to continue.

Checking back is also an option, for pot control and deception. Our hand doesn't need much protection.

The thing is - these opponents are going to show up with every combo of QJ, Q8, J8, T9, T8, 98, and 88. The only really strong hands they probably won't have when they limp are QQ and JJ.

When we bet 1/2 pot, it's not large enough for most low-stakes recs to fold away their equity, nor is it small enough to induce them to check-raise for value at a high frequency, especially not when there's no flush draw on board.

TURN - So, I don't like lines like this, where the bet sizing is 1/2 pot on flop, 1/2 pot (or less) on the turn, when little or nothing has changed. Okay, 88 is now the nuts, but otherwise, the board-pairing 8 is just a brick.

So, either size down to 40% pot or less, to induce a raise from 8X or better, or size up to get value from all the worse 2P and 1P + a draw in their range, by potting it.

RIVER - First off, we shouldn't be getting to the river with just a 1/2 PSB and a thin value hand. This would be fine if we were nutted on an earlier street and wanted to set up an easy 1/2 PSB jam. But our hand isn't anywhere near strong enough to get here this way.

If we rip it in, what worse hand is calling? I guess maybe QJ or perhaps sometimes worse KX, or maybe AQ if AQ gets here this way. It sucks that the river gives us top 2P but also brings in the flush draw, which V could easily have. If V is really splashy, he might show up with AT.

I think I'd either check it back, because this is too thin to bet, or maybe just bet a stupid-small amount, like $30. The good news is I don't think V gets here with 8x or T9 all that often, when he doesn't x/r the flop or turn. The bad news is that if he has Q8 or J8, we're just losing a big pot.

My preferred line here would have been over-limp or $20 pre, 1/3 pot or less on the flop, either 1/3-40% pot or full pot on turn, and then a small bet for value on the river, when we're just trying to target worse 2P for value.

Results

H makes a sheepish and passive c on the river, and MHIG when V rolls over the imo the only hand that would have called a river bet that I was ahead of and it was KJ

HH#1:

If raising, I probably go a little bigger as we are just that much more cooler with taking it down preflop with this hand. Honestly, this hand is a borderline hand for me now; after 0/1 limpers, I'll almost always raise here, but 3+ limpers I'll often just overlimp here, with 2 limpers kinda being inbetween. It's a meh hand at tables where big hands can be limped, but at least stacks are just deep enough where stacks won't setup a commitment spot HU.

Fairly craptastic flop, imo. I probably bet a lot smaller if betting and then see what happens.

I kinda might be done with the hand when two players call the flop and look to get to a cheap showdown.

By the river, we've built a massive pot with a very mediocre hand and left ourselves probably committed; this isn't something we should be aiming to do, imo. As played, thanks to the weak looking check and our hand now improving to beat AQ/QJ and QT/Q9 perhaps feeling committed, I think I jam.

ETA: After seeing results, is this a typical opponent in your room, or is he the worst player in the pool? The more this is a typical opponent, the more there is an argument for the line we've taken to the river. The more he's the worst player in the room, the more dicey our line is against most of the pool, imo.

Gsmallhand/smallpot,imoG

I’m pretty sure that at Encore with rake promo and tip, the pot on the flop is 50 or less. So bet 15 or 20

Check/call turn and river.