turn decision with KK on AA board
 

I raise in MP w/ KK and am 3-bet immediately. It's folded back to me and I just call, currently planning to c/r the turn, but thinking that a flop c/r is also good. I have seen this guy 3-bet an MP raise w/ A9s before, and I have also seen him check a flop that he missed in a 3-way pot in an autobet situation.

When the flop comes A-little-little I'm suddenly quite happy about my decision not to cap. I check and call, still feeling that I have a reasonable chance of being ahead.

The turn pairs the A. This makes me feel it is even more likely that my kings are good, but of course AK-AQ are still very real concerns. How should I handle my hand? Am I looking to check-raise hoping to get 3 BB out of smaller pocket pairs, or check-call, limiting myself to 2 (or 1!) but avoiding a 3-bet? Is a donkbet in play here?

Thanks,
Eric

Re: turn decision with KK on AA board
 

You don't say how aggressive this guy is postflop. I would play this passively. I think any raise and you only get worse hands to fold. I think the ol' C/Call, C/Call, Bet line should work well here.

Re: turn decision with KK on AA board
 

[ QUOTE ]

The turn pairs the A. This makes me feel it is even more likely that my kings are good, but of course AK-AQ are still very real concerns. How should I handle my hand? Am I looking to check-raise hoping to get 3 BB out of smaller pocket pairs, or check-call, limiting myself to 2 (or 1!) but avoiding a 3-bet? Is a donkbet in play here?


[/ QUOTE ]

You're out of a position with a hand that you should take to showdown. I'd check-call the turn, bet the river and call a raise (or fold if you don't think a player who doesn't autobet will raise with a worse hand). There are some hand that should be played passively (oh noes) when you're out of position.

I think a donkbet sucks here because a raise doesn't really tell you anything. You then have the choice of betting the river and folding to another raise, or checking the river and letting your opponent check behind with a smaller pocket pair.

I don't like check-raising because you have to fold to a 3 bet, and you can get to showdown (and see another card) for the same price. Also there's some chance your opponent will fold to your check raise, which you don't want.

Re: turn decision with KK on AA board
 

I do not think wining 1.5BBs here post flop is such a terrible outcome. Just show it down.

Re: turn decision with KK on AA board
 

I like check-calling and leading the river. You won't get a ton out of worse hands, but you won't lose a lot to better hands either. A lot of good players might fold 77-TT to a turn checkraise, earning you one bet. If you check call the turn and lead the river, it seems much more fishy and i think you extract two bets more often. If he has an ace, you going to get a lot of action and you want to show this hand down. If you check-raise and get 3 bet, it's icky because aggressive players 3 bet hands worse then yours, but you dont want to put in 4 bets to see it. You lose a max of 3 bets with my line, as it would go one bet on the turn, and possibly two on the river if he has a good ace. This was just my initial incling.

Gabe