Vegas hand. - 3-betting a light raiser

[BigEndian]

Just got back from free-loading on my wife's convention trip. First time I'd been to Vegas during the weekday morning-afternoon crowd. It was interesting watching the table change from tight to loose during one 9am-3am session as different player types rolled in. Btw, Husker, a fella on the other end of the table talked about him being "HuskerBob" on Party, was that you?

Here is a more interesting hand that I arguably screwed the pooch on. I could talk about the ones I played well, but it's more fun this way right? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

The table ($8/$16) is fairly tight at the time due in part to me having had an awesome run of cards worth a PF raise. Two seats to my right is a player that plays generally ok and is very aggressive. He will raise PF with middle pairs if he is first in or with one limper.

BigEndian is in the BB with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gifT/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.

Sure enough, there's one MP limper and my man raises him. I think about it a bit and throw in a three-bet representing a big Ace or a big pair. The original limper comes along. My man caps it, all come along - three to the flop.

Flop (gisted): 2/images/graemlins/club.gif6/images/graemlins/spade.gifA/images/graemlins/club.gif
I bet out, monkey in the middle folds. My man raises and I 3-bet. He caps and I fold.

Ok, so maybe I didn't catch him raising light PF this time. Or maybe he made a great cap on the end...

I say this because I got to thinking about my pause PF before 3-betting. If I was in his shoes and I didn't have a big A with that flop, I would assume my only chance of winning it would be to toss in that cap when a 3-bet came back to me. That pause could mean just what it did, I had a mediocre Ace and might be pushed off the pot.

Thoughts?

- Jim

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
Flop (gisted): 2/images/graemlins/club.gif6/images/graemlins/spade.gifA/images/graemlins/club.gif
I bet out, monkey in the middle folds.

[/ QUOTE ]

At this point there is zero chance I'm not getting to the showdown.

[BigEndian]

I mucked because I generally don't like to just call down and I had no idea where I stood the rest of the way.

Calling down here presumes not spiking a T on the turn/river. Even if a T did come, if it completed the flush draw, again I'm in a spot. So there are only two cards out there I can feel comfortable with unless I'm really behind.

I'm sure you're right Clark and a call-down was in order, but I couldn't come through this time around. I would have felt better if the flush draw wasn't present. But, since there are so many ways he could play to cap the flop, I decided to fight another day.

- Jim

[Clarkmeister]

"I mucked because I generally don't like to just call down and I had no idea where I stood the rest of the way."

Calling down is sometimes an excellent option. You don't need to know where you stand. Against someone you think is aggressive enough that you 3-bet from the blinds with AT with a limper involved you simply cannot fold top pair.

"Calling down here presumes not spiking a T on the turn/river. Even if a T did come, if it completed the flush draw, again I'm in a spot. So there are only two cards out there I can feel comfortable with unless I'm really behind."

You don't need to feel "comfortable". You have top pair decent stick against an overaggressive opponent. A better line if you are inclined to be a hero with a big laydown in this spot is to just call his initial raise and call him down.

"I'm sure you're right Clark and a call-down was in order, but I couldn't come through this time around. I would have felt better if the flush draw wasn't present. But, since there are so many ways he could play to cap the flop, I decided to fight another day."

Dude, you are getting 16-1 to see the turn with a possible best hand. The flush draw should make you more inclined to call, not less. You can't fold. Once again, the pot is freaking HUGE . If you are going to make this laydown, definitely lay off the re-isolation play with AT.

[BigEndian]

I'm almost there, but I don't understand why you think the flush draw should make me more inclined to call. He could have 4-bet with a Kx/images/graemlins/club.gif, Qx/images/graemlins/club.gif or with a big ace/pocket pair to protect. So the flush draw doesn't appear to give me more info other than making the T/images/graemlins/club.gif out dubious.

I think I'm going to have to post a hand I did well on so I can make up for getting my ears boxed /images/graemlins/smile.gif.

- Jim

[JTG51]

I'm almost there, but I don't understand why you think the flush draw should make me more inclined to call.

If he would play a flush draw aggressively, which you seem to think he would, having a flush draw on the board makes it more likely you are ahead.

So the flush draw doesn't appear to give me more info other than making the T /images/graemlins/club.gif out dubious.

If you are worried the T /images/graemlins/club.gif could make his flush, then you should also believe there is some chance you are ahead. Since the A /images/graemlins/club.gif is on the board he can't be both ahead of you and drawing to the flush. It's one or the other, which is enough reason to show the hand down.

[bernie]

it's also cheap to go to the river if you're not sure. you know exactly how much more it will cost + you'll get (more)info on how he plays.

im with clark, against this type of player, im seeing the showdown. if i lose, i still gain some insight on him.

b