15-30 hand

[Noo Yawk]

I raise UTG with As-Js. All fold to the Button who 3 bets it, SB folds, BB calls, I call. Both players are decent, but not great.
The flop comes A-J-K rainbow, no spades. I bet out, button raises, BB folds. What's my strategy from here?

[mewhoelse]

re-raise untill you get poped on the expensive street, sucks being out of position doesn't it?

[Steve Fiete]

Fold.

You are probably behind and there is not a big enough pot to go to the end to find out. Furthermore the probability of getting drawn out on when you are ahead is greater than the probability of catching up when you are behind.

[Manzanita]

NY,

It would be useful if we knew more about the button. I'll assume that he is an unknown/typical player.

My strategy would be to just call the button's flop raise and then bet out on the turn (assuming the turn card does not improve your hand). If the button raises you again then I would probably give up. If the button just calls then I would bet out again on the river.

-- Manzanita

[Noo Yawk]

I have never played with the button before, but he seems solid.

[Rick Nebiolo]

If you reraise will his response tell you something reliable? If it typically does consider a reraise, otherwise call. Re-raising a tricky player is a mistake here.

Let’s say you reraise a reliable, non-tricky opponent and he just calls. He probably has AQ or QQ, but even he could have the big set and be loading up for a turn raise. If you don’t improve bet the turn and fold to a raise. You are dead or hopelessly behind against a non-tricky opponent.

If you improve on the turn against your non-tricky opponent, you are still either way ahead or way behind. For example, if you are up against KK and catch a jack or up against AK and catch an ace you are a big dog. OTOH, if you are up against KK and catch an ace or up against AK and catch a jack you are a big favorite. This is why you should go limp after you improve! You don’t know where you are at so are better off letting him do the betting.

Against any sort of tricky player go limp on the flop then call all further bets unless a queen or ten comes. There is enough dead money in the pot to call this guy down and you won’t always be behind.

Regards,

Rick

PS I really had a lot of problem writing this response but decided to post anyway to see just how far off my poker thinking is these days.

[Noo Yawk]

I called the flop bet, and bet the turn. At this point he raised and I mucked. Since he hever showed, I'm left in the ironic agony that endears me to this game!