10NL preflop action
 

Villan is unknown

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

CO ($14.20)
Button ($9.85)
Hero ($10.35)
BB ($26.55)
UTG ($20.20)
MP ($8.80)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls $0.10, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to $0.4</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $0.75</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG folds, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to $2.3</font>, Hero?


OK so villan raises from the button after a limper. Looks to me like a seal and I am in the SB with a pretty big hand, so I reraise donkishly. He sits there, almost times out, and finally decides to 4b. I made a horrible play. My donkish reraise looked like I wanted him to fold w/o taking much risk b/c it wasn't a full pot sized reraise. That induced a big raise from him, so at this point, I have to call because I caused him to make that play. But this play really sucks unless I have something that I want to get all in with preflop. So instead I should have smooth called or reraised full pot (1.4). Since it really sucks playing a huge pot out of position and I don't have a made hand, I would lean towards a smooth call. Thoughts?

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

Your PF raise sucks. Do not minraise. Make it like 1.2 at least. As played, you have to fold.

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

did you read my post?

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

Yes, I did. I answered that you should have 3bet to 1.2 Smooth calling his raise here is bad. You don't want to play AQ vrs. 2 people OOP. You have to bet more, because if you minraise, you are giving him the odds to call with any hand he raised. If I'm button, I don't care if I was isolating the fish with 53o, I will call that min3bet all day with 53o.

The proper play is to 3bet this preflop, at least to 1.2
Folding IMO is better than calling, unless yer really awesome post flop.

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

I don't think you are necessarily right to think that you induced a bluff with your min-re-raise. They often represent a lot of strength and imo he is just as likely to have been timing out considering what line he should take with QQ/JJ/AK etc as working out that he could bluff you.

You have to fold now I think.

Re-raising pot (or a bit more) here would be totally standard. Why on earth did you min- it?

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

3-bet to $1.60, fold to 4-bet. Never ever min 3-bet with full stacks.

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

Reason for the 3b minraise - I just wanted to see if he would fold w/o taking much risk. Regardless, I now realize that a 3b minraise is incorrect because in this case I would rather him fold than just inflate the pot. With the minraise I am giving him odds to call with basically ATC. However, I do not understand why 3b so much &gt;&gt;&gt; calling. The way I see it, if you 3b and he 4b, then you have to fold. But if you 3b and he smooth calls, then if you miss the flop whats your line? If you then decide to Cbet and are looked up, you are pretty much committed. Why not smooth call so you don't have to play a huge pot out of position?

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

Because, as I said above, any competent villain will call that min3bet with ANY hand. Then he's gon' own you because he has position.

Same thing with smooth calling. AQ is a hand you are hoping to play for top pair hands with. Meaning you are trying to hit a Q or an A, and win the pot with 1 pair. So when you 3bet a good amount, it will be a mistake for him to be calling you with crap like 76s, 33, KJ, etc. When he makes mistakes, you win $. When you smooth call, he is seeing the flop with all sorts of hands he would have folded to your 3bet, hands which make flushes/straights/sets and because of stack sizes has good implied odds. Add in the fact that he now has position on you, and you are in a really [censored] spot, even if you don't realize it.

This is the reasoning that many people don't understand, and then start saying stuff in chat like "omg, you are such a lucky fish playing 97..."

I think you are being a bit results oriented here. Yes, his 4bet means a strong hand. But most of the time, villain will fold, or at least call your 3bet. 4betting is rare, and when they do it, you are most likely beat so you fold.

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

you 3bet here because a lot of the time, button is folding more often than 4betting. but with a minraise, youre begging him to call. with small bets, you wont have as much fold equity so i think its standard to bet about 1.35 ish.

Re: 10NL preflop action
 

Right, that makes sense. I still would like to know your default line when u 3b pot, he calls, and then you completely whiff flop. CBet (bet/fold), and then c/f after that if he calls and you don't hit the turn? Assuming villan is a unk. I really struggle in these large pots OOP.