100-200 Hand

[Ikke]

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my main reason for thinking it might not suck is because every line I can think of in this hand seems like it sucks a little. Its a tough hand to master IMO.

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I agree that this is a tough hand to play, and yes, every play has it drawbacks.

This hand is typical for a lot of shorthanded situations, and it's in these kind of hands where metagame considerations become important.

You said in a different post:
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The flop check-raise is usually how I handle the flop in this situation. This is a better than average flop for me and with that flop and the action up until my initial flop check-raise I am ahead more often that not. The only real question after we agree that the flop check-raise could easily be correct...

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I'm not so sure we can agree that a flop check-raise is easily correct. Your reasoning is IMO based on too few parameters. I agree that after he put in his first flop bet you're most likely ahead, but this doesn't necesarrily mean that you should be raising here.

Lot's of other parameters should dictate your action here, and that is why this hand is incredibly tough. For instance:
-Would a flop check-raise lead to significant information leakage?
-Would a flop check-raise gain you significant information?
-What hands are you calling the flop with?

These are only a few, and ofcourse you should consider your opponent tendencies.

So, let me first say that I don't think your flop check-raise is necesarrily wrong. It just isn't necesarrily right.

My problem with your overall tactic in this hand is that you invest a lot in information gain, which, from my experience is not so reliable as you might think it is. I believe folding to a turn check-raise could potentially be dangerous. I also think you give your opponent more information with your raises than his raises give you.

How would you for instance play a hand like A9 on this flop?

I think the answer to this question is important to which line you should take on this flop.

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Ikke could you possibly offer up a different line?

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Since I'm also often check-calling on this flop, I'm doing that with these kind of hands as well. But I would certainly check-raise a percentage of the times as well. After he 3-bets you, you IMO gain not much by capping. If he is bluffing, he's likely to continue to do so, so nothing is lost by not taking initiative. But your cap does hurt you if he holds a stronger hand.

As mike said: Check-calling can be a very powerful weapon. It often gives the least information away (which is often benefical to the player out of position). Also, and that would be an important consideration for me, playing these pairs every now and then passively might prevent you from being thin-value bet on the river.

This hand really is an example of the complexity of shorthanded play. Lot's of parameters are to be considered here. And I think I only touched upon a few.

Regards

[HiatusOver]

I realized I haven't posted results on this hand yet.

So I 3-bet the turn with my turned middle two pair and he called, I bet a river blank and was called by AKo