BB= calling station/ prototypical LPP

UTG= new to the table and I didn't have much on him from the past, but he's played about 6 of the 9 hands thus far and has gone turtle on the flops.

Button= Superaggressive maniac. Not horrible, but he puts the screws on you. Clever, but not the best tact.


Ultimate Bet 30/60 Hold'em (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Preflop: ChiTown Alex is MP with , .
UTG calls, ChiTown Alex raises, Maniac calls, 1 fold, Calling Station calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (8.50 SB) , , (4 players)
Calling Station checks, UTG checks, ChiTown Alex bets, Maniac calls, Calling Station calls, UTG calls

Turn: (6.25 BB) (4 players)
Calling Station bets, UTG folds, ChiTown Alex ________ ?


Now I hit on the turn hard. A calling station bets into me and I have a maniac on my right. I'm pretty sure that I'm best. Q9, 33, and 44 are slight fears, but I feel good.

What's my best way to win this pot and how do you guys think I should maximize? Should I be careful? Should I be aggressive? Should I be tricky?

This will be a 3 part thread. Tomorrow, I'll update with the river card and on Thursday, I'll give the results.

EDIT: fixed converter mishap

Ditto to what Antneye said.

You have to raise to 2 bets to give the maniac a 2x coldcall and likely fold getting you heads up vs the BB. Maniac could have anything that slightly connected to the flop and for 1/2 full bet wanted to see the turn. A 2x bet now gives the reason to fold.

BB seemed to like the after tagging along after your raise on the flop. If he 3-bets you have to believe you're behind but if he just calls, you can check-thru on the river if he checks into you or fold if he leads out - he'd have to have at least 2 pair to lead out since calling stations seldom lead out unless they are pretty confident in their hand.

You asked how you could maximize here - I don't think this is a maximize hand unless you roll a A on the river. This is a go-slow hand im(hr)o

i see maybe qjo from the calling statoin , jackal is on a draw inside straight probably ace 5(why because the jackal hopes for a miracle 2) utg i worry has a set

i reraise not 2x but 3x (if your aable to) , if he holds q9 on my reraiase and i get no help on the river i check and flat call anything. anything below a set or a gutshot straight your getting paid...

of course i have awful luck at limit poker, this is a good exercise!

Turn: (6.25 BB) (4 players)
Calling Station bets, UTG folds, ChiTown Alex raises, Maniac calls, Calling Station calls.

River: (12.25 BB) (3 players)
Calling Station checks, ChiTown Alex ___________?

The reason why river move is at question is, "Why is this maniac calling?!!!" I called, so he could raise and we could sandwich the calling station which is a great way to build a pot. His call scares me a bit, should it. The pot sizes are fluctuating. Wasting bets= no, no, but I saved 2 or 3 bets than I thought. Hmmm.

Why is the maniac calling?!!

I'd put the maniac on some kind of draw - outside straight draw, over-card, something like that. I would bet here and hope I don't have to make a tough decision after a raise but would be willing to call one raise. After my bet, if maniac raises and station raises (not likely to happen as he is probably on a Q with a worse kicker, hence the check after the river) I would get out but if maniac raises, station folds or calls, I would call and showdown.

Originally Posted by the alex

Why is the maniac calling?!!

Since you have a Q and the Call Stn is also representing a Q, the odds that the maniac is also playing one is high improbable. So the only made hands that make sense are A-9, 99, 44 or 33. With A-9 he should have known he was behind and folded on the turn but he would have to be braindead to raise on the river as a bluff.

In Limit, slowplaying a set to the river makes more sense than in NL where he should have sprung the trap on the turn before his opps can improve and capture the best hand on the river. In Limit he stands to make a bigger pot if he can keep the Call Stn in or even better if he re-raisies putting you in the squeeze. If maniac raises on the river I'm guessing he has a set.

It seems that you have the calling station beat (although I am not 100% on that one), but the maniac has some reason for calling to the river. You said he has demonstrated at least a shadow of commonsense, so I don't put him on anything less than top pair, but also a good chance he has you beat. If he coldcalled two bets on the turn with only a gutshot draw, then your assessment that he is "not horrible" is wrong.

If only one of these players came to the river with me, I bet here. But with both players, I check and call the maniac's bet if it is not raised by calling station. Calling station CRs and I dumb it like spoiled milk. I'm not gonna throw out another bet on the river.