Live straddle with A4s on the button, and QQ in which I knowingly suck

[One Outer]

First off, I think I played really well today. Using the forum has been good for me. A couple of days ago I was thinking about situations and something just clicked. Elindauer's posts about ranges and equity have helped a lot. I tried to practice thinking about the game in that way, because it was new to me, at FTP play money tables the past few days (don't laugh). So I was excited to play today. I lost 16 BB, but I was very happy with my play. I was reading ranges accurately and making strong post-flop decisions. I just never got there in the big pots when I was drawing and the field got there in the big pots when they were drawing. Meh, moving on.

I did have two hands that vex me a little bit though. In this first one there is one loose passive player. He's fairly typical except that he will randomly wake up and start betting his own hand instead of checkraise when he has something he likes. Weird. And an older woman who typifies a lot of the players at CP. She's ultrapassive before and after the flop, but will bet top pair hands if checked to. Always checks a flush card. Her preflop opening range is exactly QQ+ and AK suited and offsuit. She limped JJ in MP twice that I have seen and open limped a suited AQ in the HJ.

Hero is SB w/ QdQs

some folds, lp guy calls because he has two cards, passive lady raises, all fold to Hero who threeballs his QQ, both call.

Flop: 4cKc5x

Hero bets, lp still has two cards so he calls, passive lady calls

Should I even be betting this? I beat nothing and tie exactly one combination in her raising range. It feels wrong to not bet, though. I suck.

-----------------------------------------

The other hand had a live straddle. Straddler is pretty laggy, cold calling a lot but not raising a terribly wide range that I have seen. The lagginess comes in postflop, with any hand that connects reasonably. Saw him limp some real crap in EP a couple times (J8o, and then capped an 8 high flop against passive lady lol, 67o, ragged aces). Passive lady will limp any two broadways, lots of suited trash as long as it vaguely connects (like 74 and whatnot). Both blinds are loose passive as well, but they don't figure into the hand much except for my overlay.

Hero is button with Ah4h

Live straddle, passive lady calls, Hero calls, both blinds call, straddler threeballs, all call

Flop (15sb): Ks6s3h

both blinds check, straddler bets, passive lady calls, hero calls, both blinds call

I'm getting an immediate 17:1 with one overcard and backdoor straight and flush draws. I still don't know whether or not this call sucks. I think it's close as if I do hit the Ace it's likely to be the only one out. Worst case scenario, I'd have to make up, what, like 1 BB even if I'm not being offered high enough immediate odds? I'm also confident that the straddler will threeball anything in his straddle and c-bet the flop. I don't have a lot to be scared of from his hand at least.

Turn (10 BB): Ad

blinds and straddler check, passive lady wakes up and bets, Hero hates his hand and calls. I'm the only caller.

River (12 BB): 7s

passive lady checks because she's scared of her shadow, Hero checks and gets ready to muck because she will show me A9+

If I made a mistake here it's calling on the flop. I think the preflop is a little better than marginally +EV.

[Frond]

Hand 2-Weird that she only checks the river eh? I think the turn peel is okay. She may only have a King here since there were 2 turn checks to her and you only called on the flop. But then again she is passive and players with weak Aces will check here when someone calls their turn bet.

Hand 1-I Had QQ 4 times yesterday in about 5 hours and 3/4 held up. I know what you mean though when you are thinking should I have bet the flop here? In your hand I bet this flop. One flop last night was like 26Ar I just gassed the entire way cause nobody showed any aggression whatsoever. MHIG! It won a huge pot cause it was multi way and I was on the button. You have to figure that with hands like these when we are the PF aggressor and they all check to us on all streets we can't just give them free cards all the time right? I know we hate to bet out when a K or A flops and we are up against passives but also figure that it is going to cost us a few more bets in what will be huge pots if we win cause we are coming in with raises or 3 bets PF. We do win a fair share of these hands. When a passive pumps you on the turn or river then we can change gears. Have to keep reminding myself that big pocket pairs are great hands and they do win a fair share UI.

[One Outer]

Are you sure you read the first hand correctly? Of course the continuation bet is standard, but that isn't my question. This particular woman is so passive that her pf raising range is QQ+ and AK. She was the original raiser and I three bet. This is situational and based completely on my opponent.

[BadBigBabar]

i don't like the pf w/a4s

[Frond]

Sorry, I didn't see her raise PF there. Thought is was a call instead. I still bet the flop then see what happens on da toin. If you had checked the flop and she bets out are you folding this?

[One Outer]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry, I didn't see her raise PF there. Thought is was a call instead. I still bet the flop then see what happens on da toin. If you had checked the flop and she bets out are you folding this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely. I don't think she'd bet anything I'm beating. Maybe, maybe she had one of those weird random moments preflop and raised AcQc but even then I think it's 50/50 on whether or not she would even bet that if checked to.

[One Outer]

I don't like it on paper either. It was purely situational. I had a straddle, an ultra passive woman and two loose passive old guys in the blinds, one of whom was very, very loose. I wouldn't do it anywhere else but the button. I'm essentially playing against an old lady that will play any two broadways and suited connectors (up to even three gappers), one random hand and two almost random hands. I have to be doing better than 20% equity there, right?

Ok, there's my defense. Is it still bad?

[Frond]

Also for the QQ hand, the pot is still small so if she bets out and you give it up no biggie really. Wait for a better spot.

[James.]

hand 1 c/f the flop.

hand 2 is a super standard flop peel. you are getting 17-1 with a bd flush draw to the nuts, a bd straight draw and a tainted overcard. you have 1.5+1ish+1 for about 3-3.5 outs. you have plenty odds to call and could even consider a raise(though i don't think i would do it given the description of the straddler). i think i would fold the turn.

[BubbleMint]

[ QUOTE ]
This particular woman is so passive that her pf raising range is QQ+ and AK. She was the original raiser and I three bet. This is situational and based completely on my opponent.

[/ QUOTE ]

Was she likely to cap AA/KK pre ?
Does she flat call with AK on the flop or raise her TPTK ?

On the flop, against this villain, it is a safe b/f.