Is QQ worth capping it preflop?

The ladies are a great starting hand but is it worth it to cap betting with them? If you've been reraised and your cap has been called you have to assume that if your opponent is good that they have AA, KK, or AKs, right? Then the pot will be so big that AK players will call all the way to the end in hopes of making top pair.

The reason I'm asking is because I play QQ as if it is AA preflop and I've been burned a few times recently.

against one opponent, played to the end, i calculate that QQ will beat AK almost 3 times in every 5


so i guess it depends

There are few circumstances where this is likely to be right; you'd have to be sure, I think, that a single opponent would raise light

with J-J or 10-10.Even heads-up, I see too many

scenarios where you're in that classic situation

of being merely a slight favourite(A-K), or much more likely against most opponents, a heavy dog.


perfidious

It depends - on position, opponents, your read on the preflop raiser(s) and type of game.


-zeno

Position is important. If you have position on the 3bet, I'd cap most of the time. But, you if don't cap, you know 3bet will be no matter what the flop is. You can then reraise at that point or whatever. It also depends on what you know about the 3bet players, or the other players at the table. What read do you have on them?


"The reason I'm asking is because I play QQ as if it is AA preflop and I've been burned a few times recently."


Haven't you been burned with AA capping the preflop too? Don't let being burned stop you from making the right play. Let making the wrong play, stop you from making the wrong play.

"Haven't you been burned with AA capping it preflop too?"

Yes, many times. In a loose game I actually get kind of nervous when I get dealt AA, KK, or QQ and get six people calling my raise. After the flop the pot will be so big that a few of them will chase and I'll probably get burned. But I'll still be aggressive with it anyway.

The reason I specifically brought up QQ was because there is a decent chance of there being a K or A on the flop. I know if you hold JJ that an overcard will flop 58% of the time, which makes JJ sketchy to raise with in a game with loose callers.

You have two real choices. You can play QQ passively and let everyone stay in and throw away your nice pair after the flop because the board didn't hit you and it looks scary. Or, you can hammer away with your QQ and let someone prove they have a better hand.


After all, who knows what you have except you? AK may think you have AA, KK may think you have AA, AA may think you hit trips on the flop, only you know what your hand is.


It depends mostly on your risk aversion comfort level.

The main reason for raising would be to knock people out. If you can't knock people out, I doubt you would lose much at all by not raising. You do build a bigger pot for yourself the times you win, but you also increase your variance.


You'd want to be sure you don't hurt yourself by not raising. If you can make the people following you cold call 2 bets, you'd want to raise (unless you know for absolute sure everyone following you will cold call 2 bets). If they only have to call one bet, then you're probably in the building the pot/higher variance scenario.