[AviD]

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On this board, there are many hands a tag would raise the turn on that A9 is ahead of. To name a few hands:97s, JhTh,flush draw,flush draw/pair.

I don't think a 17/6 type TAG is open limping 97s from MP1, and do you really think he's putting in that turn raise with overs and a flush draw after that flop action? I guess sometimes yes, especially JhTh picking up the open-ender.

This is one I would have routinely called down in the past but I'm trying to find spots to fold when I think I'm definitely beat and don't have odds to draw. Your point about having correct odds to draw vs an overpair is good, though, then if you get to the river and it's a non-heart I guess you have to see showdown.

B.

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Ben, I agree with alot of your sentiments here. What I can't determine is if TAG has a tricky bone in his body or how truly aggressive postflop he is. You mention he is pretty aggressive postflop, but exactly what does that mean in respect to this player?

Also if the table has been relatively tight with alot of folding (seems passive at least based on this single hand, which is pretty meaningless), is there any chance he limped with a strong hand (i.e. some overpair to the board). Although, for a TAG, I can only see him doing this with AA or KK if and only if the table has been tight and he hasn't been getting much value out of his big hands, whereas here he might be able to limp re-raise or might induce an ISO raise from a weaker hand.

When I think of a 17/6 TAG, I think he is raising most bway overs PF (especially when opening). If those behind him are relatively loose, I can see him open limping with small pockets (say 22-66) or a hand like JTs or 89s (but only if he is reasonably confident this will be quite multiway.)

With that said, some players simply cannot let go of small pockets PF, which makes me believe based on the action he may have flopped a set (22/55). I don't see him necessarily raising JTs on the flop with nothing but a backdoor draw and overs (unless he has JhTh). Even with JTs, why would he want to raise out SB unless he was going for a free river look and reasonably confident SB was tight or trash and often not coming along without a strong draw or strong hand. Something tells me he is trying to push the SB out, and that cold call by SB on the flop would be concerning for a set, so he waits to pop the turn and make it two cold more back to the SB. If he was on the draw (again a TAG), I don't see him pulling a smooth call of your flop 3-bet and popping the turn without a solid hand. This is all dependent upon his post flop aggression though and what exactly "pretty high aggression" really means. Is he at 1.*-2.* postflop aggression or higher? Is he really raising a flush draw here and risking getting 3-bet by a better hand while also pushing out SBs value by just calling the turn knowing he still needs improvement? Does he think you are capable of folding to turn raises, have you shown this kind of play in the recent past that would make him believe a semi-bluff will push you and SB off?

Alot of factors here, and while I probably call down more hands than I should, something tells me you are behind here. The only hands I can see him limping with here that you are ahead of right now are JTs, and to be honest this would be excellent play but JTs but the only hand that adds up is JhTh (so you are narrowing down to 1 hand that you are ahead of, but one that also has a great redraw against you). You are dead to 55/22 and thin against 89s (esp if hearts).

The question is what do you have him on, and what are your intentions on betting the turn. Also how does SB fit into this equation? Being that he folded the turn to the raise decreases the chances he was on the heart or straight draw, but being that he called the flop 2 cold should factor into your turn strategy. I like betting the turn, but TAGs raise puts you in a difficult spot. It simply comes down to how often he is capable of raising this turn to get you to fold a better hand and shutting out SB vs how many times he is ahead and raising to protect his hand (possibly from that heart or now straight draw). Factor in this is a 9 handed game, I just think you are behind here more than you are ahead and if you are lucky you are drawing to 5 outs (of which only 4 are truly clean, i.e. non-heart, or facing a healthy redraw).

What was your feeling at the time? I wouldn't fault you for calling down, but I also think this is a spot where you can let go. You are getting 9:1 on your turn call (after getting raised) with a possible 4 clean outs (possibly 5 if MP played a tricky overpair, hopefully not AA) and marginal chance (IMO) that you are ahead. I can't fault you for finding a fold there. If MP made a great play with the one hand I can see him playing this way that I am currently ahead of, so be it. Great hand, and well played on his part. I just think more often than not, you are going to showdown a loser based on the action and the player (unless he is insanely aggressive postflop or somehow feels he can run over you, which is who other consideration).

Interested in seeing the results...