How do you play this line

[cowboyinexile]

Cake Poker Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Cake-Poker Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($1340)
SB ($640)
BB ($1480)
UTG ($1500)
Hero (UTG+1) ($1500)
UTG+2 ($1340)
MP1 ($2740)
MP2 ($1500)
MP3 ($1480)
CO ($1480)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with ,
1 fold, Hero raises to $70, 1 fold, MP1 calls $70, 5 folds, BB calls $50

Flop: ($220) , , (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $110, MP1 raises to $220, 1 fold, Hero calls $110

Turn: ($660) (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 checks

River: ($660) (2 players)
Hero bets $330, MP1 calls $330

Total pot: $1320 | Rake: $1319

My read on villian was that he is a calling station. I had him for an Ace and was surprised when he didn't bet the turn. For a value bet, should I go more than half the pot here?

[ciaran]

I don't raise pre-flop. Limping is fine, though.

I might be inclined to check-raise the flop, as played. There's a decent chance one of them has an ace they won't let go. Having led the flop and gotten raised OOP, I'm 3-betting 100% of the time. If he has an ace, you should be able to keep building the pot. If you bet/3-bet the flop and just get called, you can also shove the turn without it being an overbet and stand a good chance of getting called.

On the turn, as played, just bet. It looks really strong, but it's better than potentially letting him draw for free.

On the river, as played, you're looking at a situation where getting raised is going to be gross, and I'm not sure I wouldn't just check-call since I expect him to fold a lot of the time (or to have sucked out) given the check-behind on the turn, so the only way you normally get value is by letting him bet a weak ace or jack.

Also, if he's a calling station, that's all the more reason to bet/raise at every opportunity (this would override my river advice to check-call). A real calling station will have A4 and get it in on the flop if you give him the chance.

[cowboyinexile]

Normally with medium pp's, I'm limping here, but on this particular hand, I was mixing it up a bit. I figured I would give myself a better chance to win the hand on the flop with a c-bet depending on what fell and how many callers I had.


The flop, had I limped pre-flop, I probably would have check-raised. If I raise pre-flop, I'll probably c-bet it 75% of the time (granted these guys don't know that), so I was thinking that if I checked, it would give away more the strength of my hand than a bet would. In retrospect, I think that you are right and I should have 3 bet here, but I was gonna let him take the action and get all my chips in on the turn. He didn't do what I thought he would, so I was left to value bet it.

At a higher level, check-call the river is a decent option to take, but against these guys, there are so many hands he is calling with that if he does happen to hold , its my own fault for not getting my money in earlier.

[ciaran]

If they'll call with hands they won't bet, then value-betting is the way to go, unless they'll also raise with too many hands they shouldn't. It's a balancing act, but the check-behind on the turn could be a crappy Ax/Jxhh, so I'm still not a huge fan of leading the river. Plus, someone who's that big a calling station isn't gonna be slowed down by the K on the turn, so more reason to bet there.

[last place]

I don't have a problem with raising pre-flop in this spot.

I favor a bet on the turn as well. Not so much as to protect against draws, but to get more money in the pot. If he really was a calling station, you should be giving him every chance to call bets.

[leofric]

I think I'd definitely favour re-raising the flop. If he really is a calling station you want to keep playing on that.

Besides - Big Hand = Big Pot and on a flop like that a set is everything!

Of course I'd have gone bust on the hand as played!