Challenge: AKo in a $25NL game against loose players (flopped broadway).

[frob23]

Button: $6.65
SB: $8.21
BB: $11.81
UTG: $24.15
UTG+1: $11.90
MP1: $3.14
Hero: $13.20
MP3: $13.84
CO: $29.34

Saw Flop
Saw River

Hero is dealt A K

SB posts $0.10, BB posts $0.25, UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero raises to $0.75, MP3 calls $0.75, 2 folds, SB calls $0.65, BB calls $0.50, UTG times out and is placed all-in for $0.00 (his original $0.25).

This pre-flop bet was a little small. This table was very loose-passive pre-flop. And 3xBB was just not enough to move people off any hands. I should have made this $1.25-$1.75 and really put some pressure on the other people in this pot.

Flop: J Q T (Pot $3.25)

SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $3.25, 2 folds, BB calls $3.25.

Well you can't really complain about that flop. There's a flush draw but I've got the current nuts. I am not coy and I don't slow-play when I hit a hand. I believe that if you want a big pot... you need to start putting the chips in. I fire off a PSB (Pot Sized Bet) and get called by the BB.

Turn: J Q T 5 (Pot $9.75)

BB checks, Hero bets $5.10, BB raises all-in to $7.81, Hero calls $2.71.

An absolutely safe turn. I fire about a half-pot sized bet in the hopes that I can keep the BB around because his stack is less than the current pot size. He raises all-in. I have to be honest, it was an easy call but my "nit" powers started tingling. I suddenly worried about him having A K and being on a freeroll. Of course, for $2.71 more in a $22.66 pot I am getting over 8-1 and have to call.

Final pot: $24.11 (Rake: $1.26)

Ok... here's the challenge:

Part one, assign a hand range to the BB in this hand. Don't try and "guess" his hand. Instead, give me a range of hands he would be making this play with.

Part two, would you have played any streets differently and how would you have played them?

Edit: This is the 21st hand of the game that you have seen. You have never played with any of these players before and your only read is that they rarely raise pre-flop (except for minraises) and often see flops with 4-6 people on them. On the flop, there is usually some action and most of the time everyone folds and one person takes it down. There have been no significant showdowns. So you'll have to use your table experience and your "default" range to help you find a range for this player.

Note: Legion III is disqualified from participation in Part one of this challenge as he happens to know the exact hand that the BB had. And no going and asking him... he's not going to tell.

[Phildavies]

I agree with your assessment that your pre flop raise was too small. I think you bet it fine after that however as you are likely to get called by a wide range of inferior hands. The way the hand played out I would put him on a hand like 2 pair as opposed to an ak or k9. I think your fine here in regards to a flush draw unless he's tilting and has something funky like low sooooooted cards.

[Phildavies]

so what did he have?

[gamer4life27]

1. He could either have two pair (most likely top two pair), but I don't think a tight player would call an all in with two pair. A set is more likely for him. I would see him slow playing a set, not realizing a flush draw is out there, or gambling and slow playing his or her set. He could even have the but end of the straight and was just calling infears you had a higher straight, but in hopes that you had a flush draw, or some pairs. I would say he either has (in order of most likely) a straight of a lower quality or the same, a set, a flush draw and a straight draw (open ended or gut shot), (and most likely not going to happen) two pair.

2. The only thing I would have played differently was pre flop when you raised to $0.75. But you already stated that you should have raised to $1.25-$1.75. I would have made it between $1.25-$2.00, but whatever works for that table.

[frob23]

Ok, don't be fooled into thinking that my thought processes through this hand were entirely good. There are reasons I have come to think my play on certain streets was incorrect. Just because I justify it doesn't mean it's the right amount. When someone tells you about a hand, they're not going to make it seem like they played it poorly and will try and downplay less than optimal choices. That said, maybe these were the best choices but you can feel free to say to play it differently. This is not a place where anyone should attack you for thinking differently about a hand than someone else.

I like several of the guesses about his hand. But I am having difficulty entering those 'ranges' into PokerStove. Can we reformulate them a little bit? Like A2h+, 22+, K5h+ (for any suited Ace in hearts, any pair, and K-5 of hearts or better) -- this is just a sample range and isn't what I expect here.

Also remember, he was in the blind and it was only $0.50 when it got to him for a $2.75 pot. So his pre-flop range is very wide. That is why I played this hand out to the turn before asking this question. At this point, I think we can narrow his range down a little bit more from his flop and turn actions. What sort of hands does he have here? TJ, QJ, QT, K9, etc.

[HeyKidMove]

I tend to put him on 2 broadway cards here. The lower end of his range would have to be Q-9, K-9, but that seems highly unlikely here. I would put him on two pair, or a pair with a K. I definitely would have raised more preflop here. Also, I don't really care for pot sized bets. I would have bet somewhere around 2/3-3/4 pot. It's going to make you more money. Pot bets IMO tend to scare people off unless he's a real station.

[liladypokerpro]

Well I've been told I'm a pretty sick reader in-game, but in texted formats it's a little harder for me. I'll try at any rate...tired and all...

Okay let's see...given your light preflop raise, with him being in the BB it's very cheap for him to see the flop with just about anything....then your very large bet on the flop, BB could potentially view you as having a high flush draw here...with your large bet on the flop looking like a "please don't call me" bet. Reason being, the first raise was tiny, followed by a KAPOW! kind of bet.....would look suspicious to me if I were BB.....I'd just call here until I gather more info from the turn.

Moving on....In my mind's eye, If I were the BB, the only way I'm going to attempt to follow through with this hand is if I've got at least two decent pair at this point...i.e. JQ, Q10, maybe even J10...since I was priced in preflop these hands are not out of range at this point. There are some dangerous draws out there so playing it cool and calling until percentages go up after the turn (or down in which case decision time is easier).

Okay on to the turn...The turn looks real good to me by now....you've missed your flush (in my mind), so when you come out firing again, my only worry would be an over-pair at best....so I'm re-popping over the top, since your play has looked suspicious from the moment you entered the pot....if you are indeed chasing a flush, it's gonna cost you...if you have an over-pair, you better pray for a miracle river. Not putting you on AQ or AJ here....or really even AK just given the preflop raise amount was just too suspicous....just watching you thus far I would not see you pushing these hands with such a dangerous board out there....so feeling like my two pair is quite possibly good, I'm going with it.


Please keep in mind I'm speaking only if I were the BB and not knowing what your cards are.....it's hard for me to do this in a texted format as I said, but just trying to put myself in the BBs shoes to see what he could possibly have....

[irishpkr]

Sorry Frob, but this hand is waaay too standard to be a 'challenge' :P

1: Range pre: 22+, A7+,KT+, QT+ i guess, mostly suited
Flop: 1pair (+straight/flush draw), maybe Axhh, some 2pair hands, and probably nothing better than 2pair, as they should all be raising the flop
Turn: Who cares, we have the nuts

2: Raise $1.25 pre, shove the turn, no other way to play this

[frob23]

Sorry Frob, but this hand is waaay too standard to be a 'challenge' :P

1: Range pre: 22+, A7+,KT+, QT+ i guess, mostly suited
Flop: 1pair (+straight/flush draw), maybe Axhh, some 2pair hands, and probably nothing better than 2pair, as they should all be raising the flop
Turn: Who cares, we have the nuts

2: Raise $1.25 pre, shove the turn, no other way to play this

This is supposed to be a standard hand. I have an idea that I am fleshing out using this hand as a baseline because it's supposed to be easy to find a range and this range could be very broad without anyone feeling like they made a bad guess because this guy could have almost anything pre-flop.

[liladypokerpro]

I just can't put him on such a strict range as two suited whatevers...being that frob says this is a loose/passive table...and BB was priced in so cheap to see a flop...I dunno...just can't dwindle the possibilities that far down. I'm just gonna stick with what I said above I think. Can't wait to see what he had tho...