Tough Preflop Spot
Villain on the BTN is a reg, and the SB who cold-called is a fish playing 53/5/0 over 39 hands.
I’ve never studied this kind of configuration in depth, so I’m not quite sure what to think about the non-all-in 4-bet with AQs.
A 4-bet all-in also seems like an option, definitely +EV, but maybe not optimal—I’m not sure.
Moreover, since the EV of calling the 3-bet with AQs increases for obvious reasons, it could very well be the safest and most EV+ option.
Then, against the min 5-bet, what are we supposed to do?
Winamax - €1 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4
MP+1: 138.93 BB (VPIP: 7.69, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 13)
Hero (MP+2): 100 BB
CO: 109.16 BB (VPIP: 19.73, PFR: 16.12, 3Bet Preflop: 7.55, Hands: 531)
BTN: 194.22 BB (VPIP: 7.69, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 13)
SB: 193.44 BB (VPIP: 52.63, PFR: 5.26, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 39)
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 14.41, PFR: 11.26, 3Bet Preflop: 7.06, Hands: 225)
UTG: 100 BB (VPIP: 18.23, PFR: 13.81, 3Bet Preflop: 7.64, Hands: 365)
UTG+1: 26.21 BB (VPIP: 15.47, PFR: 12.83, 3Bet Preflop: 6.05, Hands: 914)
MP: 42.03 BB (VPIP: 11.11, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9)
SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A♠ Q♠
fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 2.5 BB, fold, BTN raises to 7.5 BB, SB calls 7 BB, fold, Hero raises to 25 BB, BTN raises to 42.5 BB, fold, ?
5 Replies
I would just call the 3bet preflop, keep this fish in with his dominated stuff, keep the regs range wider. reg should also play more face up postflop being 3way and fish in there so you get to realize your equity more and have decent relative position allowing you to check to the reg, see what he does and if he bets, what the fish does.
As played fold. He's not messing around with a whale in the pot and you're crushed by his value, which is basically his whole range at this point.
Yeah, just call the 3-bet. Your 4-bet is also a bit large for 100bb eff.
I would just call the 3bet preflop, keep this fish in with his dominated stuff, keep the regs range wider. reg should also play more face up postflop being 3way and fish in there so you get to realize your equity more and have decent relative position allowing you to check to the reg, see what he does and if he bets, what the fish does.
As played fold. He's not messing around with a whale in the pot and you're crushed by his value, which is basically his whole range at this point.
I agree with all these arguments in favor of call. It’s also the play I prefer by default. That said, I haven’t run simulations to determine if the 4-bet is better overall, and if not, what parameters related to the two players would make it the optimal play—or even for the 4-bet all-in, for that matter.
About 5B, I folded as well, but I had no idea what to do at the time. After reviewing it, it’s clear that folding was a mistake, as the dead money from the fish combined with the tiny 5-bet sizing makes call profitable.
Even in the worst-case scenario where Villain only 5-bets with QQ+/AK, folding costs me 1.5bb of EV.
Spoiler
I agree with all these arguments in favor of call. It’s also the play I prefer by default. That said, I haven’t run simulations to determine if the 4-bet is better overall, and if not, what parameters related to the two players would make it the optimal play—or even for the 4-bet all-in, for that matter.
About 5B, I folded as well, but I had no idea what to do at the time. After reviewing it, it’s clear that folding was a mistake, as the dead money from the fish combined with the tiny 5-bet sizin
I'd recommend using HRC over PIO Edge for any preflop sims.
