$40-$80 3 handed

[Dantes]

My LHO is a solid if somewhat uncreative local pro. My RHO opponent is a very loose pretty aggressive live one who plays most of his hands and often unpredictably. Regardless, here's some hands.

#1 - I open on the button with K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. SB 3-bets. BB calls. I call. Flop - K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB checks. BB bets. I raise. SB folds. BB calls. Turn - 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. BB checks and I check. River - J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. BB bets and I call.

#2 - I open on the button with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB folds and the BB calls. Flop - 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. BB checks I bet and he calls. Turn - 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. BB bets out, I raise, he 3-bets and I call. River - Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. BB checks and I..?

#3 - I open on the button with 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. SB calls. BB calls. Flop is A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB checks, BB checks, I bet, SB folds, BB calls. Turn - Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. BB bets out, I ponder for a while and call. River - 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. BB bets and I call.

Any good?

[stripsqueez]

1 - i suppose 3 handed this is ok pre-flop - i wouldnt check the turn - plenty of draws

2 - is he capable of trying for a check raise ? - you should be able to answer this based on the history - i feel like a pussy but i think check is ok because most of the time he is either going for a check raise or giving up (does he give up ?)

3 - i fold pre-flop - these guys must be very used to you raising on the button - i probably call the river

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[Dantes]

actually in regards to #3 I really hadn't been picking up much to work with at all and had been folding a lot of hands. So I figured this would be a deception value play even though I knew there was absolutely no way I was going to steal the blinds. Maybe the dreaded button limp would have been better. Or that fold thing.

[King Yao]

[ QUOTE ]
My LHO is a solid if somewhat uncreative local pro. My RHO opponent is a very loose pretty aggressive live one who plays most of his hands and often unpredictably. Regardless, here's some hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

An interesting question is who is the more dangerous opponent? Normally the pro would far outweigh the unpredicitve player in a full game, but in 3 handed, the unpredictable player really narrows the gap alot. If they play well enough, they may over take the "uncreative" pro.

#1 - K6o is a bit too weak for me to open raise with regularly. Post Flop, given that you are already in the pot, I think your play is fine.

#2 - If this was in a real casino, I would bet, and fold if check-raised. If this was online, I would check. The reason is because I believe online players play trickier since they don't see you face to face. If they have you beat, they may plan on another check-raise on the river. If they don't have you beat, they may have three bet on the turn with a hand like 7h6h, in which case a bet from you won't get a call.

#3 - I don't like the button open raise. I think many hands should be used to raise, but 53s is just not one of them.

Turn, you may consider a raise...so that if he is not on a legit hand, you win the hand right there without giving him his probable 6 outs. If he is on a legit hand, he'll likely call you, and check to you on the river, in which case you can choose to bet only if you hit one of your draws or check and showdown if you don't.


Overall, it is correct to be raising with alot more hands on the button, but if K6o and 53s are indicative of the type of hands that you would raise with, that is too aggressive. When you do that, your raise no longer matters to the other players since they know it is so likely for you to raise. The Small Blind should be three betting you a whole lot with any playable hand, and the Blind should be prepared to check-raise you on the flop with anything even just an Ace high, or sometimes even with nothing.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]

#1 - I open on the button with K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. SB 3-bets. BB calls. I call. Flop - K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB checks. BB bets. I raise. SB folds. BB calls. Turn - 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. BB checks and I check. River - J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. BB bets and I call.


[/ QUOTE ]

This one seems pretty straightforward. If I've been splashing around a bit, I'll toss this hand pre-flop. If I've been good, I'll raise.

[ QUOTE ]
#2 - I open on the button with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB folds and the BB calls. Flop - 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. BB checks I bet and he calls. Turn - 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. BB bets out, I raise, he 3-bets and I call. River - Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. BB checks and I..?

[/ QUOTE ]

Will he pay you off w/ Ace-high or 66 here? Is he really tricky enough to CR you on the river? Will he CR-bluff w/ JdTd? These are the things I think about here. Seems like he'd fire out a value-bet w/ something like TT. By default, I'm value-betting here hoping for a call from 89. But I'd sure hate to walk into a CR from QdTd.

[ QUOTE ]
#3 - I open on the button with 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. SB calls. BB calls. Flop is A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB checks, BB checks, I bet, SB folds, BB calls. Turn - Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. BB bets out, I ponder for a while and call. River - 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. BB bets and I call.

[/ QUOTE ]

I almost never bother w/ hands like this anymore. Opponents are just too stubborn these days.

[JFrank]

1. I would follow up the flop raise with a turn and river bet. I dont think he has a ten OR a higher king here so I think you're in fine shape. In the scenerio you mentioned I could forsee him beating you with AQ though.

2. I'd go for the river value bet. He's got to be one hell of a tough player to try to check-raise the river with the 5. I put him on something like 78.

3. I agree you shouldn't be trying to raise this unpredictable guy in the BB with that hand. But since you got yourself into it... My advice is to fold the river. You can't put him on a broken heart draw, and he could have something as stupid as Q4 to beat you. I don't see how you could win this hand, and the pot isn't that big.

[GuyOnTilt]

Hey Dante,

I just about never post in this forum because I'm not qualified for 6-max advice. But 3-handed, now 3-handed I love! Almost as much as 4-handed!

In Hand 1, sometimes I toss this PF, but the times I play it, I play it exactly like you did most of the time. There are other lines, but yours was fine.

In Hand 2, the trickier and tighter my opponent, the more apt I am to just check through on the river. If he won't call with A-high or a pair of deuces, then I don't bet. If he's tricky enough and can read well enough to check the river with trips, then I don't like betting so much.

My play in Hand 3 depends a lot on what my opponent showed in Hand 2. If he would semi-bluff bet and 3-bet the turn with nothing but a flush draw or a tiny pair and flush draw or something like that, then I would just call down. If he seems to only make these plays with made hands, then I would call the turn and fold the river unimproved. Although, I would rarely open with this hand at all against the BB you described. I need a weak-tight lineup to enter with this one, which is most of the time I choose to sit 3 or 4-handed.

GoT