KK , what do you think?

[the_rookie]

I haven't posted a hand in a while and I thought this one was somewhat interesting. Button stats are 54/24/4.0 over 100 hands. His postflop play is laggier than most. So what do you think is the best flop and turn play?

PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $0.50.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, CO (poster) calls, Button calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls.

Flop: (11.50 SB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO folds, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls, Hero???

[Weatherhead03]

I'd 3-bet..I think you still have an equity edge although he may have hit a set 99, 88 or he may also be pumping his flush draw.

[Disconnected]

With that read, I'd pop him back. The read would be better if you'd seen him either bluff-raise or try for a free card; also what his cold-call pre-flop standards are. If he'd cold call with a medium PP, a set is pretty possible (or maybe I'm just biased from a hand last night where I had QQ against a pretty similar board [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] -- but I digress).

Anyway, I wouldn't give him credit for a hand just yet, since there are a lot of other possible reasons he could be raising. If a blank falls on the turn, I'd lead, regardless of the flop action. If he raises, I'd call, then c/c on the river.

[atnels]

What about UTG+2? He just called 2 cold, so what are you putting him on? Is he enough of a donkey to call with just overs?

If we held the K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], I'd 3-bet the flop. Since we don't, I like just calling and then getting more bets in on a non-spade turn.

So if we just call the flop raise, and a brick hits the turn, I'm donk-betting into Button, hoping he raises so that UTG+2 has to decide what he wants to do for 2 BB. However, if he's on the spade draw, he'll still have the odds to call getting something like 9:1. If that's the case, there really isn't anything you can do.

Going for a c/r won't really do anything either, because I think UTG+2 is either folding no matter what or calling no matter what (or raising no matter what if he has a set or flopped straight).

I guess my point is that ideally you want to get heads up with Button, but I don't think there's much you can do to help that happen.

If a spade falls on the turn, I'm checking to the Button. If he bets and UTG+2 just calls or folds, I call. If UTG+2 raises, I'd probably fold - again, depending on a read.

[damaniac]

I'd 3-bet. He might be on a draw, and I'd hate to give him a free card. Alternatively, I'd call and bet the turn, hoping he raises (he is pretty aggro) so I can three-bet. But I'd be wary about calling and going for a turn check-raise.