Fancier play against aggressive villains

[topspin]

I've noticed that since the Paradise reload play has tightened up more and pots are contested more shorthanded and aggressively now. As a result, I've been playing less ABC and check-raising more good-but-not-great hands for value since people bet when checked to much more, and usually with marginal hands.

The flip side is that it occasionally leads to some tougher decisions. (Or maybe they're easy; you decide.) Here's an example.

MP2 in this hand has two notable tendencies: he cold-calls a lot preflop with a wide range of hands, and he will bet and raise with draws or weak (one-pair type) made hands. He's also shown some capability of giving up postflop if his aggression is met with bigger aggression, so he's not a maniac. I haven't picked up on any noticable MP3 tendencies besides being overly loose postflop.

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, BB calls.

Flop: (8.50 SB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, MP3 calls, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (5.75 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets...</font>

My thoughts (feel free to take a stab at replying before you read if you prefer): <font color="white">I go for the trap check-raise because I'm virtually certain MP2 will bet here but not raise a bet, and the board is relatively uncoordinated. Obviously when it gets raised the question is whether to call to encourage MP2 to come along those times MP3 has me beat, since he's shown he's willing to fold his bluffs to major aggression before. Given my checks on the flop and turn, MP3's raise is less scary, so I figure a 3-bet has value here since given the action MP3 could easily raise a weaker A.</font>

[sharpie]

I would imagine MP3 would raise A9, and usually A8 on the flop. So it looks to me like he's more likely to have AJ/AT/A7 type hands than a set or aces up. Then again he's gotta be scared the ace hit you since you raised early and then checked the flop.

Honestly I haven't played much fullring lately so I'm not sure how much strength his turn raise is telling us. If your average player at that limit would raise the turn with just aces often I like your line since there's value and we might knock MP2 out of this fairly big pot.

[hizo]

Grunch

NH

You are most often ahead of MP2s range of hands when he donks the flop and turn.
MP3 could have any A, and everynow and then two-pair. raising is better than calling MP3, so I like this play.

hec

[bennyhana]

this is a tough spot i think. I would feel better doing this if a Q would have fell. I have been reading HEFAP again, and one of the things it warns about playing overcards is situations like this. I would be more afraid of a cold caller with Ax just hitting 2 pair, than one with Qx.