how often do you do this? (long)

[Bluffoon]

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apologies for putting lots of stuff here. feel free to answer as little as u like. This is a spot I feel like I am not playing optimally and making posts like these helps me clarify my thinking and to gain exposure to some new or reassuring ideas, so if you see anything odd...

30/17/2.1 Button open-raises, his steal % is 35 over 2000ish hands. sb folds, you have A smallish kicker, say < 9, in the BB.

1) what percentage of time do you 3-bet?



I would almost always three bet.



against whom do you prefer either line?

Are baby aces different from middle aces, and does suitedness matter?



I'd rather be suited than have a 7 instead of a 3.



2) assuming no 3-bet, what is your postflop plan?

- fit or fold?



With no reraise I am fit and folding more often than not.



- plan to check-call a ragged board?

- plan to check-raise a ragged flop?

- against what kind of raiser do you think putting on a move is bad, i.e. how loose/aggro do they need to be before its not worth playing back at them, if there is such an opponent (ignoring when a rock raises)?

In the actual hand I had A6o. I just called. Flop ragged, Q73 rainbow. I check - raise.


3) comments on the plan?



This is reasonable but I still prefer to reraise preflop and come out swinging. I think it gives you a better chance to get a fold right away, avoiding a potentially expensive turn and if you get raised here you can call and give it up on the turn if you dont get help.



-Its kinda my default to check-raise when I call with A rag v. a liberal stealer and the flop is without an A but with one broadway card and otherwise ragged. I fold to a flop 3-bet.

-this is anticipated to be a 2 street move a lot of the time, does that change things? Do opponents fold to flop check-raises often enough so this is not a 2 street move?

4) is there much merit to just leading the flop here.

-Its cheaper, although I feel its a less powerful move as it is:



Only because you didnt reraise preflop.



(I) less likely to get a fold and (II) its more likely that I get the initiative taken away (i.e. my oppoent raises my flop bet, perhaps even with worse hands), leaving me out of control with A rag high.

Do I check-fold most turns unimproved if I lead and am raised?



I would



-I'd also need to lead more often with decent hands, and look to 3-bet them as well to make leading with A high (and less) in spots like this effective. But I rarely lead into pfrs, but have felt annoyed lately by a lot of poeple doing it to me. Maybe the muppets are unwittingly on to something that I should get into too?

4) How would the presence of a 2-flush on the flop effect your decision.



I'd ignore it initially.



-I am less inclined to check-raise with a airballed non-ace holding in this spot with a 2-flush on the board, as opponenet is more liekly to call me down. But with an A on a ragged one broadway card board with a 2-flush I think I have the best hand.



Anyway, back to the hand. Turn is a J. I bet. He calls.

5) Other than an A, is there any turn card you might not bet at? Do you check a turned A?



No I think you have to follow through here.



River is a blank (I didn't pair my kicker). I check intending to call.

If I had paired my kicker on turn or river I bet river for value.


thanks for making it thru this. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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Thanks for making me think it through.

[mperich]

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A2-A4o on the button has shown a negative expectation through my 100k database.

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You are playing these hands suboptimally postflop then. These hands are not losing steal hands, not even from the CO.

I usually play most of these hands the same against an aggressive stealer. Check call every street, unless the board gets too scary to continue. If I hit an ace I usually lead the river.

-Mike

[TStoneMBD]

yes youre right, i may be playing these hands suboptimally, and if you are showing profit with them when im not there there is something im doing wrong. maybe i will start stealing with these hands and post them on this board for review.

[Trix]

I think mine are in red too, but not by much and my sample isn´t sufficient, so I play them.

ALL1n is running pretty hot with the low Aces first in from button. Like half a BB/hand over 1xx tries.

I wouldn´t mind more Ax steals posted for sure.