When a TAG cold-calls out of position...

[ElSapo]

Five-handed game, I raise the CO with A8o. The SB, a good player who knows me as a regular, cold calls.

Heads up.

Flop 996r, and he check-raises ...

He could have a few hands, though most probably beat me. I can't see that I'm ahead here, but his check-raise could mean Ace-high, though if it does it will absolutely be a better ace.

Easy fold? Should I even have bet the flop?

[jt1]

good post. I think you are afraid of a monster here, right? Otherwise, SB would 3 bet you pre-flop? I'd check the flop and fold the river UI. Also if I had a monster in the SB, I'd just have called your flop bet hoping you'd call a river bet.

[BoxTree]

I bet this flop and fold to a check-raise. TAG could have KQs, KJs, QJs, or other such fare and won't see a turn. I fold to a check-raise. Interestingly, if I have AK/AQ, I CHECK this flop. I'd rather see the turn for free than get c/r'd by a pocket pair (or a hand like AJ/ATs...and then I may have to call him down, and that's all sorts of bad).

[jt1]

I also think you want to get a note on this player about how he plays in a blind battle.

[silencio]

I'd call the raise and fold the turn UI. I'd put him on overs or a small pocket pair. The chances for a pair seem higher as he would have probably 3-bet you preflop with overs. If he has a small PP you have 6 outs against him. If he has a monster you would have probably seen the checkraise on the turn and not the flop.

[Stinkybeaver]

If SB is a solid player I assume he has you as a solid player thus check/raising this raggy flop makes sense and he might get you to fold your overs (I often do this). That beeing said he's obviously also doing this with made hands like almost any PP or a split pair or better.

I call and fold turn UI, but perhaps thats spewing..?

[ElSapo]

Seems like SB has a strong move here, since no one was really definitive on when to fold.

I think he'll make this call with hands like 77-AA, AK, AQ, and maybe AJ and KQ ... The thing is, he doesn't need a monster pair to do this, and he knows there's a good chance that flop missed me since I'm opening a wide range here and he knows that.


Someone mentioned they'd wait until the turn to pop it with a big pair, and that may be true, but to continue the hand means most likely doing so with the worst hand.

I think they key is that SB isn't cold-calling without a hand that probably has me in bad shape, though he's going to be aggro with or without pairs.

Knowing who he is, I tend to think checking the flop and folding the turn, weak as it sounds, may be right.

[car ramrod]

I think he could be doing this with any pair. He knows your opening range is wide, he knows that flop likely missed you.

Then again he could be doing this w/ KQ+.

It's a tough spot to be in, depends on read, how aggressive is he. If you think he is making a play at you, you could 3bet the flop and see how he reacts.

[kiddo]

Isnt it a bit dependent on how BB plays?

If BB is bad SB could be coldcalling with pairs and any suited ok hand like QJs, KJs. He knows BB will get with any2 and be outkicked if he hit same toppair pretty often and he can checkraise you and charge BB max if he hit.

If BB is ok I dont see a coldcall with many hands being good because now he wants him out.

So, if BB is bad its pretty tricky if he is good its even trickier. But if BB is bad I would think about 3betting (at least as an option, but of course its playerdependent, some guys love to checkraise to move u off a hand), checking turn behind and call river beacuse I dont think he would coldcall with better A preflop so I would guess I had 6 outs and then u will hit turn or river 1/5 and be ahead when he bluffs river often enough.

[Nietzsche]

[ QUOTE ]
Easy fold? Should I even have bet the flop?

[/ QUOTE ]
IMO bet the flop and fold to a CR. Almost his entire range has you beat at this point. Assuming, of course, it isn't a stunt he has pulled countless times already but you would have said that.