A pretty damn interesting hand for your consideration

[ErichS]

This is $100 buy in at the Bike, at a pretty loose table. 2 limpers to my button with the AD2D. I limp, SB calls, BB checks. Flop is JD 3D 2H. The BB, a rock, moves in for $74. The BB, a somewhat loose aggressive player calls, leaving himself with $216. One limper folds and another, a very loose and somewhat passive player also calls, leaving himself with something more than $100. I have both covered.

Folding is clearly not an option. In retrospect, I think I clearly should have moved in. Agreed? I'm probably beat by the rock, but if I can push the others out, I'm getting great odds to draw out on him and take the pot with no more risk, even if only my diamonds or live. If I loose, i don't loose any more than I would by calling. If one or both of the other players with chips call, I could well have them crushed. Most people would have moved in with a set or 2 pair, I think. If not, I've got at least flush outs and get maximum payout if the flush comes.

I just call, without putting sufficient thought into the decision.

Turn, AS, giving me 2 pair. I'm pleased until the BB moves in for $216. The loose player goes out. Now it's to me. The pot now stands at a shade over $500. A man at the table who has a deal to write a book about these games later said I should have folded, but the more I think about it the more it was a clear call (although a tough one set up by my misplay of the flop). JJ, AJ, and AA all seem very unlikely since he raised neither pre or post flop. For some reason (hazards of an 12 hour session on little sleep) I thought he would have been calling on a gutshot for the straight, but obviously 54 would have given him an open ended and that is his most likely holding. Also possible is 33, J2 or J3. Against the straight my outs are 2s, aces and diamonds (30% chance. Against a set of 3s I'm down to aces and diamonds (26%) and against a lower 2 pair, obviously I'm a huge favorite. So, only against a set of 2,s 3s or Js am I getting poor odds, and that's not by much. AJ, or AA and I'm in worse trouble, but there's zero indication of either.
Furthermore, I thought it unlikely that the loose player who folded the turn had diamonds, because he would have called. The BB... perhaps, more likely a good J.

I'd like to say that I thought everything through this clearly at the table, but at the time it was more like, "there's some chance i'm the best hand, more likely I'm getting fair odds against the straight or 33").

I call. River 5H. He turns over the 54, meaning, of course that a move-in on the flop would probably had won me a nice pot (the rock gave no indication that he'd had a big hand, like a set cracked).

[AZK]

Yeah this was interesting all right...push the flop, repost in small stakes.