I need a plan

[Rico Suave]

Tight party table. So tight, in fact, that it was breaking up and this was to be my last hand. My limited read on the button was that he was pretty tight and a decent player.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (4 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">Button 3-bets</font>, SB folds, BB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (9.33 SB) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero???

I know this is a broad question, and may be basic, but what should my plan be now for this hand? I am absolutely going to showdown here.....right?

--Rico

[Kluddeludde]

You have to consider that this is a shorthanded table. And if he is a decent player he will be 3-betting with alot of worse hands than he would at a full table. It is very possible that your AQ is best even preflop.

Kludde

[LetsRock]

I'm betting or c/r this one (depending how tricky the opponent is) to find out something about his hand as soon as possible. If he comes back, call it down. It's likely you hand is good (right now), but you have to give credit for the possibility of AA, AK or a set.

[Trix]

I cap preflop and bet the flop. I think AQo is far ahead of a good players button 3bet hand range in a fourhanded game.

[Rico Suave]

Hey Trix:

[ QUOTE ]
I think AQo is far ahead of a good players button 3bet hand range in a fourhanded game.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do not play shorthanded well or often. And while I think for the typical shorthanded game AQ may be ahead of many 3-betting hands, I have no idea if this player is making that kind of adjustment.

edit: This was a full ring game that quickly became shorthanded.

--Rico

[Rico Suave]

Here are a couple of thoughts on this one.

I thought that my opponent most likely 3 bet me here with a strong A (AK or AQ) or a medium to big pocket pair. I thought with that flop, I am either way ahead leaving my opponent with with very few outs against me, or I am way behind with very few, if any, outs to improve.

I can understand playing this "fast" to see where I am at, but I think I gotta take this to showdown..right? And if I play this fast and I am behind, it is only going to cost more. And if I play this hand fast and I am ahead, my opponent may fold, which I do not want him to do (since he probably has few outs).

Now of course we cannot ignore the BB. But with that drawless flop, I think that he becomes a bit less of a factor.

Anyway, is my thinking here okay? Or should I just stop trying to think? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

--Rico