A Thinking Hand (1/2)

[ClaytonN]

Lately I've been dedicating more and more of my time towards making more rational decisions at the poker table instead of just "going with my gut". Like thinking things through, and stuff. This is allowing me to play hands according to the table more and less according to some kind of structure.

UTG here only has 2.5BB in front of him to begin with. I don't know if he's a fish or what, but the guy doesn't have any money in front of him and all and the blinds are coming next hand. So, he raised. Then we have a coldcaller:

PokerStars 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with 2 cards.
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+2 calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero...</font>

The rest of the hand was straightforward, but in this case scenario against a likely tard UTG raising anything and a likely bigger tard coldcalling in early MP...

-What is UTG's range?
-What is UTG+2's range?
-What range should I 3bet with?
-What range should I coldcall with?

[@bsolute_luck]

UTG: any pair, Ax, K8+, Q9+, JT+, possible suited cards. - really if he's dumb enough to let his stack get that low, he could have any 2 cards.

UT+2: not sure without a read. overcards and pocket pairs probably.

Hero:
3-bet: ATo/s+, KQo, KJs+, QJs+, 88+ (this could probably move up to 99+ or down to 77+, so i just picked 88)

cold-call: i hate coldcalling here as i want it HU with the cold caller and to get the button, but that's just me, so i have no opinion on this part.

[Isura]

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cold-call: i hate coldcalling here as i want it HU with the cold caller and to get the button, but that's just me, so i have no opinion on this part.

[/ QUOTE ]

3-betting will still result in a 3-way flop about 99% of the time. Just something to consider.

[@bsolute_luck]

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cold-call: i hate coldcalling here as i want it HU with the cold caller and to get the button, but that's just me, so i have no opinion on this part.

[/ QUOTE ]

3-betting will still result in a 3-way flop about 99% of the time. Just something to consider.

[/ QUOTE ]

??? i said i want it HU with the cold caller, i'm not 3-betting to fold him. i'm 3-betting to fold Button, SB, and BB.

[SlantNGo]

Note that UTG is short-stacked. So by HU w/ cold-caller, I think he means just him and CCer (because UTG would be all in).

[ QUOTE ]
3-betting will still result in a 3-way flop about 99% of the time. Just something to consider.

[/ QUOTE ]

[jrz1972]

One thing I've noticed at Stars is that there are a ton of people who routinely play shortstacked (10 BBs or less). I don't know why they do it, but I see this far more frequently on Stars than Party.

Anyway, when a shortstacked player in a game like that raises, in my experience it is much less likely to be a spew-raise than it is at Party where for some reason people don't seem to realize that they can just leave the table with their $3 and they don't have to throw it away.

Without a read, I tend to give the raise just about the same respect that I would give to any other UTG raise. The raiser probably has a big pair or big broadway.

I give the coldcaller the same respect I would give to any coldcall (virtually none). The coldcaller has two cards. They could be a pair, suited connectors, suited junk, ace-little, AK, etc.

I would lower my 3-betting standards just slightly, but the absence of implied odds make me not all that terribly eager to get involved in this one.

Edit: BTW, if there were no coldcaller involved I would be much more inclined to make it three bets with something like ATo and just play the hand hot and cold.

Reason is 10bb is the default when you click to join a table.