$2/$5 NL live casino game

UTG - fold
UTG+1 - Limp $5 ... calls $25
UTG+2 - Limp $5
MP - fold
MP+1 - fold
CO - ($320) HERO - Raise to $30
BTN - fold
SB - ($600+) calls $30
BB - fold

Flop ($100)

SB ($570) checks ... calls $70 -
UTG+1 checks ... folds
HERO ($290) ( [Kc] ) raises $70

Turn ($240)

SB ($500) checks ... calls $75 -
HERO ($220) ( [Kc] ) raises $75

*** I would usually bet 100-150 here but twice earlier he had check-raised me on the turn from the SB when it was heads up. Both times I folded because I was bluffing but the second time I felt like he was just making a play at me. I bet $75 here because I wanted to leave enough chips in my stack to present fold equity so that he might re-raise here. However, he just called.

River ($390)

SB ($425) checks ... folds
HERO ($145) ( [Kc] ) raises $100
***He gave me a crazy "why the f*** are you betting" look when I bet the $100. He debated ... looked like he might call ... then folded.


40yr old Asian Male. Recreational player but has a decent amount of playing experience. Probably has read little to no poker literature. He understands how to play a fairly solid game. He seems to disregard position; often calling raises OOP pre-flop and limping OOP. He seems capable of bluffing/making a play at the pot, but mostly plays straight forward.. He limps in too regularly but will only call raises with resonably strong hands. He has bought in twice tonight and is down approximately $500. I suspect he likes Hollywooding. (earlier in the night he slamed his hand on the table looking like he was mad that a second Q hit the turn, he proceded to check-raise after the Button bet out)


I told the player next to me I had AK ... and he basically said it was a ballsy river bet and that the SB would have only called me with a hand that beat AK. Do you guys agree? Also ... what do you think SB had and could he have folded a winner?

**obviously I disagree or I wouldnt have bet. I'll explain later.

I would bet more on the turn and then check the river. Your smaller bet on the turn may have given him pause... you changed your play (betting size) from the previous hands, so maybe you got something this time.

The river is too cooridinated to bet. AQ maybe maybe would call...but i think you're gonna get checkriased with a better hand here way too often.

I agree fully with Kenny (after all, he is the best NL 1/2 player in the world!). Even though you had a "plan" for your smallish turn bet I would just bet the turn bigger and then check behind on the river. Your bet on the river is very unlikely to get called by a worse hand and you risk being check/raised.

My reasoning for the river bet:

I was confident he didn't hit the flush because he didn't bet out. It would have been UNreasonable for him to think I would bet behind him because the spade should scare me. I was very confident he had an Ace with a worse kicker(AQ-9) at this point so I bet expecting him to call with those hands (especially with AQ or AJ) because of the pot size. I was extremely suprised when he folded.

After reviewing my play:
I think I should have bet less than $100 on the river. I think another $75 would have had a much higher likelyhood of getting called by a weaker ace. Also, I believe betting a $100 with only $45 left made him very suspicious. $75 would make him suspicoius as well but would give him 6.2:1 pot odds to call. (the $100 was giving him 4.9:1).

Furthermore, I think I might should have bet $100 on the turn and not try to get tricky like I did. And then go all-in for $120 on the River.

However, the fact that I did just bet $75 might have been the only reason he called the turn. So maybe I did make the perfect turn bet inadvertantly. Coupled with a $75 river bet that gets called by AT may have been the perfect play.