General Question About QQ capped preflop (/w TOP reference)

[Etric]

I hope this is the right forum for my question.

Recently I was playing 2-4 at Party Poker. I had QQ in the BB, someone in MP raised, I reraised and they capped. This person had been playing well preflop, but had been calling down to the river with middle pairs/medium pocket pairs. I figured he had AA, KK, QQ, AKs, or AK. Flop was ragged, I checked and he bet. Turn and river were both undercards and I check/called down. He showed me AA and took the pot. Should I have folded at any point?

I've been reading TOP and it mentions a NL example where someone has QQ vs someone who may have AA, KK, or AK and the odds are 4-3 in favor of the opponent having AK, but TOP states that you lose too much the 3/7 of the time that your opponent has AA or KK that the times he has 4/7 you do not make enough to compensate. Is this just a nuance of NL play or does the same principle apply in limit?

[Harv72b]

NL is a lot less forgiving than limit hold 'em, obviously. In a 2/4 limit game, the most you can possibly lose on a given hand is $48. In a no limit game, you can lose your entire bankroll. But we've all seen Rounders & understand that aspect of it.

Based on your read of that particular opponent, I think calling down is fine. You lost 4.5 BBs, which you can easily make up with a lucky flop from the big blind. There's absolutely nothing wrong with calling down in a limit game under that scenario (unless you have a very specific read on your opponent that he won't cap preflop without at least KK).

A lot of people overplay not only AK, but also JJ and TT in 2/4 Party. Because of that, most people here would probably recommend not only calling down, but raising at some point in the hand. At any rate, losing 4.5 BBs in those rare occasions where you're up against bigger pockets is a much smaller drag on your win rate than folding QQ every time someone caps preflop & bets the flop on you.

In no limit tourneys (I have very little NL ring experience) I've taken opponents out & been taken out in AA vs. KK-JJ situations before. That's where you have to be careful, when someone pushes (or forces you to push) on a ragged board like you described.

[Gravy (Gravy Smoothie)]

Hey Etric,

Against you average Party 2/4 opponent your range of hands you put him on after capping is giving him too much credit. For some people, this is correct. Others will cap preflop with any hand they would raise with.

That said, I bet this flop and call down if he raises. You will lose chips when QQ runs into AA but I can't see you not showing down your overpair when it's heads up preflop and the flop comes rag rag rag.

[JEM7VSBL]

i would generally bet this, call a raise, and check/call the turn and river if it's heads up with undercards on the board.