ATs: completely lost with blind defense

[Dudd]

I'd posted in the big blind the hand before, so I had no read on the villian in this hand. His raise before the flop could easily have been a complete steal, so I think the 3 bet preflop is clearly correct. However, how do you react to the cap preflop? At the time I didn't give him much credit, since personally I'll sometimes cap with less than stellar cards trying to take control of the hand when my steal has gone awry. Anyways, I figured I could still be ahead on that raggedy flop, and if not, I still had two overs, so I decided to bet and see how he reacted. With two overs the flop raise seems like an easy call, but I'm thinking now that I should have given up on the turn and folded. Once I called this though and missed again on the river, I finally got the clue that I was beat and gave up. Anyone take a different line, considering that preflop against a potential stealer my hand does have some showdown value?

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">6 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button caps</font>, Hero calls.

Flop: (8.50 SB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (8.25 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 9.25 BB

[Bob T.]

For your hand, this is pretty much a drawless board. Your opponent might have played this way with any hand that has two clubs in it. I think you should either fold to the turn bet, or call down the river. The halfway measure that you took costs the most with the least benefit to you in terms of chances to win and information about your opponent.

Especially early in a session and against an opponent that is close to your seat, I think that calling for value/information once you get to the river isn't all bad.

[aK13]

I'm calling his raise preflop, and throwing in a check/raise on the flop. If 3 bet, I'll call and dump the turn UI.

The way he plays this now, it doesn't look like a blind steal.

[Harv72b]

My standard line in a hand like this, where it's an unknown on what could be a bull-tactic steal attempt, is to 3-bet preflop, call the cap, and check/call all the way to showdown UI. Because first of all, I get the info that I want as cheaply as I can (was he stealing? And what will he play that way?), and because I want to set the example early in my session that I won't just give up my blinds to (forgive the pun) blind aggression.

However, I'm using this play on much higher limits than 2/4. Not a knock against you or the limit you're playing, but just the simple fact that very few 2/4 players are all that aggressive; most of them don't even know what a blind steal is. Against ~90% of Party 2/4 players, you can safely check/fold the flop after his preflop cap. If this becomes a pattern, then you can go with a calldown UI line.

Incidentally, if you do think someone is trying to steal with junk, a flop c/r is a better play than leading here. That forces him to define his hand much earlier, as a c/r implies that you really are holding a big hand while a bet/call is just as likely to be a draw (especially when you don't c/r the turn).

[Klepton]

fwiw, i c/c the flop and c/f the turn UI

[singularity]

With this flop I C/R and fold to a reraise. If the flop had contained a diamond I would have check-called the flop and see if the turn improved my hand.