QQ 3-bet pre about 30bb deep. Ace on the flop, about one pot bet left
I tend to be so unsure about how to handle this type of situations that this questions maybe would belong in Beginners questions. But anyway, here it is.
PokerStars - 1750/3500 Ante 550 NL (8 max) - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4
UTG+1: 35.51 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 33.33, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
MP: 112.34 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
MP+1: 27.82 BB (VPIP: 12.50, PFR: 12.50, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 8)
CO: 38.61 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
Hero (BTN): 28.67 BB
SB: 15.02 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
BB: 58.09 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
UTG: 7.73 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
8 players post ante of 0.16 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 2.76 BB) Hero has Q♦ Q♥
fold, UTG+1 raises to 2 BB, MP calls 2 BB, fold, fold, Hero raises to 8 BB, fold, fold, fold, MP calls 6 BB
Flop: (20.76 BB, 2 players) 4♠ 4♥ A♠
MP checks, Hero ???
So: We have about the size of the pot bet left. I guess we could bet small, say 25%, which will leave us with about a half pot bet left. But what's the merit here for it? If they have a middle pair they might fold it, which we obv. don't wont. If they call we still can't be sure if they have an ace or not.
No matter what action OTF we'll see this turn:
Turn: (20.76 BB (or 30bb) , 2 players) 7♠
MP checks, Hero ??
What's the best play here? If we bet and got called OTT it feels like I'm not investing the rest of my chips (about 15bb) in this pot, especially after the flush got there. But maybe this is to weak after two checks from villain? If we both checked OTF, shall bet now?
Let's say we both check turn:
River: (20.76 BB (or 30bb), 2 players) 8♦
MP checks, Hero ??
4 Replies
I agree with not much merit to betting the flop, way ahead or way behind.
I'm betting the turn mostly to protect your equity because now all those medium pockets you didn't want him to fold could have flush outs.
Unless he is super passive or has a hand like Ax Js or A Qs I don't think villain would often check the turn with an ace either. You should be ahead the vast majority of the time.
Ranges are too tight and there’s still too much stack to stick it in on an A-high board.
I tend to range bet 1/4p here then just try to get to showdown. Important thing is to play the REST of your range so that you’re not a sitting duck OTR after checking back turn.
Don’t worry though, they’ll have plenty of hands they’re eager to get to showdown too.
To elaborate, if we had 2/3p left HJvBU on a K-high board, I’d stick it in myself, and it’d be for value.
In this spot, I don’t even feel good about defending against a shove, and would probably just let them have it against a passive player with a bigger stack and just live to play another hand.
Thanks for answers.
It's a fine balance between always fearing villain has an ace and actually take it under rational consideration. I agree it's unlikely villain checks again OTT if he has an ace. So at this point we should consider if we could go for value. This type of loose-passive player who first calls original raiser and then calls a 3-bet often has a middle pair (sometimes a low one also) or AQ-AT. If we want to fire 1/4, is the right decision to do it OTT because more scare cards (for villain that is) might fall OTR? Anyway, I didn't do that but checked back. And I also checked back river. As played I think that definately was a mistake, I should have suspected a pair (55,66, 99 and perhaps TT) that probably call 1/4-bet. And in fact villain had 55.
