Playing the player.
 

Just thought I'd share a few thoughts, on
one reason prefop play shouldn't always be
automatic.

Sometimes when a steal raiser raises on the button,
I just like to call from the SB. Some consider this a weak play.

I say it depends.

If you reraise and kick out the BB, sometimes it's
extrememly difficult to get the button to lay down,
often you play a guessing hand with hands like KQ
or KJs, wasting lots of ammo (Or even getting bluffed
when you hold an Ace).

If you notice a tendency for them to lay down fairly quickly postflop, by all means reraise.

A particular opp. I played tonight, would actually
give up and check the flop when I smooth called (whether
the BB called or not).
So I knew when I had a hand like KJ, I would just call,
because I would often get to see the turn for free,
giving me the option to take another free card or go
for a bluff.

Frankly I would have called him with a hand like KT, maybe
even K9...If I flopped top pair (T or 9) I would have just bet out every time.

I also think that if your opp plays very good, you should
fold KJ from your SB for a raise (I would even
fold KQ about 1/2 the time, depending on my image).

(This post is very similar to the one where I talk
about peeling off a card on the flop to opp's that
are afraid of being check-raised)

Opinions?

Re: Playing the player.
 

I often coldcall in the SB as well after a button open-raise.

Button could hold a wide range of hands, so often hands like KJ-8, JT, QJ etc etc are fairly good hands against most open-raises from the button. However, you don't want to see the flop too expensive, because these hands do not have great showdown value, and you often have to make a hand. Since your kicker is decent with these cards and you have too fairly big cards and you have to make the flop, causes that you don't really mind if the BB comes along. In some cases it can even be good, because the pot is somewhat protected, and you might very well have him dominated, because BB will also play a fairly wide range of hands due to the odds he's getting.

Another advantage is that you can also do this with big pairs, and let BB come along with a heavily dominated hand. And last but not least you encourage button to steal less, because you're more often defending than when you always 3-bet or fold.

But if, as you said, a 3-bet will give you great momentum and he will often fold to a bet, then by all means 3-bet. But against the better opponents this doesnt happen to be true.

You wrote:"I also think that if your opp plays very good, you should
fold KJ from your SB for a raise (I would even
fold KQ about 1/2 the time, depending on my image)."

I disagree with this. Button hands, also when he's a strong player, can be wide. You most likely have the best hand, and you may even have him dominated. IMO you give up quite a bit if you pass this situation. I think you can still play these hands profitably, even if the button is a better player than you, but ofcourse you should also play reasonable postflop yourself.

Generally I agree with what you're saying. Nice post.

Regards