Try to steal another biggish pot created by loose/passive play?

If you want to steal it, your best shot is x/r'ing huge on the flop.

With no blockers at all and three players, all of whom could have a flush (you might see the odd 86s as well), this would be a disastrous move unless the whole table is prone to folding sets - and they've mostly been playing much more like they have flushes than sets. It would be astonishing if they all just had a pair here. Assuming UTG+1 is passive then flop and turn check-calls are OK for the sizing with a gutshot + two overs; much larger and I'd just be check-folding. You opened in EP with K-high (fine), flopped a pretty mediocre flop, got to see turn and river cards cheaply and bricked. Such is life.

I actually fold KJs at a full table in EP but I'm a rock waiting for KK+ ldo (KQs is actually my minimum hand, but that's just where I draw my own line in the sand).

For this lol pricing and everyone involved I'm fine with the flop.

Turn is a little bit more dicey. We've now picked up a double gutter but a crapload of river cards could be dirty and have RIO issues, plus our IO ain't great except on an non-heart Q. But cripes we're getting an ~ok price in what looks like a Limit game, lol. It's dicey and probably borderline-ish?

Eleventeen-ways (we're still lol 5ways, right?) to the river there is far too good a chance we'd be attempting to rep what someone actually has. EZ check/fold for me.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Doc is right, check-raise the flop or fold, but I don’t think you have to go big. You don’t necessarily have to take it down on the flop, just plant the seed that you’re strong & take it down later - if you don’t meet resistance.

As played, I don’t think that calling down was terrible, but nobody will believe you’re strong now, so don’t try to steal. You can’t really represent a back door flush. As mox said, you got thru the streets, but bricked. Such is life.

It does matter how deep stacks are because it will let us know whether check/raising turn with your double gutter (plus overcards) and no one showing much strength is an option. I would have played the entire hand up until then the same way you did, and I would never try to bluff any street besides the turn.

Hero played the hand well. To check raise the flop, you need a read that the Vs are nitty postflop.

GTO would be stupidly nitty here facing a xr 4 ways - like snap folding overpairs type nitty

You need them to be even nittier than that for it to be good exploitatively

On the river, I thought if anyone had a big hand, they would have raised the tiny bets. If I had a backdoor flush, I would bet out. So 1/2 pot bluff breaks even if it works 1/3 of the time. Obviously, 2 pair or better is usually calling.

I get what you’re saying: nobody has shown any strength, so a bet takes it down and this does work often.

I just think that when this many players are in the hand, someone has a hand that they are scared to bet, but they will never fold.

I can’t play in these ‘everyone calls’ situations. I either have to pop it or I fold. I’m folding the flop here. The only way I don’t cbet the flop is if I plan to x-r.

This is where I get lost in these hands on the forum. If I open a hand, I’m going to cbet and continue the story of strength. I don’t care what the board is, I’m not giving up the initiative unless you take it from me.

People with the lead checking flop or turn - puts me in situations that I never personally encounter. I guess it kinda makes sense OOP, but if you’re playing a hand not strong enough to cbet, you should have folded preflop.

UTG opens = very strong range
UTG checks flop = weak range now, missed everything
That’s the language I understand, you let me play perfectly.

I may not have a hand that can beat you, but I ‘know’ you don’t have much. Please don’t say you’re protecting your checking range as this is not online poker.

If you open hands UTG, villains don’t consider your range strong and they’re right; you become what I consider a ‘wide opener’
I exploit these players.

If I’m opening light (prob tighter than you, but KJs UTG is light) then I’m certainly following with aggression. Happy to back off on later streets if necessary, but not changing the story of strength until I have to.

I wouldn’t fault you for trying to steal here. I have certainly done that sort of thing. I’m not looking at the villains - sometimes they’re all sitting there with muck tells.

I don't raise real loose, but it doesn't get 3! often, so can open suited broadway. Don't want to limp or fold quality hands. Low stakes players want to see a flop, and prefer they don't think my raises are strong. Also easier for them to hand read if I always have like 99+/AQ when raising UTG.

Obviously bad flop to cbet and multiway. Have odds to call small bets on flop and turn.

I checked river. 2 people had top pair not great kickers. Wondered if bluff representing flush might have gone through. Would have been slightly better if I was not the preflop raiser.

In this case it may have worked but it was just a special case where no one had much of anything. But far too often at least one of these guys ends up with a flush / straight / two pear / etc. and just cuz they didn't bet it doesn't mean they're gonna fold it.

GprintingbygivingupeasierthanmyopponentsG

played fine

zero chance im CRing the flop after a bet and multiple callers. on a dry board i would argue almost everyone's range is uncapped after this flop action. with no FD on board theres a good chance that the first flop caller has a set or two pair and is trapping.

I don't like cbetting this flop or checkraising the flop or turn. Hard for me to represent, I don't have that much, and it probably hits someone.

I thought of bluffing the river and thought it might have been good more when I saw the show down.

i have used that kind of play in limit O8, bluffing when there is no low on the river and a flush hits or the board pairs. They often don't suspect a bluff and it is normal for people to bet out when they hit. Obviously, get huge odds on the bluff in limit.

Still think a 1/2 pot bluff representing a backdoor flush gets through more than 1/3 of the time, so is profitable. Think it is a good situation with a biggish pot, weak action, and a nut changing card.