$25 NL HE STT: Tough spot with pocket aces

[fundiver199]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

STT

Buy-in

25

Game Options

1. Turbo

Currency

$

We are just a few hands into a Fifty/50 SnG on pokerstars. The opponent was playing VPIP 43 / PFR 26 over 28 hands, and his flop donk percentage was 100 (3 out of 3). How would you play this hand?

PokerStars, $23.85 + $1.15 - Hold'em No Limit - 15/30 - 8 players
Hand delivered by CardsChat - https://www.cardschat.com/hand-converter.php

UTG: 1,500 (50 bb)
UTG+1: 1,500 (50 bb)
MP: 1,500 (50 bb)
MP+1: 932 (31 bb)
CO: 1,350 (45 bb)
BU (Hero): 1,425 (48 bb)
SB: 1,755 (59 bb)
BB: 2,038 (68 bb)

Pre-Flop: (45) Hero is BTN with A♦ A♣
5 players fold, Hero raises to 75, SB calls 60, 1 fold

Flop: (180) J♣ K♠ 4♣ (2 players)
SB bets 90, Hero raises to 216, SB calls 126

Turn: (612) A♥ (2 players)
SB bets 306, Hero?

 

[300HPGOD]

Pre I would 2.5 as well although a case can be made for 3x at 50 BBs. We do want to at least be called here so I personally like 2.5x and that is what I would do in game as well.

On the flop I agree that you should raise here but the fact we have the Ace of clubs is important. It cuts down on villains flush draws. I am with you that when we raise here we want to get called but I think if villain is calling a raise of 90 to 216 they would also call a raise of 90 to 275. I would go slightly bigger here since later in the hand if the runout goes our way we can more easily get it in. The smaller raise sizing is nicer if we are worried they will come back over the top of us but I still prefer slightly bigger here for value on this street and future streets.

On the turn we get a nice card and only now have to worry about Q10 (I discount flush draws since we have the the ace of clubs but they are possible, just less likely). With that said the only river cards I am really worried about are a Q or 10. I dont think villain plays this way with J10 or Q10 so it is only KQ and K10 that worry me if even a Q or 10 comes on the river. I think the more plus EV chip way to play this would be to call here on the turn and let villain continue to do what they are doing with the intention of calling/jamming all rivers (even Q, 10, or a club). The less variance route would be to jam here which you can still easily get called by worse (Kx clubs, KJ, maybe even even pair and draw hands). Depends on your risk tolerance but even though at times they might draw out on us I would just call turn and keep all worse hands in. It does look strong when we call over 1/4th our stack on the turn but I dont think villain is thinking that way based on the donk lead stats you posted plus the way they are playing here. So I believe they will most likely lead river as well which we can then put it in. If they do check then we get it in with less than a pot sized shove. I also think flush draws on the turn bet less then half pot here trying to buy a priced in scenario so I rule that out even more meaning there are less rivers we have to worry about.

 

[fundiver199]

Thanks for the input. I agree about going larger with my raise on the flop, since bad players are usually rather inelastic on the early streets. To be honest I was clicking buttons. I have some preset bet sizes, and 40% pot is the most commonly used, but in this case hitting the 60% pot button or adjusting manually would have been better. And of course strictly for value against someone, who appear to be a habitual donk bettor having done it now 4 out of 4 times.

On the turn its true, that I block the nut flushdraw, but any Q or T will put a 1-liner to a straight, which will not be fun, if he jam the river, and it might also kill my action, if I am still ahead. Moreover when he donk again after getting raised on the flop, this is actually showing a lot of strenght. Not to the point, where I would ever consider folding either now or on a blank river. If he has QT and turned a straight, good for him. But I think, his range is much wider than just QT, and I also dont think, he is going to fold, if I raise him again. So I jammed, and here are the results:

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[eetenor]

We are just a few hands into a Fifty/50 SnG on PokerStars. The opponent was playing VPIP 43 / PFR 26 over 28 hands, and his flop donk percentage was 100 (3 out of 3). How would you play this hand?

PokerStars, $23.85 + $1.15 - Hold'em No Limit - 15/30 - 8 players
Hand delivered by CardsChat - https://www.cardschat.com/hand-converter.php

UTG: 1,500 (50 bb)
UTG+1: 1,500 (50 bb)
MP: 1,500 (50 bb)
MP+1: 932 (31 bb)
CO: 1,350 (45 bb)
BU (Hero): 1,425 (48 bb)
SB: 1,755 (59 bb)
BB: 2,038 (68 bb)

Pre-Flop: (45) Hero is BTN with A♦ A♣
5 players fold, Hero raises to 75, SB calls 60, 1 fold

Flop: (180) J♣ K♠ 4♣ (2 players)
SB bets 90, Hero raises to 216, SB calls 126

Turn: (612) A♥ (2 players)
SB bets 306, Hero?

Thank you for posting
With this pattern of betting the range on turn leans to set of 4's and straights and goofiness no thin value here. So the turn is a call decide river to keep the goofiness in. We also have outs to crack a straight which there are way more combos of straight than 44- or A4 or AJ

 

[eetenor]

Thanks for the input. I agree about going larger with my raise on the flop, since bad players are usually rather inelastic on the early streets. To be honest I was clicking buttons. I have some preset bet sizes, and 40% pot is the most commonly used, but in this case hitting the 60% pot button or adjusting manually would have been better. And of course strictly for value against someone, who appear to be a habitual donk bettor having done it now 4 out of 4 times.

On the turn its true, that I block the nut flushdraw, but any Q or T will put a 1-liner to a straight, which will not be fun, if he jam the river, and it might also kill my action, if I am still ahead. Moreover when he donk again after getting raised on the flop, this is actually showing a lot of strenght. Not to the point, where I would ever consider folding either now or on a blank river. If he has QT and turned a straight, good for him. But I think, his range is much wider than just QT, and I also dont think, he is going to fold, if I raise him again. So I jammed, and here are the results:

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OMG that is great I love that this player is just giving you chips--my post still gets this guys stack as like i said you want to keep in the goofiness but wow just wow

 

[fundiver199]

OMG that is great I love that this player is just giving you chips--my post still gets this guys stack as like i said you want to keep in the goofiness but wow just wow

I was also like "wow", when he flipped over his cards. I thought, he had at least something decent like a worse set, two pair, a flushdraw, a pair+gutshot or even just the case ace, that he somehow got to the turn with. But no. Just K6 offsuit and drawing stone dead to top set. I except to see something like this in a freeroll or a 2$ SnG but not in one for 25$