Strange KJ OOP

well I would not dont into the aggressor mway on a dry boards. This time it worked out but you isolate yourself this way vs better hands.

greets

maniac

Hello,

this is an interesting general question. I'd love more answers from experienced players, maybe with some data.

My first thought is obvious: you are calling preflop not for top pair with a middling kicker; you want to make the connectedness of your hand count when you invest because of these odds. I don't think you do that well on that dry board in general. I think it would be even worse if you hit top pair with your J instead of the K. I am not convinced that you on general make money once you hit that board, although I can be convinced otherwise.

Once we hit this board like you did my thought process is not quite like yours. You are almost saying you want a definitive answer to "am I ahead?" here, on the flop. By betting big (whether 3/4th pot is big here is another matter) you are reducing your opponents' ranges to ranges that beat you, which is exactly not what you want. Preflop play suggests a bunch of pocket pairs, some suited connectors, maybe Aces with middling kickers and a few KQo in the mix. There are a few hands you do beat that would call the flop if they are given decent odds. Any pockets from 55 to 99 (I don't think we can expect many higher pockets because of the good squeeze they are presented preflop), 45s, 56s.

Then there are those hands that beat you that can reasonably call: 33, 44, KQx, AK (although probably rare). Yes, you have multiple opponents, but most of them will have junk that didn't hit this board at all and are just looking for a free card to make their Ace count.

I think I would bet thinner on the flop. Not so thin that hands like 45s, 56s get great odds, but thin enough for pot control. The reason is that I want to keep my opponents' ranges wide. The board is dry enough. And if someone has a monster they'll get a smaller pot. If they have pockets below the K they might call the bet when they would have folded to yours. I'd bet 2/3rd pot maximum; possibly less. This makes the hand harder to play, but I think it's a better line.

On the turn the next card decides what I'm going to do, but on a blank I would probably check/call a thin bet and check/fold to a large bet. Given your line instead I would check/fold to almost everything except very thin bets.

I'd be delighted to get answers to my thought process here.

Originally posted by maniac
well I would not dont into the aggressor mway on a dry boards. This time it worked out but you isolate yourself this way vs better hands.

greets

maniac

I agree with the isolation part, but I don't agree with checking the flop. I don't think hands like 88 will bet into this board, so I think we miss value and still isolate ourselves against better hands when they bet. I don't think villains have a lot of hands like KT here.

Fold PRF;)
OTF if you are going to donk make it 25-30% max for thin value;) 66% is a bad donk, because i doubt something worst will call you off besides 65s;)

I don't see anything horribly wrong with leading here, but size it down. There is plenty of worse hands that can/will call a smaller size. Remember, MP is uncapped here and is still yet to act. I don't want to be piling in a ton of $$$$$$ vs an uncapped range(s)/Multiple Opponents with TP/Mid Kick.