QQ: Aggression in the face of passivity

[elbuddha]

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="CC3333">CO 3-bets</font>, <font color="666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, CO calls.

Flop: (9 SB) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls.

Turn: (5.50 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls.

River: (7.50 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks...

My read on villian after only a couple orbits was not terribly loose, maybe a capacity for aggression.

Aggressive play, reckless play, or not aggressive enough? Seeking balance...

[busguy]

You kind of let yourself get played on this hand.

QQ is definitely a hand to cap with . . . but in this instance why would you??

Pre-flop the CO wants to take control, with your position (1st to act) let him. If you like the flop you can check raise him on a later street (or every street) and take back control. By capping it, you make your hand hard to get away from.

Flop - fine but if he doesn't raise your still in limbo with 2 scary cards and no indication from your opponent.

Turn - bet and fold to a raise

River - check/call

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] busguy

[TDCumm16]

I think that your play is fine up to the river. I bet the river rather than check/call. The villain has not represented the A or K by simply calling the flop and turn. If you check the river, IMO villain only bets with a better hand than your QQ and a check/call will cost you 1 bet. If you bet the river and villain calls with a better hand you are in the same position as a check/call. But given the passiveness of villain, and the questionable play of many micro-limit players, I don't believe it is out of the question they are simply calling down with JJ in which case you will gain one bet on the river. I fold then if I am raised on the river.

[Chris Daddy Cool]

FYI, i think against some players, check/folding the river is best if you find yourself facing a bet.

in this particular case i'm neutral on the river action. you'll run into an A or K fairly often here, but will also get called by JJ and TT often if they've been calling the whole way too, but at the same time JJ and TT are likely to take a free showdown rather than risk such a thin value bet, which is why against some players check/folding the river is the correct play.

[Piiop]

CDC = posts goot at all levels

[lucid]

I'm with TDCumm16 on this one. Bet the river. To check/fold you would need a VERY good read. Betting is much better than check/call. In my (very limited) experience it’s not that unusual for them to fold if you bet, or even call with a worse hand.

lucid


Disclaimer: I’m just learning. I may well have this wrong. Feel free to rip my comments apart [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[elbuddha]

Interestingly (to me at least), of the 6 hands I posted last night - this is the one I won.

CO checked behind, and MHIG.

But the reason I posted this hand is: how often am I really ahead, even HU, on that flop. Not often enough to justify the aggression? The river check was, to be honest, me questioning myself too late to do anything about it.