Interesting Spots: Volume 3

Date: August 5th, 2025
Location: Private NYC live game
Stakes: $2-$5
Effective stack: $2100

We are on the BTN with AcAs.

Pre-flop (5-handed):

UTG raise to $30.
CO folds.
I raise to $100.
SB folds.
BB folds.
UTG calls.
BB folds.

Villain info: A nice guy who is quite drunk. Has been VPIPing 100%. However, he usually limps in. His raising range is hard to read. While drunk, he gets out of line and is a station with some bluffs.

Flop (heads-up):

$205 in the pot.

236r

I bet $100.
Villain rips it for $2000.

I tank for a while then call.

Board runs out 23647.

Villain shows 74o for two pair.

Thoughts:

One of my more hilarious bad beats. At this point, villain was coherent enough to play his strong hands for value, so I thought 45 and sets were unlikely. It was very hard to put him on a hand that I was ahead of, but because he raised pre instead of his usual limps, I thought overpairs were a distinct possibility. And he might overplay hands like 88 exactly like this, thinking he can either protect and push me off of AK or something, or maybe get value. So I called.

But I was quite surprised to see his holding. Didn’t think he was that drunk! Funnily enough, I was frustrated when the turn came out with such a connected card, but I was still way ahead!

In hindsight I am not sure about this call. I think this is a fold vs. most live players, who will always 2 pair+ in this spot.