Further on in my session, I've been stagnating at the $2100-2200 level for quite a while (hours) when the following hand comes up. Villian, a semi-regular at the game whom I respect and who respects me, has about $600. He's one of the better players at the table, and can be tricky at times. I am on the button with , and I limp along with about two thirds of the table. SB completes, and villian checks. The flop comes:

($21)

I couldn't really have hoped for a better flop. Villain checks, UTG+1 bets out for $15 dollars, all fold to me. I make it $40 straight. Villian cold calls, UTG+1 folds. Turn comes:

($112)

Not a great card for me, but all the same a card that appears unlikely to have helped anyone else. Villian leads out for $50, which seems pretty weak. UTG+1 folds, and I feel like I can take this pot down with a raise, so I bump it up to $150 straight. Anybody smoothcall here? I probably should have, because villian calls the raise (uh oh) and the river comes:

($412)

Villian pushes all in for his last $400 (approximately). Your action?

Thoughts on all streets appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Eric

I think you fold here, especially if you respect him. He cold calls a bet and re-raise on the flop and then makes a weak lead on the turn. He probably puts you on a straight and makes his FH on the river.

Love the flop play with your big raise. Make these guys think more about their hands while representing all sorts of different hands yourself.

I bump it up on the turn as well. I thinking $200 straight not $150. That added $50 just seems like a lot more to me...."could be a bluff but probably isn't" kinda raise. I like this raise because he can't put you on the flush draw..which means if you hit you make a ton. (position, position, position!). Not to mention it gives you a very good chance of winning the hand there. Straight draw isn't gonna make you more then whats already in the pot, since it is so obvious, but still gives you more outs.

On the river..you missed everything. An obvious fold...unless you have some kind of incredible read on him and know he is stone cold bluffing. so yeah it's a fold 99.9 % of the time Looks to me like a fullhouse with 43 or 54 in the BB. A big bet trying to look weak.

I don't understand villian's play at all. You said he was decent, so I can't imagine what he's cold-calling a bet AND a raise with. If he has any straight, I'm sure he would re-raise since you played the flop like you had a set and he doesn't want you filling up. If he's got a set himself, I don't think he'd smooth-call either, especially with UTG+1 still around. He could have a draw similar to yours (65, 75, 66, 77, etc), a double belly buster draw with A7, or some sort of other draw. I really can't put him on a big hand yet. When the turn comes a Jack, he leads out for $50. It looks like he's trying to buy a cheap river, something that becomes even more apparent when he doesn't re-raise your raise. If he has a straight he has even more reason to get all his money in since you have shown such strength, as well as the fact that a flush draw is out. At this point, I think it's safe to rule out any straight. He could have a set of 5s but you have a 5 so statistically that's unlikely. It is probably more likely that he has 44 or 33, or he could still be playing his draw, although that seems less likely given how he called your big raise. When he goes all-in on the river, I'm putting him on 44. It's entire possible that you either have 76 or 55, yet he just moved all-in you.

Your move? Easy fold. Especially since you said he respects you. No way can you call. I do think your turn raise is fine, but since you picked up a flush draw, you could call and then make a big bet on the river if another diamond falls. He would be caught entirely off-guard, and there is no way he could put you on the flush.

Well, I did end up folding after going in the tank for a few minutes. I couldn't really imagine him having anything I beat there. I just had a really strong feeling that the river boated him up . . . After much prodding from the railbirds, he flipped over 53o. I was fairly impressed with his move, as he had to know the river counterfeited him, but he was banking on me having exactly what I did, in fact, have and being unable to call. I still think it was the correct fold . . . Just thought it was an interesting hand. Nice to know I didn't butcher it too badly. More to come . . .

Eric