KQs Played right or Lucky?

[bigslick98]

The cold caller played alot of hands but rarely three bet. This is the reason I think I played it incorrectly and got lucky.

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, Hero raises, CO folds, Button 3-bets, SB folds, BB folds, Hero caps, Button calls.

Flop: (9.33 SB) Q/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (5.66 BB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero raises, Button 3-bets, Hero caps, Button calls.

River: (13.66 BB) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Button checks.

Final Pot: 13.66 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero shows Kd Qd (three of a kind, queens).
Button shows Ah Ac (two pair, aces and queens).
Outcome: Hero wins 13.66 BB. </font>

Comments Please?

[joker122]

Both.

[adanthar]

Why'd you cap PF? Not a hand I'd normally do that with HU but curious about your reasoning.

I'd bet the river. Doesn't seem like he was 3-betting the turn with a flush draw with the Q out and I've never seen a 99 3-bet PF at 3/6. AQ is possible but probably not a 3-bet PF, either.

[bigslick98]

I capped it because I want to stay the aggressor. I agree, not betting the river was a huge mistake.

[Tosh]

I don't like your preflop cap unless the button was a serious LAG.

[asdf1234]

Capping preflop is likely a big mistake (especially since you said yourself that he "rarely three bet"). You're not ahead of any 3-bet hands from an average player here. Best case, you're against JJ (unless you have some kind of read).

Bet the river.

[brian0729]

You said in your original post that you hadnt seen him three bet pre flop. This is a legit raise, unless you have a LAG image at the table. /images/graemlins/grin.gif Call the three bet.

Bet the river

[icepoker]

The cap before the flop is really bad, you are out of position so you're not even buying a free card. Not betting the river is even worse.

[BaronVonCP]

Don't cap preflop and bet the river.

[sfer]

You said that you never saw the villain 3-bet before. That's a good reason not to cap preflop, in addition to the fact that KQ is a weak hand compared to a legitimate 3-betting hand. This also makes it unlikely that he has a Q, so your postflop play is good except for the river. Bet it.

[James Boston]

Did you want him to bet the river? I would hope so. That's the only problem I have with the hand. I'm guessing you checked the river in hopes of a check-raise, but your opponent is probably not going to bet behind you after you capped the turn. I would come out betting on the river.

[BigEndian]

No reads on button means PF cap is bad. You need a specific indicator for this play.

Tell me, what hands would you normally expect an opponent to 3-bet with that you are ahead of here? Maintaining aggression is not important PF when 3-bet here, getting to the flop immediately is. Play the hand from there.

You were lucky 2x btw, you're opponent overplayed his AA or he had no respect for your play.

- Jim

[BigEndian]

88-TT are also easy 3-bets here if you can get the action head's up.

- Jim

[asdf1234]

True, but the read said that the opponent didn't three bet much, so he's probably not going to do it with anything less than JJ.

[Clarkmeister]

The preflop cap is fine. It is great for your overall range of hands, deceptive and immune from a 5-bet.

I loathe the river check. How many worse hands can call your bet and how many will bet? How about many vs zero.

[BigEndian]

I think that capping here might work for you with deception at the 30-60. But since this is 3-6 against a rare 3-bet player as the only read, I think you're just tossing an extra 1/2 bet into the pot for no particular value.

And actually the inverse could be argued for deception. Simply calling here leaves the door wide open that our hero was on a steal. Capping would appear to rule this out.

Imo, unless you're planning on steam-rolling your opponent if blanks come on the board, capping just isn't worth it.

- Jim

[Clarkmeister]

I've actually found that 4-betting works better in LL games. In the higher games, they don't care about your 4-bet and will test you postflop. In LL games, most players won't come at you again without something pretty big.

[Nottom]

Don't cap preflop. After you do cap preflop, you should never check this flop since it says "hey look I have a Q ... maybe 2 of them even".

Luckily your opponent was oblivious to that read and gave you a bunch of undeserved action anyway.