In a Party 20-40 Game....

[Jeffage]

How aggressively do you play on 3rd street? Sometimes I'm not sure how to adjust to the lower $2 ante. I'm used to playing very aggressively on 3rd due to the higher ante I am accustomed to live.


Scenario 1: You have a 7 up and A-7 in the hole (two spades, live cards). Folded to a 10 who completes, there is one duplicated overcard behind you. This is an auto raise live for me...is it worth getting involved by reraising 3rd with this crap structure?

More scenarios to follow as I think of them. Other discussion on this street with this structure appreciated.

Jeff

[jon_1van]

This question applies to 5-10 and 10-20 on party as well correct?

[Bartholow]

I've had trouble in the same area Jeff. For me, at this point, it just depends who has the ten, and especially who is behind me. If the players behind you are likely to fold anyway, I really like a call.

[Jeffage]

Yes. The question is how you should approach these type of situations in games with tight structures...so it would apply to 5-10 and 10-20 as well. I've played bigger with bigger antes for a long time and I kinda forget how to play 3rd in games with these poor (imo) structures. How much am I giving up if my default is to reraise in the situation I described above when the ante is 2 instead of 3? Also, if the game is tightish (as is usually the case with the Party 20), how does that impact my decision? Since others might fold anyway, is calling better? Is not getting involved better? What other dynamics are there? I think this could make for a good discussion.

Jeff

[jon_1van]

I've also thought about these situations.

And I can't say I have a whole ton of experience with structures quite this tight.

But in the experience I do (not very much) have I found 2 things true ::
- I always do better when I fold every hand that I'm not THRILLED to play. My best results came when I felt like I was folding way too much.
- Raising to isolate here is waaay too risky. In fact I think we had a post a long time ago that show mathematically that when the antes are so small raising to isolate (and being successful) is actually worse than calling and getting another pair type hand to call (assuming the pair is lower than your kicker). The risk of getting raised on 3rd combined with the fact that you are increasing your pot equity in a very very small pot made calling better.

I wish I could be more help.

Presumably the size of the bring-in also matters here - the 20/40 is actually the tightest of the three games, and the 5/10 the loosest. It would be helpful if someone could work out some ideas on what to play depending on how much is in the pot in terms of small bets.

In terms of the point you raised about what you do with 7A7, I think it depends more on the hand range of the player who completed is, and on how many other people are likely to enter the pot. 7CSFAP suggests that you would prefer hands like this to, say, TT5, in a low ante game, but a lot of people here seem to suggest throwing these hands.

I don't think it matters if a third player gets involved in the pot - twodimes suggests against a player with tens and aplayer with, say, kings, and a dead king, you are the favourite to win the pot, with your live two flush and no aces or sevens in other hands.