A6o heads-up battle
 

My opponent is a TAG (17.72/11.75/2.45). He is a very strong player both preflop and postflop.

What do you guys think so far? What are you putting him on and what should my action be on the river? Specifically, if you think I should bet, I want to know why.


Party Poker 30/60 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">7 folds</font>, SB completes, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB calls.

Flop: (4 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB caps</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: (6 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (8 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero......

Re: A6o heads-up battle
 

I put him on 45, a 3, a set, 77-TT, maybe a 6.

I think he would bet the river with AA or KK. If he happened to have AQ or AJ he would bet.

He will fold 45, raise with a 3, QQ, JJ, and call with 77-TT.

Check.

Re: A6o heads-up battle
 

I doubt SB has an overpair to the 6 (or any pair for that matter), for he would raise preflop.

The Bad:
I'd say he could have a 3, which he's waiting in the weeds to pop you for a check-raise or he has 45, a busted draw, which will not pay you off another bet.

The Good:
The other scenario is he has a 6, and that 6 is worse than yours and you can value bet that.

The Ugly:
You were going to call one more bet anyways, right? So in the end I think you can value bet this if you have the discipline to lay down to a check-raise, otherwise check behind.

Garland

Re: A6o heads-up battle
 

I think you're narrowing the SB hands too much just because he didn't raise.

Re: A6o heads-up battle
 

check behind

Re: A6o heads-up battle
 

Curious on the results on this one...

Re: A6o heads-up battle
 

I really don't often find the need to 3 bet those flops with hands like you have. I really don't think there is a ton of value in it and often just calling is probably the best option.

On the river, check. Betting would be stupid.

RESULTS
 

Here's my thinking on this hand. When he check-raises the flop, I'm giving him ZERO credit for a hand that beats me. These ridiculously aggressive types could be doing it with just about anything. So I 3-bet. But when he caps, I have to sit up and take notice. He has something. The only question is what. Right now, I cannot rule anything out, including a monster like AA/KK/QQ. Actually, the only hands I'm ruling out are small-to-medium pocket pairs because he would have raised with them preflop.

But then again, I flopped a good hand for HU, so I'm not folding either. So I call his turn bet to see what he will do next.

I fully expected him to bet the river, but when he checked, that changed everything. There is now no way he has AA/KK/QQ/JJ. He doesn't have a 3. And there's no way he has a flush. If you do think he might have those hands and is trying some fancy play on the river, think about it from his perspective. He knows he has me under his boot in calldown mode. He knows I am worried about what he might have. So he must know that checking the river will usually mean that I will just check behind and pray that my hand is good. So this means he doesn't have a monster.

And then it hit me like a brick! He must have the same hand as me! (There's also a smaller chance he has K6.) So I was all ready to bet.....when I started having doubts again. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] What if he has a J and is now hoping to induce a bluff with a hand that has value but is not that strong? What if I'm wrong about him not having 77? So I thought, and thought, and finally checked.

He showed A6. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Incidentally, I think his limp preflop was a major mistake. He cannot give me a free look at the flop in the BB.