Trouble?

So the tight kid seems to play about one hand in 20 and has ONLY shown down AK (about 6 times) and 3 big pairs. When in he's aggressive. I had other reasons to believe he was going to continue playing squeaky tight. The other guy isn't playing anywhere near as tight but sure seems to grasp things like early position and knows who's playing "naugty" and "nice".


The Tight Kid raises UTG, the Other guy 3-bets, everybody folds to me in the BB holding ...


With which hands should I call? Should I EVERY 4-bet even with AA? Anyway, I had AQs and mucked without giving it a second thought since the TK is almost SURE to have that beat and the other guy is SURE to have a premium hand.


- Louie

I believe this is a raise/fold decision. If there's something I'm calling, it's something I would cap with. AA, KK, and QQ I would be capping.


And, since the TK is aggressive, a check-raise on the flop (appropriate flop of course) will tell me how far I want to go. If it's two bets cold to me on the flop, it's a tough decision but will need to see the board.

I would fold your AQs as well.


I would 4-bet AA, and KK, and probably call with QQ, JJ and AK.

In the situation described, I would not like 4-betting Kings and not like calling with AK or JJ (JJ is somewhat better as I won't commit myself to chasing post-flop and I have huge implied odds against one (or two?) likely overpairs.


lars

Louis,


I would probably play AQs, and muck AQ off in a heartbeat, but mucking AQ suited in a threeway pot for two more bets certainly is not a bad play given that you are against the tight players.


and now, a story....


I have AJs in the BB, about four limpers, and I check, (Dynasty, don't tell me that I should raise here, its a story from long ago.) The flop comes A - rag - rag, and I decide to checkraise, if it seems right when it comes back to me. It is checked to the button, who bets, I checkraise, a woman in middle position, hems, haws, pauses, calls time, and calls, everybody else mucks.


Both the turn and river, are blanks, and the action is the same each time, I bet, she stalls, and finally calls. After she calls on the river, I triumphantly turn over my AJ, and wait for the pot to be pushed to me, but she says, 'oh, I thought you had a good hand', and shows AQ.


So, a couple of laps later, she raises, and there are about 4 players in when it gets back to me in the BB where I have AQ suited. I know my hand is no good, but I have to see the flop in a multiway pot with this hand. It is AKrag.


I check, this woman bets out, and after a couple of callers, I muck my hand toward the dealer. How many times can you muck without turning your hand over, I've probably exposed my hand about twice, but my cards caught on the button, and this was one of them. Everybody looks at my cards, the dealer asks 'are you mucking that?', and I tell him that I am.


Turn is Queen, river is a blank, the woman bets all the way through, and when the queen fell, the dealer gives me a meaningful look. At the showdown, the woman shows AK, and the dealer gives me another look.


Anyway, if you are confident of your read, it isn't so bad to get rid of AQ to a raise sometimes.


Good luck,

Bob T.

I fold so they are heads-up. Flop is TT4 and UTG is going to check-and-call early all the way. UTG shows down (and pays off!!!) with AJo ONLY, and early has AT.


It appears my reads on the players was dead wrong. That really spooked me. UTG, it appears, is perfectly willing to gamble with trouble hands but he just didn't get any; and early just has no clue about trouble hands. (The fact that I would have lost anyway is irrelevant; my had was a gold mine against these players...).


- Louie