$3/$6 NLHE PS tptk out of position

[theBruiser500]

No idea what strategy I should have employed on this flop and what my plan should have been for following streets. Ideas?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $3 BB (9 handed)

MP1 ($221.90)
MP2 ($594)
MP3 ($321.85)
CO ($102)
Button ($652)
Hero ($600)
BB ($960.60)
UTG ($159)
UTG+1 ($155.80)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls $6, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $6, <font color="CC3333">MP3 raises to $12</font>, CO folds, Button folds, Hero calls $9, BB calls $6, UTG+1 calls $6, MP2 calls $6.

Flop: ($60) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets $45</font>, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds.

Final Pot: $105

[dmk]

What did you plan on doing if someone came over the top? If I'm holding QT, I'd raise here. Just wondering if you had something in mind to handle that situation.

[schwza]

i think i'd fold that pre-flop. you're looking at playing AQo out of position with reasonably deep stacks (although the PFR is shallower) in a multi-way pot. i don't know how to interpret the min-raise, but even with a great flop i'd be treading carefully, afraid of AK/AA/KK/QQ.

once you hit the flop, you've got to bet out.

[1800GAMBLER]

checkfold the flop.

[fsuplayer]

From reading your posts, as well as Matt Flynn's and some others, I am finally starting to understand higher limit NL.

Check/fold depending on the action was my thought as well.

yea me.

fsuplayer

[Chazbot2000]

You've got to give a more complete explanation to justify this. Makes absolutely no sense to me.

[1800GAMBLER]

This is a situation in which you are either a small favourite or a massive dog plus you also have huge reserve implied odds.

The thing that comes it off for me though is you are going to have to fold when that raise comes and that raise will come more than 50% of the time because of hands like straight draw + pair, but those hards are protected by the possibility in our mind they could also have two pair etc.

Ray Zee replied to a A9 on a 789 flop saying checkfold if he gets checked through make a small bet on the turn if the players aren't tricky, the A9 situation is pretty similar to this.

[cornell2005]

preflop i wouldnt play it at most tables

flop, check fold seems nice also

[Rococo]

Gambler,

I agree with your logic in this case, but I assume that your view would be very different if the flop were T J Q rather than 9 J Q. Correct?

In that case, the situation is very different than the case where A9 plays against a board of 7 8 9 (i.e. because the K isn't a scare card).

[Chazbot2000]

OK, fair enough. I think Ray Zee's example is a little more reasonable though.

For your situation, a couple of thoughts:

You probably aren't up against a made straight. Someone would have to be playing K-10 or 7-9, both of which are unlikely from such early positions.

You may be up against two pair. Statistically speaking the odds of this are far below 50%. In those situations where you'll get raised and raised big (since they fear the straight). On a big raise, you let go of your hand. I think this situation is too infrequent to preclude your betting out on this flop.

Middle pair and a straight draw. I just read this interesting article on combination draws:

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_maga...php?a_id=14156

which is essentially what your opponent would be playing in this situation. A big raise from a combination hand like you suggest seems to be incorrect for reasons explained in the article. I think your bet would just get called. Everyone else could fold and you can bet enough on the turn to kill his odds to draw.

In Ray Zee's situation, I'm assuming this is a flop where there was little to no preflop raising (otherwise what are you doing in the hand with A-9?). In that example you're up against a lot more bad hands including:

- Slowplayed overpairs.
- Sets. I could see people limping with 7-7, 8-8, 9-9.
- Nut straight. I know I'll limp with J-10.
- Two pair. People would limp a drawing hand like 8-9 suited and make top two pair instead.

None of those are problems with the flop. I think I still like betting the flop.