1/3 Huge whale, do we just check/fold?

You're allowed to cbet this. B33 clears up your quandary nicely. When V calls, you know they've a King; when they fold, they don't.

I'm betting they've a King here...lol.

Exploit this player by setmining or going for a straight vs their TP they can't let go.

PRE - seems standard. Might go larger with whale on our left.

FLOP - think we can still c-bet 1/4-1/3 pot. If we get called, we go into defense / pot-control mode.

TURN - I'm not quite ready to fold yet.

Yes, V could have a K, or a 5, but he might have been contemplating a bet on the flop simply because everyone checked to him, and he thinks he should bet ace-high or some lower PP. I'd think if he actually did have a K, he'd be more likely to bet, not slow play it by checking back.

Think we can call, and check-evaluate river. If he bets again, especially if he bets large, then we can fold. If he bets the river small, we may need to pay him off.

I see your point on the Turn, but IME, if they're truly newbish and clueless, they're sweating on the flop that one of the other two has a 5. Despite that not making sense compared to what those V's ranges should have in them, it's what those new players'll do.

I just don't see the point of getting into a guessing game with a fish when we could be/are drawing dead, and when they're described as pretty face-up. Yes, it's a small cost to call (Did MP fold already?). I'd rather clash with them when I can make a hand that might beat what they likely have.

Far easier ways to take their money.

I like a c-bet here, but don't think check is horrible. As played, this feels like a fairly simple fold on the turn; this is a new player. he has a K or a 5 like 90% of the time here. Sure perhaps some of the time he shows up with something like 88, but not at any frequency that makes calling profitable.

I'm guessing it isn't kosher to seat change in home games, but we'd probably rather be in position versus the whale than OOP.

I limp the HJ but that's my style.

I'd probably lean to a small cbet on the flop. JJ may be good and it is vulnerable to a handful of overcards.

Think I'm ok with the turn check as played. Against a guy noosish to the game ("I've got 3 pear!") and after weakly checking twice and for this price, think I'm calling the turn and evaluating the river. Think on a non overcard river we could actually think of block betting for thin value very small and then easily fold to a raise (this is why having position on the whale would be so much more profitable, as we could just fold if he bets the river and meanwhile safely value bet if checked to).

GcluelessNLnoobG

I'm fine with the line, cbetting also fine, but you need to call now that you've played it this way. Unless you have a soul read that this guy is so sfwd he just never bets without a boat here

Call and reevaluate river.

Insta-fold.

If he's truly a fish, he's incapable of bluffing in this spot. "I haz pair", etc

If he is bluffing, then I'm OK overfolding against them because this spot is going to come up so rarely against them.

As docvail said I wouldn't be shocked for V to have 66 here. Hell, given he's so new I wouldn't be shocked if he has 44 and thinks he's value betting turn.

Also so what if he bets 25 on turn and 50 on river, and he shows AK/KQ. You'd lose that vs. most anyone and it'll be easier to get back ... but if he shows K9 or 65 you get a bunch of info. for the same price. The thing with new players in home games is that you kind of want them to win the first time they show up, as long as there's a good chance they'll show up again.

If you are going to fold, make sure you show.

Pre is fine. Flop I can go either way. As played, 100% call/evaluate.