Gimme a line.. 55 vs LAG blind stealer

samr · #1 12-14-2005, 12:12 AM

Here's a hand from Stars's nightly $3 rebuy, $10k guaranteed. The play has been pretty decent from some of the players, including the two villains in this hand. Hero is about 150th with 400 remaining out of a field of ~ 1400. Top 135 money, but most of the money is at the final table of course. 10% payout schedule.

CO is a huge LAG. He has been opening 2-3 pots per orbit, rarely showing down a hand but playing reasonably postflop. He won many small pots preflop and won several pots with a continuation bet.

Button here is a decent TAG. I have been at his table since the start of the tournament and he has played a pretty tight-aggressive game.

If anyone's paying attention, Hero has a pretty tight image, having folded most of his hands and rarely showing down a marginal or weak hand. He was not raising frequently and not defending his big blind rather liberally.

To the hand.

Preflop: CO makes his standard open raise and Button cold-calls. I hold 55 in the BB and complete. Standard? Folding is too weak, especially with a 50 bb stack and only 2 bb to call. What about raising? A squeeze play doesn't seem to work here, IMO. The two villains are a LAG and a TAG. The LAG would likely fold his marginal holding but the TAG likely has a legitimate hand and was either trapping the LAG or hoping to flop a decent hand. So, Hero calls.

Flop: Here is where I believe Hero misplayed his hand. What are we representing by leading the flop? 4x and 22-99, no? Marginal/weak holdings that we can be easily pushed off of. Qx rarely leads against a LAGgy PFR and a TAG cold-caller. If CO is a thinking player, he can float the bet and raise any turn or bet any turn when checked to. We do not have a queen, and would likely fold to any resistance. Also, if we lead the flop, we will have to commit too much of our stack to turn/river bets.

Other lines our Hero could take: check/call flop, lead turn; check/raise flop, lead turn; check/call flop, check/call turn; lead river. A queen would take any of these lines and any of these lines have a better chance of folding out the villain.
If we check the flop, CO bets here 100% of the time, and the Button will let us know if he has a strong hand. If he gets out of the way, we are HU with the CO and can proceed. If the button sticks around, we have a pretty easy fold.

Whether we raise CO's flop bet or call it and lead turn is a matter of personal preference, I believe. Is this the best line?

Opinions?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t600 (9 handed) converter

CO (t57369)
Button (t24186)
SB (t22345)
Hero (t30477)
UTG (t16775)
UTG+1 (t13095)
MP1 (t74460)
MP2 (t61690)
MP3 (t33054)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
5 folds, CO raises to t1800, Button calls t1800, 1 fold, Hero calls t1200.

Flop: (t5200) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets t3700, CO calls t3700, Button folds.

Turn: (t12600) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets t4200, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t16800

_SCOTT_ · #2 12-14-2005, 01:08 AM

IMO, I probably check raise the flop given your read. Looks like a good flop for any pp and your not going to get the tag to fold his good holdings without a fight. Fold to any resteal attempt. I probably make a continuation bet on the turn and your done with the hand after that.

Pat Southern · #3 12-14-2005, 01:13 AM

I'd much rather call flop and lead turn (assuming button folds). Hes too likely to peel or raise with overcards on the flop. FWIW, this is also how I'll play with a Q sometimes.

samr · #4 12-14-2005, 11:16 PM

Thanks. Leading the flop is clearly a mistake. What's the best line on the flop though: check/raise flop or check/call flop, leading turn barring any resistance?

Any more opinions?