A heads-up question

[Kluddeludde]

I played this hand a few weeks ago, but it popped into my head while I was browsing the site, so I thought, what the hell. Here goes.

This particular hand is from party poker 3/6 at an unusually tight table (for party poker that is /images/graemlins/grin.gif). Average flop is seen by two or three people, and there are usually a raise preflop. The player in question is a little loose with his preflop calls, especially from the blinds, but plays rather well postflop.

I get dealt A /images/graemlins/spade.gifK/images/graemlins/spade.gif in middle position. I'm first in with a raise and all fold to the big blind, who calls. The flop comes

J /images/graemlins/heart.gif2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif3 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

I bet out, hoping he will fold and I am faced with a checkraise. Thinking that I will not be pushed around in heads-up situations, I 3-bet. He calls. Next card is

8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

He checks to me and I bet. Once again I am faced with a checkraise. This gets me a bit worried, but I call. I do have a great draw. The river is

K /images/graemlins/heart.gif

hmm...will this card save the day or will I just lose more money because of it? He bets, I call.


Comments on all streets appreciated. Results will be posted soon.

Kludde

[Louie Landale]

"Not to get pushed around" is a pretty bad reason to 3-bet. You need to be thinking [] may he have a small pocket pair and will FOLD it immediately? [] Will my raise cause him to play very predictably later? [] Might he be raising with a worse hand?

Otherwise play was OK, although he's probably got a set of 3s.

- Louie

[DOMIT]

By 3 betting the flop, you essentially bought yourself a free card on 4th.. take it! Yes, you have a draw, but you were check-raised; he has something on that flop and will at least call your bet. Personally, I would have taken the free card and when he bet out on the river, which I'm assuming he would do anyway since he check-raised you again, it's an easy call w/ the king.

[Kluddeludde]

Actually, what I meant with being pushed around was that I thought he could checkraise with a variety of hands on the flop, of which some I had him beat. This is a move I frequently do when I'm heads-up against a poor player that raised preflop. Usually I can pick up the pot on the turn if the raiser doesn't catch something. I didn't want to fall victim to that. Perhaps I got carried away, though.

Kludde

[Kluddeludde]

Yup, should've taken the free card. I was under the impression, though, that he tried to be tricky checkraising the flop with perhaps nothing and that he would fold for a bet on the turn. It's a move I frequently employ myself. However, I wouldn't have called a 3-bet on the flop if I did that move. So, the free card seems reasonable.

Kludde

[Kluddeludde]

Sorry that it took so long to post the results, but here goes.

The big blind shows Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. I was baffled by this, but was happy to take down the pot. Anyway, next time I'll probably take the free card on the turn and perhaps fold to a bet on the river if I don't improve. Thanks for the help!

Kludde