Making Tough Decisions Like a Poker Pro in $2/5 Cash Games

In this video, the caller has to decide what to do when faced with a small raise that could be a draw looking to set a price and take a free card in position. An argument could be made for both an immediate fold (if he felt strongly this is an over pair) or a jam to give flush draws a worse price. Then on the turn he's put to the test with a tough decision. Bart breaks down why this action is not typical of a draw.
Checkout our latest Crush Live Poker Free Training videos and podcasts here: bit.ly/FREE-CL...
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - Preflop
3:07 - Flop
10:23 - Turn
13:20 - Hero Decision
To submit a hand for consideration for the call-in show read instructions here: crushlivepoker....
Join the CLP Discord community and follow our socials:
► / discord
► / crushlivepoker
► / crushlivepoker
► / crushlivepoker

[@CrushlivePoker]

Do you agree that the villian isn't likely to be bluffing if he thinks over pairs are not folding? Or is the snap rip leaning you to think he is jamming with something like AhKh?

[@thehasuprobe]

I’m thinking AhKh… but who knows it really depends on the player type, some people just call with KK. Dont think AA though.

[@nitemareman1]

Difficult to attribute "he thinks over pairs are not folding" to a relatively unknown player. I would need to know someone pretty well to get there. There's no way I can fold here in hero's spot on turn. I would be calling here just because, like you always say, I've seen so much crazy shit.

[@MikeTidman]

There are more AA KK than AhKh AhQh

[@MikeTidman]

This particular AA KK prob wants to raise to structure an all in on a non H turn.

[@patrickjordan2233]

Being OP & given stack depths, I feel it's either jam/fold (to flop raise) -shallow playability -... There's a segment of players who don't have 5 bets...even w/aces & kings (their idea of "balanced"?)... Edit: I've seen a lot more of this lately.... Not so much decades ago... Still, I lean towards thinking V playing AA more as a flop call-call-AI (flop/turn/river)? That only leaves the combos of KK, or AhKh (Pocket 9s wouldn't play this way unless they considered us a total fish..), or air... If it was a bluff/semi-bluff (as played + folded) tap the table? But I don't fold face up, like in the last 20+ (give away Way more than we gain... IMO...)

[@thaThRONe]

The only option I don't like is calling. I'm more on the all in or fold on this flop raise.

[@GotoyourhomeBall]

If I’m villain and give Hero a narrow 4bet range pre, I’m peeling almost every heart draw except AKhh otf given the spr. The small 2.5X flop raise in position on 933 screams strength. Once we call flop I think we station the rest off. Call flop + fold turn probably the worst line.

[@pot_kivach160]

If I plan to fold on a brick turn shove, then I'm folding the flop raise.

[@ramon3742]

Right like wth does he want to happen? So im going to call and on a brick turn I fold but on a turn that hits the flush I’m going to fold lol. sounds like you said here goes my money on the flop

[@mkader2494]

That was a fantastic bluff.

[@richardklein9568]

Seems to me that it was played like a flush draw, once the turn bricked I am all in NEVER folding. AA, KK and 99 would never be played this way.

[@dfrank313d]

9s might but AA & KK never play this way

[@hymnofashes]

On the flop, V has a lot of AK, sometimes with a heart, or hearts, JJ, TT, and partials of AA, KK, and 99 which we lose to, but, I don't think this is a tough spot at all. If you aren't putting it in with QQ, then what are you continuing with? AA and KK only?

[@ChrisM-wv4gs]

Agreed caller is a disgusting nit

[@Chemissed-qc1bt]

I think jam or fold flop makes your life easier. What clean turns are there? 9,10,J,K,A and hearts all put you in a bad spot

[@virajsahu9936]

I think a lot of players would three bet the pot to check back the turn with their bluffs. So that would include a very wide range of hands with a low probability of someone making that play at 2/5

[@danwestphal1862]

No way pocket 99 does that, full house would bleed you a little

[@johnwright7823]

Sometimes you just have to say nice hand and pay the guy off

[@rocky2324rocky]

Calling is indeed the best option on the flop . Jamming and folding are both not optimal. The raise on flop means 2 things . He either has a heart draw or a very strong hand like 9s or sometimes aces ( which I very much doubt). All the heart draws will fold and most value hands will beat your hands . You dont want to be in a spot where when you jam you only get called by better and fold by worse. If he has a heart draw just call and evaluate on later streets. The only worse hands you can get called by is jacks and 10s ( which I think is very unlikely to raise the flop as well) . I am def leaning towards missed heart draw .

[@PSPCRemy]

Sounds like a bluff for sure lol the trailing “ehhhhhhhh…”

[@mikedangelo8003]

Snap rip on the flop all day and twice on Tuesdays. If he turns over AA or KK you tap the table and leave the casino

[@Daniel-fo9jf]

yep, the fold to me doesn't make much sense.

[@calebrandal8915]

Why tho, like yeah it’s easy to brush it off as a cooler but just look at the line, hero looks super overpair heavy, and V is allowed to have AA and KK. Not 5 betting pre and then waiting for a safe flop to stack a lower overpair seems to make sense from this guy. H saved himself half his stack

[@justinjames7801]

This hand reaks of AK AQ of hearts. feels like a semi bluff. AA 5 bets pre, KK could call make sure the flop is clean

[@Jermo484]

Folding this flop would be wild against a reg. They just love to put people who 3/4 bet on AK and you always talk about live players not having 5 betting ranges but I see way, way, way more 5/6 bet jams with AA, KK, AK than I see traps with those hands. Playing KK the way he did would be pretty bad - he couldn't even get called by QQ. Playing 99 that way would be an all time punt and no sane person could think that's a good play. This is also why I'm not folding here. It doesn't seem to make any sense to raise with any hands here besides complete airballs maybe or entirely because for some reason they decided you're weak (AK or AQ probably). You covered pretty well in the video why AK or AQhh don't really have incentive to raise (not that live players wouldn't, but still) and why there's no real reason to do it with AA. I'm sure plenty would with KK, but that also seems mediocre and only the most scared money fools would do it with 99.

[@stevenundisclosed6091]

Villain clearly has seven deuce here.

[@hogi99]

Of ❤'s 😂

[@TheMightyDoon]

I'm wondering why there wasn't more discussion on the chances that CO smooths the 4bet with AA-KK preflop, cause that seems to be the defining question. I also would've liked to hear posters thoughts on whether he had a plan if 5bet. Would he fold QQ preflop or shove?

[@bobbyhill826]

Any chance you could add all the new call-in videos to the playlist? I listen to them at work all day

[@webguy943]

Need more info on villain does he ever bluff? I would have checked the flop instead of betting cuz we want to get to showdown as cheaply as possible.

[@cj7139]

If that's the case, why 4-bet with QQ in the first place? 933 is a top 10% flop in this situation.

[@webguy943]

@@cj7139 4 bet cuz we think we have the best hand but when villain calls a 4 bet we must evaluate. Again it depends on villain playstyle. If villain is solid hes not gonna give up that easily even if he has AK so hes not gonna fold to a Cbet. Plus we tread cautiously incase villain already has us beat.

[@barbrothers2]

have you ever heard of getting value?

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

@@webguy943if villain is not going to fold AK to a C-bet then that’s exactly why you should be betting.

[@davidculhane4388]

It would actually be 4th street chicken not 2nd street chicken. It should be a pre-requisite to play other variations of poker before calling in so we don't have to hear ridiculous comments like that lol

[@Ggoodlad1]

You nailed it at ~14:45 - if he had AA or KK, he would never raise that flop in position. Worst case he stumbled into A3. He's raising with 10-10 or JJ out of fear of an overcard on the turn! JAM that raise and take it down or hopefully double up. 🍀💪

[@TheTree1]

I'm only on the the flop so far in the video but I just called the flop and then call the turn if he jams. I don't see much value in jamming over the raise on the flop.

[@intrepidus3378]

I paused at 9:44 before the turn. I think this is a fold. Call and evaluate sucks on so many levels I just don't even want to go there. The villain is a competent player. His floor is nut flush draws and we're losing against those hands about 50% of the time if we get it in here. Against the rest of his range, we're in big trouble. I know it's tight - but live to fight another day.

[@calebkoeller9586]

200 more into an 800 dollar pot isn't worth it? V almost certainly doesn't have a 3 and 99 is an insignificant portion of the range. Sure he could be trapping with kings or aces but you only have to be good here like 1/4 times to make the call

[@cj7139]

​@@calebkoeller9586Those pot odds are pretty irrelevant if we end up folding to a turn shove on a brick.

[@calebkoeller9586]

@@cj7139 I agree but I still think you gotta peel

[@cj7139]

@@calebkoeller9586 I feel you, I'm never 4-betting in this spot against someone that I can't happily shrug-get it in against on 933hh. Looking at the turn SPR, this hand is just kind of a disaster.

[@calebkoeller9586]

@cj7139 yeah it's definitely a worst case scenario and it's pretty sick but I don't think anyone is actually folding to such a small raise on the flop. You probably suspect you're beat but folding would take discipline that I don't think anybody has

[@KINGBOSS08-mmk]

Just curious, wouldn't A2 or A4 of hearts have more equity than AK of hearts? I don't think I would've folded the queens here.

[@mr.doriangrey3394]

I like a jam after he gets raised on flop . KK or 2 hearts for villain

[@ANTxWAll]

more & more starting to think 78hh with improved equity on the turn rip vs unimproved check back?

[@yoseftigger]

Why would any hand of value raise flop? This seems more like flush draw, air, or JJ/TT that called and noticed you tanked on flop

[@randompianist8359]

AA 99 raise to get value from KK QQ, and AK hearts

[@yoseftigger]

@@randompianist8359 99 Def shouldn’t raise as you are in position and everything is drawing near dead. AA can just call down or let AK catch up. KK and QQ should bet turn partially anyway to get value from JJ/TT or flush draws

[@harrycardillo8671]

AA KK afraid of a hero's AK hearts or his flush draw are possible. 99 is never a raise. So two hands here that beat you.

[@a_canal]

Think he had AA.KK & 99 seem less likely. Could also have heart bluffs considering your narrow range in a 4 bet pot

[@supersmoo7377]

After caller discussed it with opponent afterwards, it sounds like A3 of spades or diamonds to me. I could see a player trying to over-protect their trips here.

[@leviwhatever6192]

I see lots of folks saying A-K hearts, but nobody is suggesting A4-A5 hearts. Why ? Seems almost as likely with hero making a relatively small 3 bet pre

[@lircox]

Hero is saying he believes villain is a competent player so he can't really make preflop sizing reads, as they shouldn't exist

[@chauncieextreme8514]

at 200 BBs, you could play this 2 ways….as an all in on flop, or an all in on the turn (clue: he doesn’t have a 3)

[@Daniel-fo9jf]

If villain actually had AA or 99 then he played it horribly by raising, there is literally no reason to be raising the flop when the SPR is less than 3 and you have the nuts. AK and KK are much more likely in my opinion and I'm never folding in hero's position unless villain is an uber NIT. Live players will spaz out here with JJ, AK and random hands, folding here is a tremendous mistake against the average live reg.

[@qazzaqstan]

So many people are saying call because AA and 99 shouldn't raise the flop, but most people are calling all their over-pairs those hands really should fast play before a scare card comes out and they can't get the money in.

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

Weird hand. V’s value range is so narrow. KK almost feels like an overplay since hero folded QQ. Raising 99 just feels completely unnecessary. Maybe AA without a heart might raise to charge heart draws I guess. But AhAx feels like it can just call this down and still get stacks in.

[@stephanie4205]

I've seen a lot of people play JJ like this. They go crazy with JJ and they always say "because I wanted to get you out of the hand". It's like all sense goes out the window.

[@chelseafanfromasia]

Looks like the villian had some kind of Ace high flush draw to me. If he flopped the boat with 9s, he would want the opponent to catch up or make a flush, so raising the flop in position make little sense. Raising the flop in position with relatively shorter stack screams a combo draw to me. He has decent equity against most pairs, and he can make hero fold out non paired ak aq. I think hero calling the flop is totally fine if he intend to stack off a brick turn. If he geniuely believe his oponent has a better hand then i dont see a peoblem with folding on the flop either. If the villain called heros shove, i think hero is flipping at best against a flush draw and overcards

[@swordofallah1129]

200bb deep most pleyers are gonna put in the max with AA and they should . There is no better pre flop situation than AA vs any hand. Being cute and betting AA softly will get the ace buster hands to come along .

[@hogi99]

Shove or fold on flop raise. Move on to the next hand.

[@AT-bw4cm]

200bb deep 99% of 2-5 players are 5 betting AA preflop. If he is the trapping type with AA, then why would he raise the flop in position? Why on earth would a competent player raise 99 on the flop? He most likely had a flush draw.

[@Unhingedanduninformed]

Because against a 3b range, assuming villain has 99, there’s a chunky part of hero’s range that are pairs and flush draws. 10s-QQ are calling. Two hearts are calling. It also wasn’t a huge raise. It isn’t a normal line, but villain could be making that move player dependent

[@danielliu8735]

Because if you’re balancing around 3 value combos If you don’t raise the value combos you end up severely overbluffing. Any “competent player” that raises a flush draw would raise a set.

[@AT-bw4cm]

@@danielliu8735 You end up folding any of hero's bluffs. For balance a competent villian shouldn't be raising the flop because of the preflop configuration.

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

@@AT-bw4cmI was about to say, I don’t think a “balanced” player raises this flop at all. 99 can easily get the money in by the river even with a call on the flop. You wouldn’t even have to bet very large on the turn and river.

[@timcarter817]

Thanks for regurgitating the same damned thing he just told the caller

[@bobbybeef69]

Why not check call flop?

[@nonenonerson7130]

I would never, ever, ever fold this face up.

[@YouTubeaidsreal]

Caller has a decent voice for content online imo

[@moayourlawn1126]

He sounds like a dork 😂😂

[@barbrothers2]

is this sarcasm? he sounds like a woman who is on testosterone. i was questioning if this was even a real guy the entire time

[@YouTubeaidsreal]

@@moayourlawn1126 and your mom eats with a spork

[@dalekerr5091]

caller sounds like Ryan Feldman

[@billnyethebreadisrye5750]

Lol I agree this guy sounds like a boy that will never be a man

[@danielmeuler2877]

I find that 3 bets are Rare enough at low stakes (1/3-2/5) that when ever it happens its one of 3 Hands AA, KK and AK suited. People also are not calling those kinds of Bets without 5 specific hands. Unless the Hero really knows the Villian to be a "Spew Box", a fold is the move here.

[@Dynamice1337]

These ambiguous decisions vs a flop raise are exactly why I would play this as a call preflop. You are OOP and every street is going to be harder and harder to play in a very big pot. I am most profitable when I can pick my spots and have an advantage against my opponent, here you are on the back foot the whole way.

[@peterdembowy4459]

Sounds a lot like AA, KK, 99 or AK/AQhh

[@benjaminlebria]

This dude sounds like steve-o

[@EllieBanks333]

I need help from you, my poker peeps!!! I think I might be getting out of touch with casino play by playing almost exclusively home games. Are people betting this small on heads up flops often? As to the hand in question, I really need more info here than just the cards in play. If I want to decide just based on that, I think this is simply a jam on the flop. But I really want to know my impression of villain. I really want to know what I think my own table image is. If I was the hero here, with my table image & against a villain who is competent, this is just a fold to the flop raise. On the other hand, I'm never in this spot. I don't open UTG for 3X. I also don't bet $125 into $385 heads up here. I understand that the villain is showing the kind of strength that makes us think he has AA or KK. But I also think that represents very poor play. I mean I guess it's not terrible if villain has KK no heart. But look at where we are at SPR wise if villain just calls the flop. Final note, the math here is totally hinky. If hero calls the flop raise he has 740 left & the pot is 1045.

[@1vailchris]

Hi Ellie - it seems pretty "industry standard" for flop c-bets to range from 1/3 pot to 2/3 pot, depending on various factors, with some more extreme cases indicating much smaller than 1/3 or much larger than 2/3 pot bets. In theory, 4B pots should be c-bet for a small size close to 100% frequency. This is kind of a weird spot for hero, because both his open and his 4B size pre were a little small. I'd wonder whether or not V has a 5B range, at all, ever, or just here, IP, with these stack depths. I'd also wonder if V 3B's 99 or A3s pre, over LJ's call. If we think V might 3B with 99 or A3s pre, and we think he's just never 5B'ing pre, then I think we could actually check, or bet small. If we think V isn't 3B'ing 99 or A3s, and we think V has a 5B range with AA/KK pre, then I think I might size up, to target JJ/TT and V's flush draws. Hero's smallish sizing pre leads to the questions about V's 3B/5B range pre, which leads to questioning how big to c-bet this flop, and of course whether or not hero should call or jam over V's flop raise, or call V's turn jam. If hero opened larger, LJ might not have called, and / or V might have 3B with 99/A3s, hero probably would have 4B larger, V's continue range would have less 99/A3, and probably less AA/KK, because maybe then V 5B's. In that scenario, I'd be c-betting huge on this flop.

[@1vailchris]

Responding to the rest - I recently stepped up to 2/5 from 1/3, and have been experimenting with my RFI sizing, going $15 or $20, depending on the table dynamics. I think $15 is fine, generally, in most 2/5 games. But if the standard open in this specific game is $20, and hero opened $15, that would affect my post-flop analysis. Here, if V doesn't have a 5B range pre, and might 3B 99 or A3s, I could see folding flop. If V has a 5B range, and isn't 3B'ing 99 or A3s, then I think we just jam over this raise. If he 3B's 99/A3s pre, and doesn't have a 5B range at all, I'm giving him 30 combos - 17 that beat us (AA/KK/99/A3s), and 13 we beat (AK/AQ/AJ/AT/A5/A4/A2 of hearts, and TT/JJ with a heart). If he's not 3B'ing 99/A3s pre, and he has a 5B range with AA/KK/AKs, then this is just 12 combos we beat, and nothing we don't. The obvious challenge is that we have no idea what V is doing here. Maybe he 3B's 99 but not A2s-A4s, and 5B's AA/KK but not AKs. Maybe he's not jamming TT/JJ with a heart here.

[@stevenmcwilliam6945]

If he flopped a full House with nines, why would he raise ? Aces or kings maybe but if nines he’d slow play it I’d think.

[@info7681]

We dont really know what kind of player villian is and what the reputation of hero is. He only says my 4 bet range utg is polarized but i think thats always the case any 4 bet.. he says im a donkey but how can you believe that if he folds in this spot. Everyone here in the comments screaming semi bluf need to play there 1c/2c online this one no one really can know

[@brock83995]

I play at Hollywood in Columbus all the time, wish I knew who this hand was against

[@RiverRat6996]

AhKh or 7h8h for sure if he is a competent player. he would have realized pretty quickly hero plays scared and over folds so why would he take this line with real value. it was either a semi bluff or maybe even a complete air ball if he took him for a weak player that overfolds.

[@jdsr4c]

This guy needs to go back to the $1/$2 tables.

[@gbpg2016]

I’m by no means a regular player but it seems the villain knew how nitty this caller was. He was going all in on the turn before the flop against him. No way would I fold even if he somehow had a better hand. I’d rather lose the money going down with a fight than be scared to lose it if he somehow had a better hand.

[@a_canal]

Steve O

[@dfrank313d]

IMO the worst play made was folding face up!

[@pranendrasingh4839]

Cutoff opens 2bb, I call with 55 in the BB, flop comes 542 all hearts, flop goes check check, turn is the 3 of hearts, I check and he bets half pot and I call, and the river is another 5, and he snap shoves 50bb and I end up calling, of course he shows a straight flush, how can I find a fold here

[@williamr4053]

Tough spot, but that always has to be in the back of your mind with a tiny preflop raise and 4 to the straight flush draw on the board. If you’re putting it all in with quads, you’re going to run into A high flush, straight flush, or some kind of boat combination. With the small open, and you call, expect any combination of hands to be in the pot with you.

[@pot_kivach160]

wrong question. There are two answers you must find before this one. If you find these two answers, this one would've been answered by itself. Or: there would be no need to answer this one at all. A1: I MUST bet flop. A2: I MUST fold the turn bet (IF he called your flop bet). . No other answers you need (to handle this hand successfully).

[@Bawookles]

Villain bluffed his paints off. You know what's going on when someone raises a paired flop against a preflop raiser? 90% of the time it's a bluff.

[@yonatandavidbronznick7733]

WTF why not calling 700 to 1700 pot? you need like 30% winning chances, he could be TT or JJ easily

[@1312Mork2]

He has Aces

[@tattoomesam]

Bro no way it’s pocket 9s. 99 would let him hit ur flush. AK hearts is my guess

[@WesBundy82]

I find it hilarious that the caller is so confident that he knows his opponent had either AA or KK or 9's full.. . ..

[@angelsmith1756]

Sounds like the caller had his rent money on the table and was scared

[@squallloky]

Villain had A3 of spades, case closed

[@VOID_FLIX]

KK for sure

[@skelthouser2730]

Damn, couldn't you at least have asked him if you folded the best hand. That's more likely to get you an answer than getting him to admit to an exact hand...

[@derejm5461]

Caller is the dude from HCL right ?

[@poochimayne7294]

He MOST likely had your worst nightmare;99- landed nuts on the flop. Too bad for you. He snap/ call/ raised so he had it. End of story. Cant believe you remembered this crap. Forget it!

[@kemillionaire2]

Easy fold. Villian had aces or kings

[@jordoncarlson3650]

Bad fold. Villain likely had ak aq aj hearts qq jj or 1010

[@RVGambler11]

😢

[@wugenius8813]

AK hearts or jacks or tens no way he has AA or Kings

[@danwestphal1862]

No way 9-9 does this, full house gonna make you bleed a little

[@liualpha6951]

what a fish

[@ChrisM-wv4gs]

Caller is bad at poker. They go on and on about how awesome the villain. Is yet forget good players will have bluffs. They clearly see monsters under the bed and will be pushed around at the tables

[@NorCal_Poker]

Feels like AK of hearts or KK. Either way, shitty spot!

[@paTROLLINGxD]

Thizz

[@cafferacer]

Dude don’t play. Like dude haha ha dude like dude. I tanked forever bro then folded bro

[@cafferacer]

Ok so let’s break this down. Bart can play at a high level, but if a terrible player calls in he’s like naw dude you ok. Thats a scammer because his biz is coaching and 100k KZbin subs. Scammer and liar

[@cafferacer]

100k plus subs just keep lying is what I’d do in this spot *clear throat* and my wife prefers I keep lying to protect my wife n kids