Cap with AQs

[Barry]

Pretty good 8/16 game, 1 complete fish, a few weakies, 1 currently on fire near maniac that had put another guy on tilt, and busted him out after getting paid off big time when he had a couple of big hands. The maniac didn’t really fool around with me too much unless he had a real hand. There was also 1 decent thinking player that had recently sat down to my immediate right and I think that he had some respect for my play. At any rate there were a few occasions where he had 3-bet me when I raised.


It’s my last hand of the night and I get A /images/graemlins/heart.gif Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif UTG and open raise, decent player again 3-bets me and only the near maniac calls.

As the action is going around, I type in “Do you always have to 3-bet me?.” He types back “lol.” At that moment I decide to cap the flop representing AA or KK and perhaps get him to lay down a hand post flop. This was the very 1st time I have capped and not had AA or KK.

Flop is 3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif K /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I bet, decent player folds, maniac calls

Turn is 8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

I bet, maniac calls (he doesn’t have a pair yet)

River is 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

We both check and I beat maniacs JTo

Good player mumbles about tossing away AQ.

So the question is, given the 2 opponents in the hand, was capping preflop a decent play here, did I just get lucky or did I make my own luck?

[cosmo kramer]

This was the very 1st time I have capped and not had AA or KK.

This makes you somewhat easy to read, no?

As for the hand, I think you played fine, especially if this is the type of maniac that will call you down with any pair.

[Barry]

Well, I figured that if there was a good time to do it, the time to do it was against someone that pays attention.

[34TheTruth34]

If he has respect for your play, why is he 3-betting your UTG raises with AQ??

[Bandorn]

Why did yuo not bet the river? This seems weak. Yuo cap preflop, indicating magor strength. Yuo bet flop with a king showing. Yuo bet turn. Then check river in front of a maniac.I think yuo almost hafta bet here too. Just in case he caught a weak pair. If he had a K in his hand he would have pushed back in a earlier round.

[karlson]

I think you played it fine. I haven't seen many maniacs throw away a pair in this spot.

[Barry]

This particular fellow will call to the river with nothing and will call the river with any pair. So in this case I had a 0% chance of winning if called.

[DocHollyday]

Well I think you did a good play, especially if you're known to be tight, or only to cap with KK or AA. But I wouldn't recommend to do this play too much, or you lose respect. For me it appears like a little semi-bluff, but it worked well on the decent player. So in this case I think the capping was good (although I wouldn't have capped myself, to be honest). But in general I appreciate to mix my play a little. Playing always the same pattern gives your opponents an edge.

[agenbite]

I don't like the flop and turn bets. Betting with nothing is just not my style in a hand which has been raised/re-raised. I think you just got lucky.

Is betting like that (with basically nothing) considered advanced play? I ask this seriously, without sarcasm.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
Betting with nothing is just not my style

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you say he was betting with nothing? He had the best hand from start to finish. What's the difference between a royal flush and Ace-high on the river if they both will win? Of course, it's difficult to do when you've been 3-bet pre-flop.

I wouldn't call "betting with nothing" to be an advanced play. But, I would say the being able to identify situations when Ace-high has a strong likelihood to be the best hand is advanced hand reading.

[agenbite]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Betting with nothing is just not my style

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you say he was betting with nothing? He had the best hand from start to finish. What's the difference between a royal flush and Ace-high on the river if they both will win? Of course, it's difficult to do when you've been 3-bet pre-flop.

I wouldn't call "betting with nothing" to be an advanced play. But, I would say the being able to identify situations when Ace-high has a strong likelihood to be the best hand is advanced hand reading.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would agree with you about advanced hand reading. Personally I usually muck ace high hands (check-fold)..perhaps betting to get a read is a better play, but I believe in the long run ace high will not win the majority of time, and the strategy is a net loser. Just my very humble opinion.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe in the long run ace high will not win the majority of time, and the strategy is a net loser. Just my very humble opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

It definitely won't win a majority of the time, especially against a pre-flop 3-bettor. But, I think you might be underestimating how often Ace-high is good in a heads-up or 3-way pot.

I've posted this before as anecdotal evidence. In June of last year, I was playing exclusively in the Mirage 20-40 game and won about seven pots of an average size of 6-8 big bets by calling on the river with nothing but Ace-high. That was approximately an extra $2,000 in winnings that month in situations where most players would have folded all seven times.

I had also called in a few other pots with Ace-high and lost.

[elysium]

hi barry
the cap is fine. you get a little maniac ev in there.