Raising the flop! (QQ on a Kxx board)

[Aaron W.]

Villain never raised preflop. He didn't raise his JJ, nor his AKo. Postflop, his play was a bit passive. He has thrown out a couple suspicious looking bets that weren't called, but he's generally checking and calling.

I'm the most aggressive player at the table by far, but the cards have been cold in the last 20 hands, so I'm mostly staying out of the way.

Paradise Poker 1/2 Hold'em (4 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls, SB completes, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls, SB calls.

Flop: (6 SB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises...</font>

[benneh]

i always make this raise, but it doesn't really work against the kind of player you described. i bet he flat-called your raise and you hadn't gained any extra info about his hand, but you were down 1 small bet and swimming in doubt.

i hate going up against passives. how did the rest of the hand play out?

[DeathDonkey]

Don't like it. This is basically WA/WB. I'd call and re-evaluate on the turn. Call call call might be fine if button folds the flop.

-DeathDonkey

[econ_tim]

I like this play against a lot of people because small blinds could bet mid pair or worse. You would like to fold aces and weak Ks if possible.

But not sure if it is right given your read on SB. If he's passive, wouldn't him betting out signal strength?

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't like it. This is basically WA/WB. I'd call and re-evaluate on the turn. Call call call might be fine if button folds the flop.

-DeathDonkey

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought about that. But I'm actually trying to get villain to tell me to fold to his king and get me out of the hand more cheaply than that.

If he 3-bets, or if he leads the turn, or if he check-raises the turn, I'm out for four small bets or less. In each of these cases, I lose less than call-call-call (five small bets), and I can fold with a high level of confidence.

(If 3-bet, I call the 3-bet and fold the turn for meta-game reasons. A raise-fold stands out in a very big way and I don't want to stand out like that.)

The plan is to bet the turn and check behind on the river if he just calls the raise (4 small bets). I also drive out button in most cases with the raise.

[TomBrooks]

Looks like it might be worth a shot to me. If Button folds, and SB checks the Turn, Fire again. If SB calls, check the river through - only a hand that beats you will call.

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
i always make this raise, but it doesn't really work against the kind of player you described. i bet he flat-called your raise and you hadn't gained any extra info about his hand, but you were down 1 small bet and swimming in doubt.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wasn't swimming in doubt. I had plans for all possibilities. I just played through them and waited to see how villain would respond.

The turn was magic money and I got paid off in a big way.