Saucy shorthanded 3-bet

[Inthacup]

4-handed 10 20 game

BB in this hand is a little too aggressive even by shorthanded standards. He has been frequently trying to move people off their hands with flop and turn raises with marginal holdings/overcard draws. I don't respect him much. SB seems pretty straightforward. Not nearly as aggressive as BB, but I've seen him cold call several times preflop which I find interesting in a shorthanded game.


UTG folds, I raise on the button with A /images/graemlins/club.gifQ /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. SB and BB call.


Flop: A /images/graemlins/spade.gifK /images/graemlins/spade.gif5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif


SB bets, BB raises. Now, there are two ways that I see to play this:

1. 3-bet and jam now
2. cold call and raise when BB bets the turn

I like #2 in this case, so I cold call the flop and SB calls.


Turn: 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif

SB bets again, BB raises, I think and 3-bet. SB calls, BB calls.


River: 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Checked to me I bet.



I think this hand was interesting because this is not how I would have played it most of the time. Sometimes I get in this shorthanded sphere were all kinds of unorthodox plays seem reasonable. I guess I just need a sanity check. Most times I opt for the flop 3-bet and see what happens. Suppose you decided to wait until the turn like I did. Do you 3-bet? Cold call? Fold? All are viable options, but I wouldn't consider folding against this BB. Thanks for the input.


Cup

[PokerPrince]

Very interesting hand Ithacup. I play a ton of short handed as well, and find that you are always put into bizarre situations where the seemingly correct play just seems too crazy. I like the way you played this hand, but I too would probably just 3bet the flop in this instance most often. From what you say about BB, I don't like folding the turn and calling just seems insanely passive, so I like the 3bet. It's likely SB has a weak Ace and bet out again on turn when no spade hit, or of course he just spiked two pair. I think your hand will be good here a great deal of the time though. Nice post.

PokerPrince

[LarsVegas]

If you think it's close between cold-calling or 3-betting the turn once the action goes like it does, isn't checking behind on the river a viable option?

Don't get me wrong, I am a *great* fan of river value betting (although, as I would suppose is common knowledge, an even greater fan of this when done out of position), but there is a time and place for everything. If your feeling on the turn is that it's close between cold-calling or 3-betting, that even a fold is a possibility, just "not against this bb", the river check must be an option.

Or do you feel that the lack of a turn cap or being bet into on the river is a big enough green light for you to suddenly feel this good about your hand?

You have a nice value bet here sometimes (but not always) against AJ or AT and you most certainly won't have to face a check-raise. Hands like A5 or A7 will just call, just as they will shut down to your turn cap. Your cold-call on that flop followed by a turn 3-bet is at least screaming TPTK OR better (read AA, KK or AK).

Ok, now give it to me. You got called in both spots and your hand was good? :-)

lars

[ML4L]

[stripsqueez]

i got scared when the SB called the turn 3 bet - i suppose a weak ace might/should(?) call and there is a lot of money in the pot...

i think i would 3 bet the flop - if i didnt then i would feel obliged to 3 bet the turn - i must take action beyond calling in honour of all the AQo's that have died a sudden death when they didnt hit a piece of the flop

sometimes i think that goodish high/mid limit shorthanded schools go through phases - i was playing in a 5 max 10/20 game recently where i won a $238 pot that was 3 handed with AJ high (the river was checked) - i was a bit shocked to win the hand and i think that everyone at the table "noticed" - suddenly the game seemed to get a lot tighter

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[budman]

Without being results oriented, I think you played this hand well. You were very likely ahead on the flop, but there is the possible Flush draw out there and you don't want to raise out one of the opponents.

If the flush card hits the turn, then you have some thinking to do. You look safe when the blank hits, so three bet away. You now have taken control of the hand. Even if one of your opponents is on a flush draw and hits on the river he might have to check to you if he is far from the nuts.

If you had three bet the flop and then had both opponents check call the turn and river you would have done worse.

Well played.

[DanZ]

I think you might have to think twice about the river bet. THis is because you have represented so much strength on the flop and turn, your oppoenents would likely check to you on the river with 2 pair, though they will surely call.

If you put at least 1 of them on a draw, this leaves only 1 bet to collect on the end, and if your bet is called, it may not be you doing the collecting. If your oppoenents would both surely call with a bad ace (which, by now is anything worse than AJ), then you should probably still bet, but this is not automatic, and we may get a clue about this from their preflop standards...

Dan Z.

[Schneids]

I agree with Lars. Based on your description of SB, once the SB calls my three bet, I am checking that river. But I do agree that it is close between checking and betting. I would just be concerned that the SB hit aces up on the turn and is not laying down his hand to any bet (these solid straight forward guys would not have capped you on the turn with, say, A7, since they'd be fearing being behind to you based on the way you've played the hand)

[Inthacup]

Results:


SB had A3 for the weakest Ace
BB had A8 for the weaker Ace
I had AQ for the Ace that was juuuust right......to drag the pot.


I appreciate all of the input that I got in this thread.

It's interesting that the river was brought up. I almost checked behind, but felt that the way BB played, if he had 2 pair, he would have bet the river again. SB was a toss up. When he called the 3-bet on the turn, I figured he had a flush draw.


Cup