How about this blind defense? A4o in BB

[Guido]

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Guido is BB with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, <font color="CC3333">Button raises</font>, SB calls, Guido calls.

Flop: (6 SB) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
SB checks, Guido checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">Guido raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">Button 3-bets</font>, Guido calls.

Turn: (6 BB) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Guido checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Guido raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">Button 3-bets</font>, Guido calls.

River: (12 BB) Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Guido checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, Guido calls.

Final Pot: 14 BB

[vienna68]

Hi Guido,

I do not like your kicker here - so I would not raise the turn after being 3-bet on flop - I would just call him down (even if I hate to do that) - if he was drawing he would probably prefer to take the free card you were offering - (I somtimes fold Axo in BB but in this case I would call too)

BR
Vienna68

P.S. you play pretty aggressive, does this affect the swings you have?

[Nate tha' Great]

I don't like how you played it. Check-raising the flop is more appropriate for a hand that would like to shut down further action; that shouldn't be your objective here.

[Guido]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't like how you played it.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's why I probably posted it and I told you I suck HU /images/graemlins/grin.gif.

I check-raised to get the SB in too for two bets if possible and if not I didn't mind to check-raise the flop against a steal (at least that was my thinking). Now he 3-bets but I don't buy it so I decide to check-raise the turn again. Arg, he 3-bet again, time to call down. Would you bet out call a raise and bet out on the turn again? How would you play it?

Thanks,

Guido

[Guido]

Axo is a fold almost 90% of the time but not when I suspect a steal.

[ QUOTE ]
P.S. you play pretty aggressive, does this affect the swings you have?

[/ QUOTE ]
Well my SD is about 12.6BB at the moment so it's not that high I guess. I just moved up to 3/6 about a month ago and had a downswing of about 150BB but I still managed to get about 1.2BB/Hr/table. I haven't had a downswing this high ever. The biggest before that was about 100BB I think, but than again I only play serious for about 8 months. I think I could do about 1.7BB/Hr in the long run. You can check my personal info if you like.

Thanks,

Guido

[AceHigh]

I'm not crazy about the flop check/raise, but I don't hate it. I hate the turn check/raise after you get 3-bet on the flop and the button bets the turn.

[Guido]

So we know what you do and don't hate, but how would you play?

Guido

[Homer]

Preflop is alright. Postflop, after the third player folds and it's heads-up, I'd check-raise the flop and lead the rest of the way as you planned to. A smaller pocket pair will pay you off to showdown and if you are three-bet you can check-call the turn and river (in other words, I disagree with your turn check-raise once you are three-bet on the flop). I think this is, generally speaking, a better option than is:

1) Check-calling the flop and turn and betting the river

2) Check-calling the flop and check-raising the turn

The first alternate option makes you half a bet less when you are ahead of a pocket pair and costs you the same amount when you are behind. The only time this method is better is when your opponent is likely to have complete trash and will keep bluffing at it if you check.

The second alternate option is best against an extremely loose and straight-forward opponent, who will pay you off with lots of hands and will only three-bet you with a better ace. Most opponents, however, will fold hands to a turn check-raise with which they might have called down after a flop check-raise. Also, most opponents are tricky/crazy enough that you probably have to call a three-bet and see a showdown, as you could have the best hand or could easily chop with another weak ace.

In summary, the best path to take in this situation depends on opponent specifics, but in general, the tactic you took would have been best, had you not check-raised the turn.

-- Homer

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
1) Check-calling the flop and turn and betting the river

2) Check-calling the flop and check-raising the turn

[/ QUOTE ]

Those aren't his only options! He can bet into the dude too!

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't like how you played it.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's why I probably posted it and I told you I suck HU /images/graemlins/grin.gif.

I check-raised to get the SB in too for two bets if possible and if not I didn't mind to check-raise the flop against a steal (at least that was my thinking). Now he 3-bets but I don't buy it so I decide to check-raise the turn again. Arg, he 3-bet again, time to call down. Would you bet out call a raise and bet out on the turn again? How would you play it?

Thanks,

Guido

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, I wasn't thinking about the presence of the third player in the hand. That makes me like the flop check-raise a bit better. That said, I don't know that this is a great board to trap the SB. It's very hard to call without an Ace, a flush draw, or probably a 9, and he'll call two cold if he has a flush draw.

[Homer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1) Check-calling the flop and turn and betting the river

2) Check-calling the flop and check-raising the turn

[/ QUOTE ]

Those aren't his only options! He can bet into the dude too!

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't mean to say those were his only three options. I meant to say that they are the best options. Hell, he can check-fold if he wants to. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

One of my weaknesses is not betting into the PFR enough. However, I don't think it is a good move in this case. I don't want to shut out SB, so I'd prefer that the button bet, allowing me to trap SB in the middle.

-- Homer

[Guido]

[ QUOTE ]
It's very hard to call without an Ace, a flush draw, or probably a 9, and he'll call two cold if he has a flush draw.

[/ QUOTE ]
A lot of players also call with any pocket pair. If he has a 9, a pocket pair or draw I like check-raising more than betting out and letting him face a 2SB call.

Guido