KQo vs Maniac

Button is 43% VP$IP and 18% PFR through 100 hands.

Against a bog standard TAG this would be a standard laydown to the strength, I wanted a showdown out of this hand, this guy was betting it strong if he caught pretty muc any part of the flop, so I was quite happy to go to a showdown with TPGK. Or should I have been the aggressor?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (9 handed) converter

CO ($7.70)
Button ($6.65)
SB ($7.40)
BB ($9.50)
UTG ($1.60)
UTG+1 ($23.15)
Hero ($9.90)
MP2 ($2.80)
MP3 ($13)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with K:spade:, Q:club:.
UTG calls $0.10, UTG+1 calls $0.10, Hero calls $0.10, MP2 calls $0.10, 2 folds, Button calls $0.10, 2 folds.

Flop: ($0.65) 5:spade:, 3:spade:, K:club: (5 players)
UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $0.7, MP2 folds, Button raises to $1.4, UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls $0.70.

Turn: ($3.45) T:club: (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $2, Hero calls $2.

River: ($7.45) 4:diamond: (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $3.15 (All-In), Hero calls $3.15.

Final Pot: $13.75

My normal reaction would be "raise the flop" but he might be on a flush draw and just push.

I assume you put him on an aggressively played flush draw and just let him lead you to the river.

I don't like that you choose a weakish hand to do it with but it's alright to run with your reads.

-'rilla

Looks like a good opportunity to me. I wouldn't put him on anything better than you unless he caught a lucky two pair or something silly.

You have to bet into him on the turn here. That's the only way to reveal his strength. You're basically trusting a general read on your opponent, but ignoring opportunity for a specific in hand read. How do you know he doesn't have a set of 5's or 3's? You can't tell if you don't test him on the turn. Don't be so passive. Now when you check and he bets it conceals his strength because you don't know if he's trying to bluff you off. Also, what if he's drawing and he checks behind your check? You just gave him a free card. That's no good. Don't let people draw for cheap. It's correct to bet the turn here.

That's true, you definitely should have raised him there.

That is true. But before he had gone all pussy like if someone started playing back at him. I just wanted to let him lead the way on this, and hope that my read was right and I did have a better hand than him, I feel that was the only way to get all of his chips in the pot.

Hero has Ks Qc (one pair, kings).
Button has 8h Kh (one pair, kings).
Outcome: Hero wins $13.75.

Yay! :D

Against a maniac, you can make more money in these situations by playing it exactly like you did. I would almost always say re-raise the flop or raise the turn on this hand, but that lets him get away too easy.

I recently read an article about the "way ahead or way behind" theory.

Its basically check-calling when you think that you either are way ahead or way behind. That way you maximize profit when you are ahead and minimze loss when you are behind (assuming that you have a hand that you wont get away from that easily)

In this examle if he has a set you are drawing almost dead and if you have him out kicked (like you did) he is drawing to 3 outs.

Example from yesteday. I am on the button with QJs all fold and the CO raises to $2 (BB is 0.5) . I call and its heads up on the river. Flop is J rags and he leads for $4. All would say raise here to find out where you stand. Here I put him on AK/AQ or a low PP. If I raise here I am saying "I got the Jack how about you?" He folds any of the above hands. If he has AJ/AA/KK/QQ/JJ he re-raises and I am probably gone. Turn is a rag he bets another $4 (weak bet the pot is now almost $15) so I am pretty sure I have him beat although I am leaning more on the PP cause I think he would have to let go AK/AQ after I called the flop. So I call again (maybe I should raise here but theres only one overcard to his PP now and he probably thinks he's good) River is a 10 that worries me a little cause I was puting him on TT at that point. He fires another $5 I call and take down a juicy pot (he had 99). He could have me beat and was milking me here but If he did I would have lost $13 or so the way I played this. If I played the other way and raise the flop my raise would have been his $4 to $12-14 or sth. If I get reraised (way behind) I lose the same amount I would If I called him down like I did. If he folds (way ahead) I win $4 copmared to the $15 I took from him by check calling.

Good players can take advantage from this passive play (If he bet like $10 on the turn I would have folded probably) But against typical players at certain situations it works great.

I like the way you play this hand.

Unless I knew he was a real idiot, I play like that. From the $10 NL I've played.. he could have bottom 2 pair, or anything. Top pair at $10 NL when someone goes all in.. just.. I hate $10 NL.

Nicely played... not sure I'd set a trap (even for a maniac) with only TPGK...

But then again, against a maniac, all your real hands go up in value. Good hand. Dwarf. Nice read.