Draw in three bet pot, NL cash game

DailyHandQuiz

Game type: 3/6 Full ring NL, Pokerstars
Your image: Aggressive
Opponent’s image: TAG
Your hand: A♥Q♦

The setup: You haven’t made much noise yet in this full ring no limit cash game. This hand you get AQo in the small blind. It folds to the aggressive button, who opens for $24. You re-raise to $70 total and they BB folds. The button calls and you whiff:

9♠K♥5♥

You lead for $120 in $146. The button calls. The turn puts a third heart on the board with the 3♥.

What’s your play?

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7 COMMENTS (Jump to comment form)

Woot

Looks busted, checking shows weakness make a semi bluff disguised as a value bet.

[Reply]

Pete

Flop bet-sizing seems pretty poor. Surely you’d want to bet either enough to get it in on 2 streets (pot, pot) or small enough to bet 3 streets (1/2, 1/2, 1/2). I would be inclined to go with the latter, since the board isn’t the wettest, and those draws he does have are mostly either 4 outs, which I’d expect him to fold, or 12+, which I’d expect him to play aggressively. As played we’re in a pretty horrible spot because any bet pretty much commits us with a hand that’s going to be a way behind, but check/folding gives up a lot of equity. I think I need more reads than “aggressive” to make a decision here.

My gut-feeling would be that with the equity we’ve got this would be a good spot for a double barrel, especially if his range is skewed towards 88-QQ, but I don’t really know what suited connectors he’s calling a 3bet with, or whether he’s flatting any combo draws to balance his range passively for the sake of his medium pairs.

Certainly if we had only a pot-sized bet or less left then I think we have to get the rest in on this turn, and we probably still do, but I’m not particularly happy about it.

[Reply]

samo

Certainly an uncomfy spot here … agree with Pete, that nearly pot-sized bet makes the line awkward, and lends itself to firing again. I’d check however, as the open-raiser may do the same with a lower pp, and probably with a heart draw. I think the images may be flipped, hero TAG and V aggro? Regardless, I’d fold to a turn bet – very weak after the large flop bet. Hope to reverse this play later and turn it to my favor. Betting, whether more than half or less, likely commits the hero and AQo is not the hand I’d want to go out with.

[Reply]

Pirate21

Pretty much agree with previous comments.
My problem with checking here is that we’re basically giving up on the hand unless a heart comes since we’re inviting a bet and stack sizes make it akward for a c/r.
Betting a little more than 1/2 pot is the only play that makes sense to me. Hopefully, that’s too steep for his small stack and he’s sold that he’s beat. Unfortunately, when he comes over the top we’re priced in.
I’m just not sure what kind of hand he can put us on to fold – maybe AK?
Cross your fingers and hope for a heart (or maybe an ace).

[Reply]

Pete Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 10:40 am

You wouldn’t just ship? Do you think a smaller bet looks stronger?

[Reply]

Pirate21 Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 10:51 am

It’s an option. I guess my thinking is
a) it looks a little desperate…like we screwed up our flop bet and now we’re trying to buy the pot.
b) what hand is villain putting us on that the betting line supports if we shove?

But, you may be right – it could get the job done.

[Reply]

Pirate21 Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 11:00 am

Oh…sorry. I read the stacks backwards.
That’s even worse. I guess a shove probably makes as much sense as betting, say $200. At least then we’re not giving him odds on a draw.