AJo in a blind steal situation

[hate]

Villain was a TAG, and I hadn't seen him defend by a 3-bet, only 120 hands or so though.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">6 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls.

Flop: (7 SB) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB calls.

Turn: (4.50 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises</font>, Hero calls.

River: (8.50 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 10.50 BB

By default I called down, but in retrospect I think I can safely fold on the turn.

[Luv2DriveTT]

[ QUOTE ]
By default I called down, but in retrospect I think I can safely fold on the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you are wrong, what makes you think that is the right play in retrospect?

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[Nick C]

I think a key question is how much he might be adjusting his 3-betting standards to your possible steal-raise.

If stealing situations haven't been coming up much, then the preflop 3-bet and turn checkraise become very difficult to interpret.

If you think he's only 3-betting with standard (non-steal situation) 3-betting hands, then I agree that folding the turn would be sensible. And the lack of any prior preflop 3-bets by SB does support a turn fold as well.

Take away your read, though, and I would call down. (As a default, that seems fine to me; then again, blind stealing/defense is something I'm struggling with, now that I encounter such situations more often.)

[hate]

Ok, what's he going to 3-bet preflop with that I'm beating? I don't see a thing.

[Estydogg]

I think you are thinking a little too much for the 2/4 table. The re-steal is a very advanced play and most 2/4 players know that it won't work at such low stakes.

Even if he's trying to steal, most small stakes people will bet no matter what on the flop.

You have to believe the check-raise.

[pokerkai]

I think since its a thinking TAG, Id cap preflop because hes likely to be 3betting you with a much wider range then usual.

The SB could easily have something like a smaller Ace or even something like KQ or KJ.

[hate]

At 2/4, I just don't often see complex thinking plays from many TAGs at all. I'm sure he's not an ABC player, but having people deviate their play to suit the opponent they're playing against is advanced stuff I rarely see here, if ever. I play frequently with a poster here, and he and I'll mix it up, but in general table play I don't see it that often. I guess calling down was the right play when his 3-betting hands are going to vary widely, but in however many steal situations I've been in after 20k hands at 2/4, I can count the number of times where preflop play has deviated like that.

[MrEngenic]

You can't fold, call him down. You could check the turn to induce a bluff on the river. If you are ahead on the turn he doesnt have many outs to beat you, and if you are behind you loose the minimum. If he checks again on the river, bet.
If you are in many steal situations and you do this play a few times it will slow him down when you really are weak.

[Chris Dow]

4 betting a guy who you say doesn't do this very much preflop with just AJo is pretty silly. I don't like that at all. I do think you get "screwed" into calling down (by the odds). On the turn if he doesn't have AK (or the less likely kings or aces) then you have the small pairs for a chop (chop doesn't add that much equity since it's only 50% but no one mentioned it yet). There is also the fact you can be ahead I think. By the time the pot reaches the river throw the call in? At 2/4 I just don't think folding here can be the right play. Against my trickier more aggressive opponents in a spot like this I really like checking the turn behind to induce the bluff. As Engenic pointed out you aren't very vulnerable to redraws and he won't try to cr the river so a value bet on the river is still possible if he checks. Against the worse 2/4 players bet the turn here, against the better ones try mixing it up by checking behind?