Stealing against a thinking opponent - KJo

[Glurfle]

Party 2/4. SB in this hand is tight and aggressive, and hopefully paying attention. I've passed up multiple other opportunities to steal his blinds before, so I'm hoping to get some respect on this one.

Folded to me on the button, I open-raise KJo. SB 3-bets, BB folds, I call. I give this opponent enough credit to believe he could 3-bet a wide range of hands here.

Flop: AT8 rainbow. SB bets. I call, intending to raise any card on the turn hoping to knock him off a T, 8, or underpair. If he has an A, well, I'm toast.

Turn: [AT8] 3. SB bets, I raise. He thinks about it for a while and calls. At this point I'm done with this hand unless a Q, K, or J falls, all of which I'm planning to bet on the river.

River: 2. Checked around.

Thoughts?

[Nottom]

This is a fine line of play.

[Bob T.]

I don't know, it is like you hope the guy is paying attention, and then when he plays back at you, you start hoping that he doesn't have a hand. I don't know what he had, but I wouldn't be surprised if he Ax suited or something like that. I think you changed your read to justify your play.

Good luck,
play well,

Bob T.

[coachkf]

Not a bad play to bluff with KJo on the button. I believe its Lee Jones who says if its folded to you on the button and the hand is one you would have played anyway, then you should probably go ahead and raise.

He re-raised you, so he's got a hand. I don't think I would have bothered bluffing after that. Even the relatively tight players on Party Poker will rarely fold if they catch a decent piece of the flop, or in his case, have a decent hand preflop.

Add that to the fact that everyone seems to bluff-raise from the button, and you can practically count on this guy going to the river with his hand.

One thought. You noted he was tight/aggressive, but said he would 3 bet a wide range of hands? Tight/aggressive players don't generally 3 bet a wide range of hands...maybe he's not as tight/aggressive as you think?

[spamuell]

[ QUOTE ]
One thought. You noted he was tight/aggressive, but said he would 3 bet a wide range of hands? Tight/aggressive players don't generally 3 bet a wide range of hands...maybe he's not as tight/aggressive as you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Tight-aggressive players are willing to 3-bet a possible steal raise out of the SB with a lot more hands than a usual 3-bet from the SB might denote, in order to get the BB to fold and get it heads-up with the potential steal raiser.

It's a play directly from HEPFAP.

[ QUOTE ]
Coach
Poker-Strategy.Org

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't been to your site, but that you would even make that comment and then call yourself a poker coach is hilarious.

[anatta]

This is a strong play, but... I am more inclined to use this play, in general, if I have a little something to showdown, and there is a small chance my opponent is drawing or otherwise has some weak holding. Here, you have to go check-check on the end and you know you can't expect to win. Also, I think you are playing only four outs if your turn raise is called.

Folding on the flop seems weak, but may be correct in situations like this. Your pre-flop steal was foiled big time (read Bob's post), maybe time to move on. If you want to test him a little with your gutshot, maybe raise the flop and if he just calls, go ahead and bet the turn, and hope he folds.

Finally, you said you would bet if a K or J came on the end. You might be right, but if he called your turn raise, isn't his most likely hand a pair of aces, maybe KK or QQ? Don't most players, even most aggressive ones, just call down when popped on the turn like this when they have only one pair? Don't most players muck medium pocket pairs when raised on the turn when there are 2 overcards? Don't most players, who are paying attention and know you haven't stolen much, and yet three-bet you...aren't they more likely to have an Ace then say a Ten?

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One thought. You noted he was tight/aggressive, but said he would 3 bet a wide range of hands? Tight/aggressive players don't generally 3 bet a wide range of hands...maybe he's not as tight/aggressive as you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Tight-aggressive players are willing to 3-bet a possible steal raise out of the SB with a lot more hands than a usual 3-bet from the SB might denote, in order to get the BB to fold and get it heads-up with the potential steal raiser.

It's a play directly from HEPFAP.

[ QUOTE ]
Coach
Poker-Strategy.Org

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't been to your site, but that you would even make that comment and then call yourself a poker coach is hilarious.

[/ QUOTE ]


Maybe he meant to say he was a poker crotch.

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
Party 2/4. "SB in this hand is tight and aggressive, and hopefully paying attention. I've passed up multiple other opportunities to steal his blinds before..."

[/ QUOTE ]

"...and for some reason I've failed switch to another table..."