(Strategy) The Squeeze Play

[QTip]

I was watching IStrong's Video #1 from the link here in the forum. Towards the end of the video, he has 44 in the BB. An UTG raiser to like 3.5x and the button ccs. He says "I think I'll make a squeeze play here" changes the raise to $10. However, he then decides to change his mind and calls.

I'm wondering why.

What are some of the things that need to be considered before making this play? I've not seen a general strategy post on the squeeze play. If there's one out there, a link will be fine.

Thx.

QTip

[Paul Thomson]

There's a ton of elements you must consider, but here's two (one obvious one not so much):
- 44 plays easily OOP as opposed to 78s
- when 44 misses, your equity is usually very low when ur continuation bet gets called.

[Isura]

Squeezing in that spot would be bad.

[sublime]

i suppose because folding PP's preflop sucks and when repopped you have to dump it. at least that would be a reason i wouldn't be pumped about squeezing there.

[tufat23]

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i suppose because folding PP's preflop sucks and when repopped you have to dump it. at least that would be a reason i wouldn't be pumped about squeezing there.

[/ QUOTE ]


close but slightly wrong cheddar

[PBJaxx]

The squeeze is so well known now that it honestly isn't that effective. I tend to "squeeze" more with good hands and resqueeze.

[Al_Money]

That's a bad squeezing situation because the initial raiser is UTG, meaning he is more likely to have a big hand, and its also not a great hand to be squeezing with.

[QTip]

[ QUOTE ]
That's a bad squeezing situation because the initial raiser is UTG, meaning he is more likely to have a big hand, and its also not a great hand to be squeezing with.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any good post or reading material on this play anywhere?

[Grunch]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That's a bad squeezing situation because the initial raiser is UTG, meaning he is more likely to have a big hand, and its also not a great hand to be squeezing with.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any good post or reading material on this play anywhere?

[/ QUOTE ]

None that I've seen.

My view on a squeeze play is it's really a kind of semi-bluff. I mean, if you re-raise with a hand like AA/KK from a blind, it's not really a squeeze -- you're raising for value & equity. But with a squeeze play the situation is different.

My favoite squeeze situation is where I have 76s on the SB with > 100bbs effective. CO is a non-nit, like 25/20 9or so and opens. BN is a loose coldcaller and coldcalls. I then re-raise strongly. I'm expecting everyone to fold. But if they don't it isn't the complete end of the world because I have a hand that has good equity vs a typical calling hand's range. It will be somewhat difficult to play this pot postflop in this spot, but this is balanced by me doing a better job of selecting times to squeeze.

So since my view of a squeeze is that it's a semi-bluff before the flop, there are two main things I need to have in order to do this: the semi part, and the bluff part. In the case of iSTRONJG's hand where he had 44 against an EP opener, my opinion is that the squeeze would be pretty bad because there's little or no fold equity here. A UTG opener is much less likely to be on a steal or a marginal opening, so our raise is much less likely to find him folding. As with all semi-bluffs, if there's no FE, there's no value in the semi-bluff.

By the way, welcome back QTip.

[QTip]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That's a bad squeezing situation because the initial raiser is UTG, meaning he is more likely to have a big hand, and its also not a great hand to be squeezing with.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any good post or reading material on this play anywhere?

[/ QUOTE ]

None that I've seen.

My view on a squeeze play is it's really a kind of semi-bluff. I mean, if you re-raise with a hand like AA/KK from a blind, it's not really a squeeze -- you're raising for value & equity. But with a squeeze play the situation is different.

My favoite squeeze situation is where I have 76s on the SB with > 100bbs effective. CO is a non-nit, like 25/20 9or so and opens. BN is a loose coldcaller and coldcalls. I then re-raise strongly. I'm expecting everyone to fold. But if they don't it isn't the complete end of the world because I have a hand that has good equity vs a typical calling hand's range. It will be somewhat difficult to play this pot postflop in this spot, but this is balanced by me doing a better job of selecting times to squeeze.

So since my view of a squeeze is that it's a semi-bluff before the flop, there are two main things I need to have in order to do this: the semi part, and the bluff part. In the case of iSTRONJG's hand where he had 44 against an EP opener, my opinion is that the squeeze would be pretty bad because there's little or no fold equity here. A UTG opener is much less likely to be on a steal or a marginal opening, so our raise is much less likely to find him folding. As with all semi-bluffs, if there's no FE, there's no value in the semi-bluff.

By the way, welcome back QTip.

[/ QUOTE ]

As usual Grunch, you da man. Thx for the well-thought out post.

Thx for the welcome.