Villain is slightly loose but appears to be a thinking opponent.

Villain raises to $12 OTB, I call from the BB with [Jc]

Flop [Jh][2h]

I check, villain bets $12, I raise to $45, villain raises to $115, I call thinking that a shove here only gets called by sets, I didn't figure him for a flush draw.

Turn

Check/Check

River

I check, villain bets $126, I call.

Thoughts?

Yeah I would just shove this flop.

He can put you on a lot more draws than he can KJ/22.

Additional thoughts from IRC:

<Semillon> on the flop, if I shove I feel I only get called by sets
<Semillon> a strong draw would have re-reraised me much more than he did
<Semillon> so I called
<Semillon> same logic on the turn, if I lead I fold the hands I beat, so I checked intending to call if he bet
<Semillon> river, he either filled up on the turn, or has Kx or maybe maybe a busted draw, so I check/call
<Semillon> I felt I looked like I had a combo draw
<Semillon> so he could have checked the turn hoping I caught up to his boat a bit

Ok well there's not many combinations of sets he can have.... one of 22, one of JJ, and one of KK.

Not getting it all in here is pretty bad IMO. If he folds draws he sucks at the math, and anyone 3-bet/folding AK on the flop sucks as well. You're way too afraid of a set here, there's not many combinations of them out (5 on the flop and 3 on the turn) and he's a button opener. Stick it in.

Ok, taking sets out of the equation, surely I want to give him a chance to continue to be aggressive and try take the pot away from me? If he doesn't have a set or a combo draw, he will fold to a flop shove?

I'd be pretty happy taking it down on the flop. I don't see how you can put him on such a narrow range on a button open raise.

The turn looks like pot control to me. I would guess villain has AK or AA here a lot. There's also a good chance he has the draw you think he thinks you have, which is QT, possibly of hearts.

I guess you have to call the river but I wouldn't be fist pumping. I would only call since you have looked so weak on the turn and river and may have induced this bet.

I think you should shove this on the flop but failing that you need to donk the turn.

Sounds like shove flop is the consensus, I still feel that I fold all the hands I beat and get called by hands I'm flipping with or way behind.

I should have mentioned effective stacks were $400.

Results: Villain had K9o

IMO, if you're going to play KJo OOP to a raise, you need to play for your stack on this flop.

if he's a thinking opponent then he's likely to realize that you put him on a weak range, raising from the button. I'm jamming this flop every hand. if he had KK/JJ/22, then good for him. If i take it down against a hand smaller than mine, then I've taken down a solid sized pot without even having to see the turn. If i get called by a lesser hand, then what else could I possibly ask for here?

I just don't like calling this flop raise and going into passive mode. Yes, this time he had K9 and made enough mistakes in the hand for you to take down a nice sized pot, but you absolutely need to get your stack on on this flop. Either that or don't call button raises OOP with KJo. I mean, what sort of hand do you need to play for your stack here? KKJ? AQT? what about KJJ?

If he has a set, so be it. You need to accept that he's not going to have one here often enough to warrant slowing down, and need to be willing to go broke on the occasion that he either A: has the set, or B; makes a bad call and outlucks you.


other than that, i think you played the hand well. I'm calling the raise here, I'm CRing the flop, and given how the hands played out, i'm making a somewhat cringing call on the river.