Wynn 15/30-- A3o Blind Defense

[W. Deranged]

One situation in which I feel pretty uncomfortable involves holding weak A high hands in the blinds against an obvious steal-raiser. Hands like A2-A6 I find tough because I don't like three-betting them for initiative pre-flop as they're not that strong, but I feel like calling and checking most (missed) flops is going to allow my opponent to outplay me and force me to fold the best hand too often. So I'm considering some strategies that involve calling pre-flop and betting out basically every flop.

Here's something I tried at the Wynn this weekend.

Villain in question is a mid-thirties, standard 15/30 type. He's definitely a bit too loose pre-flop (VPIP probably 27-30), and reasonably aggressive pre-flop (PFR 10-12 or so). Post-flop he's a bit less aggressive and plays okay. In the situation below I imagine his stealing range to be huge.

Originally when I played this I liked it, then I started hating it, now I just don't know. Comments welcomed on every street.

Deranged is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

Pre-flop:

7 folds, Button raises, SB folds, Deranged calls.

Flop (~4.5 SB): Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Deranged bets, Button calls.

Turn: (~3.25 BB): A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

Deranged checks, Button bets, Deranged calls.

River (~5.25 BB): 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

Deranged bets...

Let me have it.

[bakku]

hey deranged, i like the turn

[nfscreech]

I don't really like the flop bet on this board. I doubt he's going to believe it, and you may get played back at.

A board of K84 would be a much better board to bet at in this situation.

I'm curious as to what your thoughts on the flop were.

[newhizzle]

if you think hell keep firing, why not just check/call, check/call, check/call, or maybe bet the river(improved) or something?

i dont really think hes going to give your flop donk too much credit and playing it this way you are giving him chances to knock you off your hand when you could get it to showdown for a max of 2.5 BB, or if you dont think hes the type to bluff all the way, you could fold the river UI

the only real problem with the passive line is that potentially any card in the deck can hurt you and if you are ahead you dont really want to give free cards, but the way i see it, if you want to look him up to make sure hes not just going to be taking advantage of you every time, get to showdown cheaply and dont give him a chance to make you second guess your hand

i really dont know how much of what i have said is right, just my thoughts

[W. Deranged]

As I said, the vague thought on the flop was that basically I was going to bet any flop. The board is scary but because it's paired there are fewer cards for villain to have hit. My bet represents a J. My thought is that I'm ahead of so many of his basic two-random-card hands and so a fair amount of the time a bet is for value. If he plays back at me I can reevaluate.

I agree though that the flop is weird. I'm not sure if I like it. Basically, I don't like check-folding as A high is good too often here (particularly as I'm going to chop with a lot of better As here because of board texture). Check-calling is an option I guess. In that case I guess I just need to check-call and then check the turn and hope it checks through. Maybe that's the more rational line.

[Entity]

On boards like this, when you bet, you're usually folding worse stealing hands and getting called by better ones. This is the sort of flop I check-fold.

A big part of defending with Axo (and it is a pain in the ass ot defend properly with) is to feel out whether you should be check-calling or check-folding. I'm very rarely betting. Your hand doesn't represent a J here. It represents any draw, a J, etc. Your fold equity is minimal and both of these hands are squarely in the middle of a fairly wide stealrange. You'd have a lot more success with blind defense by betting if you picked a 775 flop than a QQJ flop.

Rob

[DeathDonkey]

I actually don't think its a bad flop. Check/call flop and bet a blank turn can work too. Plus they will fold a small pair sometimes.

-DeathDonkey

I like hitting back preflop, making it three and then betting most flops. Since your ace is weak and your position poor this line will enable you to find out where you are fast. If your opponent misses the flop you are now representing whatever he fears.

This also sends him a clear message about garbage-raises.

If I can't do this then I'm folding pre-flop ... and dreading his next raise ...

[hobbsmann]

I don't like to stray to much from the standard flop c/r in blind battles unless I feel like I am up against a thinking opponent. Donking the flop works well in some situations, but I don't think it accomplishes anything for you here. I mean what his he folding to a flop donk that you are losing to?

As for the best line, I'm not really sure....

[bambi]

I like it, he aint believing you have the Q but if he has Kx or Ax he is likely to fold it un improved on later streets, Are you betting a non A turn?