10NL: KK, lots of action preflop - line check

Bostik · #1 11-12-2007, 05:02 PM

Most of my QQ+ hands have gone uncontested lately, so getting this much action was an interesting change. I do believe I played this correctly, but improvement can only help.

Reads: Villain was somewhat weak-tight, playing TAG preflop and fit-or-fold postflop. Most of his stack depletion was actually due to him folding to my preflop raises and cbets. Just a few hands earlier, he folded to my flop 3-way check-raise when I hit trips from SB. Haven't seen him show down a hand so far. Villain most likely sees me as a bully.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (8 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

saw flop|saw showdown

SB ($3.25)
BB ($16.50)
UTG ($3.30)
Hero ($17.40)
MP1 ($8.65)
MP2 ($9.75)
CO ($12.45)
Button ($5.50)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG raises to $0.4, Hero raises to $1.4, MP1 raises to $3, 5 folds, UTG folds, Hero calls $1.60.

A big pair behind a shorty is not what I call fun, but I really didn't want to give random aces the chances to see the flop. When villain raises again, I immediately put him on AA/KK/AK, and discount QQ as a very remote possibility. I didn't want to stack off preflop with this, so I called and decided that if no ace comes, push.

Flop: ($6.55) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets $5.8, MP1 calls $5.65 (All-In).

No ace. I wasn't folding this, since any reasonable bet was effectively a shove and with my preflop range assessment, I was still only behind AA. Had I checked, I would have called a shove so I thought I might as well lead. If villain has AK, I'll be happy no matter what he does.

I know it's not optimal to shove on flop as it allows villain to play perfectly. However, if he indeed has AK, I'm not willing to give him the chance to get a free ace. Villain's almost min-reraise preflop basically told me he wanted to see the flop, but for what reason, I don't know.

I'll add the actual showdown later.

EN09 · #2 11-12-2007, 05:14 PM

that'd be my line. my feeling is if they got aces they have me and if not we go stacking.

EN

No1Addict · #3 11-12-2007, 05:25 PM

Push pre-flop.

I'm giving him a slightly bigger range here, probably including pairs down to tens and AQ. You're +ev here.

Even if his range was aces, kings and AK I think you're failing to get the little value you can. If you wait until the flop to push you will only get action from aces. This way you get to stack the occasional weaker hand.

Given the range you give him, what hand calls you on the flop? I think you played a little scared here... You're not going to make an expert fold with KK so just push it in before the flop.

TheBad · #4 11-12-2007, 05:40 PM

By calling you allow villain to play perfectly, by shoving you only allow AA to play perfect. Also, don´t give hands like TT,JJ or QQ the possibility to make a set.

Makonnen · #5 11-12-2007, 05:54 PM

Shove preflop. He only has a psb behind.

Xanthro · #6 11-12-2007, 07:09 PM

Very standard preflop shove. He has a pot sized bet left, and you are only behind AA. If he has that, so what.

You have to be willing to play for stacks preflop with KK.

AK may well call your preflop shove, but fold any flop that doesn't have an A. By calling and shoving any non Ace flop, you done everything possible to let AK play perfectly.

AA is still calling, but you're folding out weaker hands.

RyanCMU · #7 11-12-2007, 08:08 PM

Meh, a TAGish player is cold 4betting here. If the money goes in preflop we are probably only seeing AA from him.

I really don't like the flop lead shove. If he did get frisky and cold 4bet AK here, we want to give him the chance to cbet his stack here.

I guess, I don't kno wmuch about NL10, so this is probably played fine for this level.

EDIT: Just read your reads on villain, if you think he views you as a maniac or a table bully, then I definatly think I like shove preflop, since I expect him to be getting the money in PF w/ a wider range then just AA in this scenario. Also, I really don't mind postflop (Floplay) because, I guess villain could interpret your line as a bluffy attempt, and show up w/ JJ QQ here.

Bostik · #8 11-13-2007, 02:46 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Very standard preflop shove. He has a pot sized bet left, and you are only behind AA. If he has that, so what.

You have to be willing to play for stacks preflop with KK.

AK may well call your preflop shove, but fold any flop that doesn't have an A. By calling and shoving any non Ace flop, you done everything possible to let AK play perfectly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Looking back, this makes perfect sense. It also condenses everything said so far, so thank you.

For what it's worth, villain showed the most unlikely of hands: the other KK. Despite playing this dumb, seems I got lucky.