Tricky hand observed on stars last night...

[beset7]

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Like I said, I don't think position is really the issue here. Even if the LAG is OOP, middle set is probably going to get bet into or check-raised by a wide variety of hands.

I agree that the smooth call showed a huge amount of strength, and if I held the JJ89 there, I would have a hard time putting another dime in the pot barring a jack, or a runner runner flush. Given that I know both of these players, I know that the LAG is not calling without a good wrap or AA. The LAG is not an idiot, and the call shows a lot more strength than a raise would.

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Agree with the second part. With regards to position though, i think its the key factor it what led to this situation. Say we have position on the LAG w/ JJ98, we can smooth call and let him hang himself on a favorable flop, or we can raise and play a big pot. Here, we raised LP, the LAG raises, and now we are in a situation where we either have to get out of the way or commit a deep stack to middle set (barring a turn that gives us a good draw). With position, the pot could have been smaller on the flop and our options would have been more diverse. But surely position isn't a big factor in the flop play, just how we got there (which is why having a tricky LAG on your left = problematic).

After the check min-raise do you think folding a blank turn is an option for CO? I think the money is going in. If he's going to c/r the turn it may as well be all-in.