laydown on river or not?

3-6 hand. I'm in early-middle position with AKo. There is a maniac in the cutoff and a calling station in the small blind. I open-raise. The maniac 3-bets (he could do this with anything) and the calling station calls 3 cold (again he could call here with any 2-suited, face cards, pairs, etc.) I just call.


Flop is 445. I bet into three better hoping he will raise and drive out calling station. This was probably a bad plan but it made sense to me at the time. Maniac raises, calling station calls, i call. Turn is 7. If it is checked around, I can put maniac on overcards. It is checked around on the turn.


River is a 9, making board 44579 (suits don't matter). Calling station checks, I check, maniac bets. I put him on overcards or a pure bluff and calling station calls. Do you call here? I counted 9.5 BB in the pot. I thought there was a chance maniac was bluffing with overcards and calling station knew this and could call with ace high or a low pair. It's hard to call two people on the river with AK nothing so I folded. Results to follow.


Comments appreciated...


Jeff Gomberg

Maniac had AQo


Calling station had A4o


Maniac takes down pot. oops.

nt

Against one opponent, having the nut non-pair hand is worth a call at the river. But not with two opponents.

The maniac is not going to check a straight draw on the turn and is unlikely to check a pair when the board is "scary", and so you are correct that you probably have him beat.


You need to consider the chances the SB will lay down a small pair if you RAISE.


- Louie

Absolutely fold. You do not have the winning hand here. Your logic was reasonable in this hand so far. Follow through with your gut feeling on the river " It's hard to call two people on the river with AK nothing" and fold the hand. Curious to see what they had. I can tell you already though, the calling station had to have at least a pair, and if he doesn't, the maniac does.


Dave in Cali

Perhaps a fold is in order vs 2 hands. However, if you were very confident that you had read the maniac's hand correctly, and you felt that the calling station would have bet the turn with a 5,6,7 or pair in his hand, then you could consider whether the 9 paired him on the river. If it did, then he probably would call (or raise) quickly. If he showed any hesitation or thought, then I think 9.5-1 would be worth a call. Many maybes here.

That's one passive small blind not to ever bet/raise his set!


- Tony


P.S. saw your correction. My advice would be, against maniacs/calling stations like this, if you're folding, fold early. Wait for a better oppurtunity. They make so many mistakes it's not worth it to make calls that may have a very small +EV.