when QQ pair are re-raised?

[riverhunter]

New to the table, no read yet. I don't feel good about my play. Any suggestions?

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
Hero raises, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button 3-bets, SB calls, BB calls, Hero calls, CO calls.

Flop: (15 SB) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, CO bets, Button raises, SB folds, BB calls, Hero calls, CO calls.

Turn: (11.50 BB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks, Button bets, BB folds, Hero calls, CO calls.

River: (14.50 BB) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, CO checks, Button bets, Hero calls, CO calls.

Final Pot: 17.50 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 17.50 BB, between CO, Button and Hero.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Button (17.50 BB).</font>

[bisonbison]

I'd cap preflop and lead the flop. A decently aggressive player will 3-bet you with quite a few hands, and you're behind only 2 (AA and KK).

[SnakeRat]

I would cap this preflop and be betting and raising until they show me they have JJ, KK, or AA.

Play your big pairs very aggressively preflop, and play overpairs the same way the rest of the hand.

[Jaran]

Hey Riverhunter,
Welcome to the forum. On your hand, I'm torn between capping pf and calling as you did. I don't think that calling is wrong, provided you take a more aggressive line on this flop. If I had called the pf 3bet, it would have been with the idea of c/r'ing the flop. I love this flop and would have 3bet. I'm also leading the turn without regards to the button capping or not.

-Jaran

[SnakeRat]

Just calling this 3-bet is giving up way too much.

You probably have the best hand and there are 4 other people in the hand.

[Blarg]

He's also behind JJ, bisonbison.

[Jaran]

Yeah, after thinking about it, I'm no longer torn. I would cap pf.

-Jaran

[TrailofTears]

I think bison means PF he is only behind AA or KK.

[TrailofTears]

I agree with SnakeRat. Play this hand like it's gold, because it probably is. It is very likely in PP .50/1 that he is raising PF with anything from AJ - J10. Your overpair is likely good in this situation.

[bisonbison]

I think bison means PF he is only behind AA or KK.

yarr.

[David K.]

[ QUOTE ]
He's also behind JJ, bisonbison.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you meant post-flop then he's also behind 88, 44, J8, J4 and 84

[Blarg]

I think check raising the flop would have been a good idea, to try to force out the cut-off if possible by making him fear getting stuck between two players in a raising war and eating not just your the button's bet and your raise, but another raise from the button and then a cap by you.

That kind of worry could force out a marginal hand like a gutshot straight draw or small pair that you don't want getting lucky on you. At this point there are already 15 small bets preflop and 2 more from the flop betting in the pot, so chasing people out too early is not a concern.

And if any of these guys folds thinking you have three jacks or something great like aces, you're closer to a heads-up situation, which I like better with a big pair and the pot already well worth winning ASAP.

If anyone is worried that your checkraise on the flop signals a very powerful hand, you will have a certain control over the later streets, because if you bet out again on the turn, you probably won't get raised unless it's by someone with an exceptionally good hand, and it's going to be hard for other players to call you on the turn or the river without a really good hand. You might be looking at a fold or two on the turn from somebody if you bet out the turn after raising the flop, which is all to the good.

Anyway, I think that in this situation you have to consider the danger of letting people stay in by not raising enough as of at least as much concern as betting too hard without a winning hand and losing a few more bets. If you are too brave you could possibly lose a few more bets trying to fight a hand or two that already beat you, but if you are too timid, you could lose the whole pot that might have been yours if you had just pushed a little harder and prevented some of the pack from drawing out to beat you.