3/6 heads up

A little more aggressive than a typical 3/6 game buy it's still a pretty good game. I'm in the SB and get dealt pocket Kings, suits not important. Folded to a mid-position loose-agressive player who open raises. He will raise w/ any medium size pocket pair or any to big suited cards. Folded to me and I three bet, BB folds and LAP caps it off.


Flop comes Q,8,4 two spades


I check, he bets, I call.


Turn comes- 4 (Q,8,4,4)


I check, he bets, I raise, he calls


River comes 9 of spades


I bet, he mucks. I was just wondering what you all though about my play on the turn. I like the way I played it, but know there is other possibilities... Wonderin wha you thought.

Preflop, I like your play. It is best to avoid slow playing when you are out of position in a heads-up situation like this.


I think you should bet the flop or check-raise the flop rather than check-calling. The problem with waiting until the turn to attempt a check-raise is that a scare card may come off that keeps your opponent from betting on the expensive street. You miss a lick when this happens. Even if a blank comes, he may dog it on fourth if he has a pocket pair lower than queens. Another alternative is to check-call on the flop and then lead at him on the turn, but again he may get cold feet if the turn card is scary (a spade, a queen, an ace, or a king), and simply fold.

I agree with Jim. You have to protect your big pair since an ace may beat you, or, since you said he raises with big to medium pairs, he could hit a set. I'd usually bet the flop in this situation. Since he didn't cap it preflop you can probably rule out AA. If he raises I'd have to play back to see if he's telling me he's got QQ. Jim, what do you think?

If I knew he would bet the turn no mattter what card hit would check calling the flop be OK? Because due to his aggressiveness I was pretty sure he would bet the turn regardless of his holding, like I said he was very agressive. I believed his holding was a middle pocket pair 7's or so. So I didnt have to worry about giving out free cards on the flop I figured.

I don't like this play. It is too common and a good hand reader will not bet on the turn without a strong hand. When people check-call this flop in a LL game alarms go off in my head. Only a chronic calling station check-calls this flop without a big hand. I mean, what hand is worth a cap but not a bet when the board is Q high?? You either have a set or AA/KK. I don't mind waiting until the expensive street but at least bet out the turn.


If I am the LAP in this hand and I have AK, the hand might go like this: You check the flop, I bet, you call. (If I know you won't 3 bet from the blinds without AA, KK or QQ I might not even bet the flop with AK). You check the turn, I check the turn. You bet the river, I fold. Great, you won 1 SB off me after the flop. If an A comes on the river I win. Thanks for the free card.


Your method will only win maximum money from me if I have precisely AQ. Would I cap pre-flop with that? Only you know the player.


KJS

I agree with playing back, that is 3-betting, on the flop against this particular opponent. Against a solid player, I would be seriously worried about AA or QQ but reraising might still be right.

If you know with 100% certainty that the guy will bet when checked to on fourth regardless, then your play is okay. However, you still have to be concerned about him having AA or QQ. When he does, he will reraise on fourth costing you a bundle in the process. It would be nice to find out about all of this on the flop before prices double.