This Time, I'm Rolled

[Jeffage]

75-150 in New Jersey. This was an absolutely enormous pot I played in a full game that was pretty much off the hook in terms of loose action. Anyway. I start with rolled 8's. Not bad. There is one dead 8 out as well which disguises my hand. Anyway...On 3rd street, a 3 brings it in, a 7 calls and an ace calls (this is the same player I pulled the move with in the previous hand where I had pocket tens). I raise. I know I'm getting callers anyway and people will not necessarily make me for a big hand. The next player, a very loose player who chases hardcore, calls with a king up. Folded back to the 7 who calls. The player with the Ace now reraises to 150. I just call, the king calls and the 7 calls. Suits don't really matter in this hand.

4th Street

Random Guy: (x,x) 7 3

Villian A: (x,x) A J

Me: (8,8) 8 10

Loose Villian: (x,x) K Q

Villian A bets, I raise. Loose villian coldcalls 150 and the random guy folds.

5th Street

Villian A: (x,x) A J A

Me: (8,8) 8 10 5

Loose Villian: (x,x) K Q J

Villian A bets and I respond with three blacks. Loose Villian doesn't hesitate and calls 300 cold. Villian A (who I've beaten on a number of hands tonight) looks flustered and calls after a second's thought.

6th Street

Villian A: (x,x) A J A 4

Me: (8,8) 8 10 5 2

Loose Villian: (x,x) K Q J 9

Villian A checks, I bet. Loose villian calls as Does Villian A.

River

Villian A checks, I bet without looking at my river card.

Comments on any street appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

[MRBAA]

I don't play 75-150, but the raise on fifth looks ballsy given that he's played this hand like he has split aces. Once he doesn't three bet, you're feeling okay. I think I check the river here because I just have to pay off if I'm raised.

[Jeffage]

This guy with the aces is sorta ABC and his limp raise somewhat surprised me. I've played with him before and have never seen him do that. I thought he'd typically raise straight off with aces though of course this hand might represent a strategy I haven't seen him employ. I kinda had a feeling he had a pocket pair or got "inspired" by the multiway action enough to 3 bet an ace high 3 flush or buried pocket pair he decided to limp with. or maybe something like AKQ, esp. after I've raised and beaten him a number of times.

Jeff

[Roland]

Well, I guess the one big question is: What hands will villain A limp-re-raise with? 3-flushes, like Beer (was his suit live)? Any pair higher than 8s?
Because the raise on 5th seems really risky to me.

I like all the other streets though. Just calling 3rd and raising 4th is a good way to play it I think. 3-betting right away pretty much screams “I don’t care if you have aces” whereas the 4th street raise could be two pairs or even just an isolation raise.
Waiting till 5th would be the other possibility, but a) the pot is so big you want to prevent the Random Guy from hanging around with any kind of unimproved draw (the loose guy is gonna call no matter what, of course) and b) you might get to raise 5th anyway. Hell, villain A might 3-bet you and then lead out on 5th.

If I had to guess I’d say the loose guy had AQ or QJ in the hole and was chasing the 3 remaining ten (plus the two remaining aces in the first case or a boat in the latter). In any case, you had both of them beat on 6th, so a value bet is in order.

EDIT: I wrote this before reading your response to MRBAA. So since there is a really good chance he did this with a 3-flush / smaller pocket or even worse, I like the 5th street raise.

[Roland]

[ QUOTE ]
I think I check the river here because I just have to pay off if I'm raised.

[/ QUOTE ]

This pot is so big, they’ll call with just about anything. Villain A is certainly calling with aces up (okay, maybe not over calling, but if the loose guy folds, he’s calling). The loose guy might call with queens up.
I really think you have to value bet here. Trying to snap off a bluff isn’t going to work after all - nobody is gonna try to bluff you out of this huge pot, I don’t think.
And you really shouldn’t mind calling a raise too much. If you figure betting is +EV, just do it.

[Jeffage]

Not to mention the outside chance that if I look, see I don't have a boat and check, loose guy might bet whatever the hell he has and Villian A may see an opportunity to make me fold trips by jacking it up to three bills. Seeing that possibility, I MAY have to call 300 cold if I check or be prompted to make a bad laydown. I'd have to be there of course to know what I'd actually do in that scenario.

Basically, I have three 8's going in and I feel I will be called by worse hands and the only person who could POTENTIALLY raise me with a worse hand is the AA and even that's an outside chance. But yes, I think I will be callled by worse hands when I bet here. Plus if loose guy has a straight, I don't think he is raising at this point with all the cards out.

Jeff

[mscags]

Very Nicely Played Jeff.

[MRBAA]

Well played. You play not just at higher limits but at a higher level than I.

[Andy B]

The only thing I don't like is the dark shot on the river. I always check my river card because I don't want to give anything away by doing so or not doing so on a given hand. I do think that you should bet no matter what you catch, though.

[benwood]

I learned something after your excellent analysis about the river situation. Thanks. Ben.