trubles against the passive player

[giallorosso]

Hi,
I had some problem lately playing against some passive players. Let say i open in mp 4xbb with kqs and button calls. Flop il K 5 9 with two diamonds. I lead with a bet 3/4 of the pot and get called. Now i put villain on a draw, turn comes 2 or some other rags, no flush. I bet again, around the pot, and he calls. By the end i will discover he beats me with Ak. Did I play so wrong??

My problem here is that after the first call (and the pf call) I don t put him on a strong hand. I know he has something but i think that if i check the turn i am showing weakness and a big bet on his part can easily take the pot...
any suggestion how to play this situation?? (I don t have a record if this player of course)

[Ash256]

I've had that situation a couple of times, and it's a difficult situation. With weak top-pair hands I sometimes like a turn check and a river valuebet, although I get the feeling that doing that misses out on value when my opponent shows the worst hand. I also think it may well be a good habit not to stick your stack in every time you get TPGK.

It's a difficult situation, because you can't just muck KQ. I think the key is not to play out of position, but still, you can't just make your EP -> MP range AA-99, AK.

Can more experienced players clarify?

[Dave Davis]

It is a difficult situation. Opponent's call with AK is a terrible slowplay I think. However, I would bet turn in that spot and then check river. If he has AK, he might not bet river because you showed strength on the flop and turn. If he missed his flush, you gotta let him bluff and then call if it is not really a large bet.

[benny999]

one key is identifying if they are tight/passive or loose/passive.
I'd bet less vs a tight/passive even on that board, possibly even check the flop since it isn't ridiculously coordinated.
but vs loose/passive play it the same, because plenty of worse Kx are in their range.

[Fnord]

Now i put villain on a draw

It's a heads-up pot, why are we putting him on a flush draw? What game/stakes is this? In a lot of the mediumish stakes online games a flush draw will often raise here, where-as a made hand or float will call to see how much you like your hand, play a turn and perhaps get a 2nd barrel bluff out of you.

turn comes 2 or some other rags, no flush. I bet again, around the pot, and he calls.

Why do you think pot is the correct bet size here? How much money is behind at this point? How do various bet sizes effect your river lines?

[Pelion]

In a lot of the mediumish stakes online games a flush draw will often raise here

Not from a passive player.

With a passive player you can usually fold TP2K to a raise. I wouldnt put him on a draw. All you have to do if hes callin is decide if there are more hands he calls with that you beat (KJ, KT, draw) than hands that beat you (AK).

Even a passive player will raise a set at some point so you can usually put him on a range quite easily and get value from worse kickers (or keep the pot small with weaker hands). Sometimes you do all this and find out he has the top hand in his range and you lose. Shit happens.