Defending with AQo

Villain in this hand has so far seemed solid, although I have seen him make some loose calls postflop. I am interested in what you think my plan should be for the rest of the hand.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (6 max, 6 handed) converter

Button ($315.95)
SB ($29.65)
Hero ($324.55)
UTG ($229.75)
MP ($137.10)
CO ($57.25)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $1.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to $8</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $22</font>, Button calls $16.

Flop: ($49) 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $35</font>, Button calls $35.

Turn: ($119) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero...?

Dumle

[beavens]

i dont like the reraise with AQo OOP.

otherwise looks fine - 3/4 or pot it on the turn.

[4_2_it]

I thought I read something somewhere that you do not want to play TPGK in large pots OOP. Only reraise pre-flop to isolate a maniac. As played, check call the turn and pray for a [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] to make your flush on the river.

[beavens]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought I read something somewhere that you do not want to play TPGK in large pots OOP. Only reraise pre-flop to isolate a maniac. As played, check call the turn and pray for a [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] to make your flush on the river.

[/ QUOTE ]

hoping that the villian isnt holding Ks or As..

i think betting the turn would be best here.

.EDIT oops As is on the board.. c-c reasonable bet

Only reraise pre-flop to isolate a maniac.

Could you expand on this? His open-raising standards on the button is very wide here and I don't like calling with a hand that more often than not is best, just to be forced to check/fold the flop when it comes down remotely scary.

Dumle

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
Only re-raise pre-flop to isolate a maniac.

Could you expand on this? His open-raising standards on the button is very wide here and I don't like calling with a hand that more often than not is best, just to be forced to check/fold the flop when it comes down remotely scary.

Dumle

[/ QUOTE ]

A maniac loves action and cannot resist a button raise with any two. If I am in the pot against a maniac then chances are it's going to be big and get ugly. I don't want any TAGs or rocks hanging around who might actually have a decent hand. Again, reads are important, but when you are setting up a maniac for the kill, I find it is best to go solo so no one can come in and poach.

AQ is not a hand I like to play for big pots OOP. Sure your hand might be best now, but what is your plan when you miss the flop? Your CB is now larger and gets less respect. Do you fire a second barrel on a dry turn? When you check the dry river, do you call his half pot bet?

Here is a another reason for making a call. By just calling in the BB you can project almost any two cards, which will somewhat offset the his positional advantage. If you raise and flop come 7 9 2, then he knows he can most likely raise any CB you throw out and get a fold. However, if you come out firing from the BB with that flop after calling a PFR, most villains are going to fold their AK, maybe even TT-JJ (depending on your table image). Of course if a Q flops you are in great position for a check raise that he will not see coming. Villain's range is wide, but your call gives away no information about how much you like your hand.

The 35$ bet on flop from Hero is quite large, I would´ve made a pot sized bet to better define my opponents hand. The button called a huge bet preflop and a big continuation bet on flop, that indicates strength. The button might be slowplaying, if he tried to steal preflop, he wouldnt done the big call. The button could have called with the following hands depending on how tight he is: AA,KK,QQ,JJ,TT,99,88,77,66,AK,AJ,AT,KQ,

On Party poker I guess the player are much tighter than the site I´m playing at so maybe he wouldnt have called with 99 or aj, that eliminates the hidden set and two pair. He could´ve slowplayed KK and QQ and have difficulties to accept that he´s beaten.

The probability that somebody makes the flush heads up is low, this situation is actually a headsup confrontaion with the only difference that both sides has a bit better starting hands. In these situations most pots are won by the highest card so top pair with Q as kicker is very likely the best hand.

I would check call in this spot if I was Hero, Inducing button to bluff both the turn and river. With a check call I´m representing that the continuation bet was a bluff, it is very often a bluff or marginal bet. Button will think that his kk qq jj tt still is the best hand and bet or he will make a blind bluff and bet. The free card is more likely to help Hero so giving a freecard is no problem. I would call an allin from a player that bluffs with allin moves, if I´ve never seen an allin bluff then a would fold.

Whatever the button does I would raise as much I think the button would call with the second highest pair on the river.

Normally I like to check on the river to induce a bluff. Many people think that a check on river is a big sign of weaknes and will try a bluff with a big raise. In this hand Hero has shown strength with a check call on turn so I would bet on river if I was Hero.

Very nice post. I am probably reraising a bit too much in these instances and should perhaps reserve it to my very best and worst hands. To get off topic a bit, what are your calling standards in situations like these?

Dumle

I checked, he bet $65 and I called. River was the K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and we both checked. He showed Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and MHIG.

Perhaps not so solid after all...

Thanks all!

Dumle

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
Very nice post. I am probably reraising a bit too much in these instances and should perhaps reserve it to my very best and worst hands. To get off topic a bit, what are your calling standards in situations like these?
Dumle

[/ QUOTE ]

If I think someone is raising the button with a wide range, I will play hands that do well HU. I fold suited connectors worse than JT. I like Axs because villain will not always have an ace. ATo and KJs (occasionally QTs) are probably the worst hands I would call with. I will re-raise AA-99 and use the 5/10 rule on smaller all PP.

The main purpose in playing OOP is to have a play before you call/raise. Will you check/fold a dry flop? With a pp, I like to check raise on a non-broadway board. If you lead out the flop, what are your plans if you are raised or called? When you know the answer to these questions then it becomes easier to start getting comfortable with a range.

For instance, with KJ, I will get very aggressive on a J high flop and will probably check/call a K high flop against a decent villain.

These are just my rough guidelines, I will adjust the scale based upon my read of villain and the number of players at the table. Three handed, Ax plays almost as well as AK.

I play 6-max as a SLAP most of the time so take that into consideration. I think a solid TAG would give you a different answer.