A common problem

[vkotlyar]

Every1 folds to u in the cutoff, and u ooen w 77. Button 3 bets and u r heads up. Flop: 25Qr. A 3 bet from the button does not mean that he has AA, but he has something and is not reraising u with complete blanks. Of u check, he will bet the flop and the turn no matter what. What is your default line here.
V

[mmcd]

There are quite a few different ways I could potentially play this depending on my image and my opponent, and almost all of them would involve either a flop checkraise or a stop-and-go (bet>raise>call>bet or maybe sometimes check>bet>call>bet)

Which of these lines I choose to take depends on how I feel I can best get him to define his hand. Whether or not I go to showdown (with or without the lead) depends on how likely he is to keep coming with a worse hand.

Basically, you need to choose a line (this is very opponent dependant) where you can avoid giving free cards and get maximum value when you are ahead, and get out as cheaply as possible when you are behind.

If your opponent is capable of folding a pocket pair lower than QQ (but higher than 77 obv.), then do what you must to make this happen, but try to do it as cheaply as possible. A lead-3 bet on the flop comes to mind here; you would obviously have to re-evaluate and decide what to do on the turn if he flat calls because a call here is usually either a hand that has you crushed (in which case a check/fold is obviously in order) or AK (in which case a bet is in order)

If he checks behind you on the turn following a flop lead-3 bet and a turn check, you should value bet any non A or K river, provided he will call you down with unimproved AK

[PapaDeuce]

i am 50-50 on leading the flop or check raising. i think i would lean towards leading. if he raises the flop then i would check call to river if the board came x x, if the board came with an ace or king on turn i probably check and fold. if a 7 came on the turn i would rather bet out than try for a check raise. if he checked behind on the turn i would bet the river if no paint came.

[Paluka]

The simplest way to play this hand isto plan on calling down if an ace never comes, and betting the river if he checks the turn unless and A or K comes. I don't think this is a bad line against an unknown opponent. I think if you think it is mandatory to do something aggressive like betting out or checkraising on the later streets, you should consider just capping preflop.

[rtrombone]

Am I the only one who 4-bets preflop?

[Doubling12]

With that flop, you have about a 40% chance of winning at showdown, given a reasonable range of 3-bet hands. If you go totally passive, you will probably make 1.5BB postflop when you're ahead and lose 2.5 when you're behind. There are 3.75BB in the pot when you start.

40% * (3.75 + 1.5) = +2.1BB
60% * (2.5) = -1.5BB

If an Ace falls, your chances are crushed, and then you can fold. A King would be a judgement call. I don't see how postflop aggression works here, you are out of position with a hand that is very unlikely to improve, against a range of hands that are either way ahead of you or have a decent chance of catching up.

[Poker_pete]

Let Bettors bet, Make callers call and make folders fold.

P.

[random]

[ QUOTE ]
i am 50-50 on leading the flop or check raising. i think i would lean towards leading. if he raises the flop then i would check call to river if the board came x x, if the board came with an ace or king on turn i probably check and fold. if a 7 came on the turn i would rather bet out than try for a check raise. if he checked behind on the turn i would bet the river if no paint came.

[/ QUOTE ]Why would an ace on the turn make you check and fold?

[TaintedRogue]

A TAG player (as I classify them on the button against a CO's open/raise) would 3-bet with a pair of 9s, A8s, KTs, QTs, JTs, AT, KQ. That's 164 different hands of which only 67 have a Q in it. The other two cards on the flop are not in TAG's arsenal. If TAG doesn't have a pair in his hand, it's even money as to whether TAG has a queen in his hand or not; or a K or A if that is what falls on the flop. 78% of the time, you'll be ahead of the TAG going into the flop, when you have a pocket pair, because TAG will have a pocket pair only 21.95% of the time, when only one card, 9 or higher, hits the flop. So, I don't see how capping it preflop would be of any benefit with 77. I think capping it only magnifies the problem of being first to act. It gives so much info, unless your opponent knows you really well and has never seen you cap it with anything other than big hands. Of course, your "big hand" isn't going to mean as much when that flop comes and he has Q.
Since Holdem is a game of aggression (and they are where I play) I think it's important to be able to classify the three opponents to your left (in a game where you will get a number of chances to open from the CO, Button, or SB.
If I have a good read on the Button and have classified him correctly, then I know what the odds are of him having paired the board, based on how many of his cards hit the flop, and the odds of him having a pocket pair.
That's the easy part. Now, you have to do alot of homework to come up with what would be the best way for the Button to play his possible hands after the flop, if he knew what possible hands you would open/raise with.
I have slaved over many hours of homework and still find myself scratching my head on occassion. I am however, a helluva lot better than most of those whom I play against when it's folded to the last 4 players............at least I think I am. I find these situations, the most exciting.
P.S.............If an ace comes on the flop and it's me on the button, you're far from being "crushed" and you'll be far from being "crushed" from alot of other aggressive players that I know. It's when the flop comes KJ9, KQ8 KT9, QJ9 etc, that your 7s are looking real weak.

[Doubling12]

With the Q already being there, it dramatically reduces the number of hands he is beating, more so the A than the K.