QQ in BB with raises

[gunboat]

Paradise single table ($20). Start with T1000, blinds 5/10. Second hand so there can't be much of a read on anyone (unless you played against them before).

UTG+1 open raises small for 3x BB. UTG+2 makes it $200 to go. The BB looks down and finds QQ.

Part A: What is your play at this point? Fold, call, reraise?

Part B: If you raise or smooth call, what do you do if UTG+1 reraises all in and UTG+2 calls?

Results later.

[Prickly Pete]

If you feel comfortable that you can beat the competition, I'd probably let it go (hard as it is). You figure there's 2 hands out there, probably one A-K, which gives you a 50-50 shot at being bounced right there. And if you're against A-A or K-K, ouch.

Then again, this is a Paradise $20 table, and I've seen some pretty crazy early raises there on nothing. So I don't know. I probably still fold and get pissed when I see their A-6 and 5-5.

[ohkanada]

a) I likely re-raise all-in unless I know something about the 2 players involved that implies AA/KK.

b) If I just called and UTG+1 re-raised all-in, and UTG+2 called I would muck. If I raised it would have been all-in.

Ken Poklitar

[fnurt]

I think I might just call and bet all-in if the flop doesn't contain an overcard. I agree that against unknown Paradise players it's pretty likely you have the best hand here.

[gunboat]

BB made it T500 to go, UTG+1 went all in and was called by both UTG+2 and BB. UTG+1 showed AA and UTG+2 shows A5s (what was he thinking??). No improvement for anyone.

BTW, I was UTG+1 and cruised to a win after tripling up.

I started thinking about what I would do in BB there. I was a bit surprised that most would be fairly sure they had the best hand in this position. Anyway, for what it is worth, here are my thoughts.

I agree that $20 Paradise often has wild players who will go all-in on anything. However, there are usually at least 3-4 reasonably solid souls. I would like to know who they are before committing my stack with less than a very clear advantage. If there are 3 (other) solid players, there is a 51% chance one of those is involved in this pot.

So my play at this point would be to smooth call, muck if the pot is re-raised big time. If no overcards come on the flop, make a decent size bet (e.g. T300). I would call/raise all in against UTG+1, but would have to seriously consider folding to a big raise from UTG+2. That would still leave me enough to play with while the blinds are low.

Thanks for the responses

[ohkanada]

Nice hand /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

In my experience on Paradise NL tournies the play is quite wild at times plus there is always a new tourney starting in a few minutes. So it doesn't surprise me that UTG+2 had crap. And there is no reason to believe you have AA with your raise.

I do agree that if the QQ just called from the BB that folding would be correct when you re-raised all-in and UTG+2 called.

Ken Poklitar

[gunboat]

Upon further reflection, I decided that I did not fear UTG+2. A T200 bet into a T75 pot almost always means a vulnerable hand that does not want callers. I think most players with AA/KK would raise about T100 to get callers. If UTG+1 does not reraise preflop, I can put him on overcards only, or possibly a medium pair. Then if no overcards appear on the flop, I can bet big.

If UTG+1 has a medium pair, he will be just as afraid of the overcards and check the flop.

BTW, my math was wrong. If there are 3 other solid players at the table, the probability of one of two players being solid is 1 - (6/9 * 6/9) = 55.5%. If 2, its 1 - (7/9 * 7/9) = 39.5 %.

[DJA]

This, for me, is a tough situation.

I would probably re-raise all-in about 50% of the time, and I would probably smooth call 50% of the time. I seem very unable to fold QQ preflop in these short tournies. Is this a big mistake?

So I wouldn't smooth call... I would scare call if I was calling. If it was re-raised all-in and the second guy calls, I have to give up here. I am praying they both have AK or one has AK and the other has JJ. I think I am asking too much.

I ran some simulations on AK vs JJ vs QQ and QQ has by far the most equity in the pot... so maybe this should change my mind, but it doesn't...

I don't know,

What do others do?