Quick One

[rory]

Party Poker 30/60, 5 handed. Button in this hand is a good, aggressive player-- maybe a little bit too loose but still plays well postflop, though I have very few specific notes on his player even though I have played 60 hands with him. Nothing note-worthy so far. Limper is an unknown, but he limped, so that should say something about the rest of his play. Something bad. Anyway..

Limper open limps UTG, good guy (GG) raises on the button. I cold call in the SB with KQo, BB folds, limper calls. 6 SB in the pot, 3 to the flop.

Flop is QT3, two spades. I have no spade. I check-raise the GG and the limper folds. GG calls. Two to the turn for 10 SB.

Turn is a 5 of spades. I bet and get raised by the GG. What is my play here? I know my play is routine to me, but I'm wondering if the routine might be wrong against this sort of player.

[J.R.]

my default is probably to call and check-call nonspade rivers, bet-folding spades (not sure on the bet-fold). but I think opponent can have a lot here, so maybe a more aggressive approach is needed.

a turn 3-bet is good if he is semi-bluffing (spade, KJ, AK, AJ, ) or raising to check behind unimproved a pair + big spade or something like KT, AT, although the turn raise could also be a few decent flopped hands that waited to pounce (but this is less likely).

[Stormwolf]

I'd say call down, maybe fold to a spade on river, the value you get from catching him semibluffing and making him pay more doesnt offset the loss you get from getting 4-bet, altough maybe you can fold then, I dont know, if he is crazy enough to 4bet you with the ace it might not be worth. And he may also just call with a flush then raise you on the river, you will be forced to pay off, very expensive

[DrGutshot]

Call down like a chump.

I like the bet-folding spade rivers advice, I'll remember that one.

-DrG

[mmcd]

How wide a range are you checkraising on the flop in this spot. I'm inclined to 3-bet here, but that is probably specific to my metagame vs. a good thinking player. If you checkraise a lot of flops, be more inclined to 3-bet as opposed to calling. If you call, you might want to stop-and-go a blankish river.

[Stormwolf]

I just realized, I think you think he may also be raising for a free showdown with some KT type of hand. But he also may have a big pair, so I think a stop and go to a non spade could the way

[MAxx]

to me, he lilely doesnt have the made flush, or he would have three bet the flop for a free turn... he could have a better hand than you, but you cant be convinced of it.

I think it's Likely he has something like AT or even AJ with spade. I call down and hope river blanks.

[krishanleong]

3-bet preflop maybe? I'd at least consider it. KQo fares pretty well against a button raise.

Your in a tough spot on the turn. I think against this opponent I'd call down.

Krishan

[7ontheline]

I like Maxx's thinking - he would have put more in on the flop if he had a flush draw there. I call the turn and donk the river, fold to raise.

[mmcd]

The problem with calling down is that if he has a draw (or a meh made hand obviously) he has showdown value, so he's not going to be betting the river all the time when he misses, and you end up missing a bet. Hands like AJ with spade, AK, etc. will probably fold to river stop and go. This is mitigated somewhat by the fact that villain might value bet hands like AT or JJ, and will almost certainly call with them, but as long as the OP's flop checkraising range contains more hands than a Q or a decent T, he should be ahead of his opponent's turn raising range enough to justify a 3-bet for value.