This is a 6-handed $1/2 limit table. The person one off the button is tricky and aggressive. The person on the button is a fish and pretty straightforward. I am in SB with:



Folds to Button+1 who raises. Button flat calls. I reraise. BB folds. Button+1 calls. Button calls.

Flop:



Button+1 bluffs so much that I was thinking about going for a check-raise, and possibly trapping the fish for two bets. Or is it better to bet out and see if the tricky player folds?

I'd bet out here. You will get a better indication of his hand. If he raises, there is a good chance he has AJ/Axs. Also, from now on, use CO(cutoff) instead of Button+1.

But being a tricky player I'd expect him to realize the possibility that the ace could a scare card a little less than half the time. Therefore he could raise with any pair or flush draw, and then wait to see if I reraise or not.

I will check raise in those spots. If it is bet and raised back to you, you can dump it.

Although that board is kind of coordinated. Not sure what is best here.

That's why I don't like a check/raise. If you are behind, the other guy will 3bet, and you have lost 2 bets instead of just one.

But if he raises your bet, you can't be nearly as sure that you are beat as if he 3-bets a check-raise.

Let's keep this simple: There are three players in a pot that was 3bet preflop. There is an ace on the board as well as a two flush and three to a straight. You are out of position and have kings and no redraws to a better hand except another K, and the K of spades is tainted as it puts three spades on the board. The overwhelming odds are that you are beat and you have no redraws. This is a horrible situation in limit poker.

I think your choices are to check and fold or maybe bet to see if you can pick up the pot right here (maybe if they have JJ or something worse?), fold to a raise if you are raised. A good player with a A would raise you on the flop to protect their top pair agianst the flush and straight draws. Why lose a bunch of bets on this hand? Pitch it and wait for the next one. I am sometimes accused of being hyper-aggressive and even I would dump this with no regrets if I don't win it on the flop. Getting cute with this is a huge mistake IMO.

Okay. I think I like betting out to pickup the pot. I'm getting good odds for that, since the pot is about 10 small bets. And if I'm raised, fold because there are too many potential ways to be beaten. Thanks for the advice.