Flop action facing 3 bets cold.

[Chris Daddy Cool]

UB .25/.50 loose game with moderate aggression

UTG limps. UTG+1 limps. MP1 limps. I'm next up and raise K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], CO and button call. SB folds. BB calls. UTG, UTG+1 and MP1 call.

Flop: A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

BB bets. UTG calls. UTG+1 raises. MP1 3-bets. I... ?

[Piiop]

Hrm, 3-betting into the pre-flop raiser - I'm gonna have to put him on QJ.

If you count all your outs as clean you have 2 K's, 2 T's, 1.5 for backdoor flush. You're getting (if I counted right) 21.5:3 or 7:1 on your call. However, you can probably make up a few bets if you hit. With all those other people in, I believe your equity is still high. Why don't you just go ahead and call 3 cold?

[Jeff]

QJ is a distinct possibility, but also don't rule out Axs here, limping in and hitting top pair + 4flush, I'd be thinking Axs sooner than QJ personally, although both are quite probable, as they are both limping hands for the majority of players. Maybe one has one, and one has the other. Maybe Qxs is you have a really loose caller, but it's doubtful.

The first raiser could be raising with almost anything. AK isn't likely, nor is AQ, as there wasn't a raise preflop. Ditto with any pocket pair.


Another possibility is ATo.


So, IMO, most likely hands to run across here:

Axs, QJ, and AT (s or o) I can see all playing that like that. Axs has the most possible combinations there, and if QJ isn't suited to hearts, he isn't likely to play very agressively - the flush draws will call no matter what.

On the other side of the spectrum, you could very well be behind someone with a better two pair than yourself.


I'd say it's probably close enough to call or fold, and you shouldn't feel bad doing either. Odds are that you are behind, a full house is likely to take it but AT is also a very possible holding, which, in combination with QJ, would lead me to beleive that your 2 pair isn't any good, so you will be relying on the outs to hit a full house, in a pot that is likely to be jammed with a lot of money on the turn, particularly if a heart hits - and while you could win a lot of money here, you'd be paying a lot of bets to do it though.


If you don't mind increasing variance, calling is probably correct, I'm too lazy to run the math out here. Capping is a bad idea since if you are on the FH draw, having another caller or two would help out a lot.

If I were playing above my head, I'd fold it, if not, I'd probably call and see the turn. I'd be fearing a flush draw and or a higher 2 pair more than a straight here, honestly.

[nepenthe]

Fold and look for a better opportunity. The only out you can really count on is your backdoor flush that doesn't pair the board. Better 2 pair, straight, and even sets are all very good possibilities here.