Is this standard or too weak? I have several questions

[Mr. Orange]

MP2 is 19/8/2.2 ~110 hands. Haven't seen him cold call . Seems to be very solid and not overly tricky.
MP3 is 50/27/1 ~50 hands Maniac donk.

Preflop: Hero is UTG +1 with K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
UTG calls, Hero Raises, 2 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 3bets, 2folds, SB folds, BB calls, UTG calls, Hero calls, MP2 calls

Flop (5 players, 15.3 SB): 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets, MP2 raises, MP3 calls, 2 folds, hero calls

Turn (3 players, 10.66 BB): A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Hero checks,MP2 bets, MP3 calls, Hero calls

River (3 players, 13.66 BB): 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Hero checks, MP2 bets, MP3 folds, Hero calls

Questions:
1) Is it worth capping preflop? I don't think it is with all the other players in the hand. If it was just me, mp2 and mp3 i think capping would have been a good play to try and get MP2 out of the hand. With all the callers I think KQs would be worth capping though.

2) Flop- is a bet right here or is a check raise better? I was trying to get a sense of where I was in the hand here. I also figured there was a good chance it would be raised by Mp2 or MP3 thus helping protect my hand. Do I 3 bet here? I'm thinking maybe I should have

3) I was ready to lead any non ace but of course the ace comes. At this point I think the pots too big to fold so is it right to call down or do I try to be aggressive here?Also one of the main reason's I called was because of the pot size. In a smaller pot would a fold be right here? Say it's just 3 way with a 6-7 BB pot.

[Yoshi63]

I really don't know how to answer the questions, but I'd like to reply anyways.

This is one of those troublesome hands for me, because as you pointed out the pot is quite large by the time you figure to be beat. With your pre-flop raise, and the read on MP2, what hands are you ahead of? His cold-call range IMO might be something like AK, AQ, AA, KK, JJ, TT, 99. Only hands you beat there are JJ and TT, and the rest you're drawing dead (besides 2 outs vs KK). And I can't see him overplaying JJ or TT this badly.

If you really trust your read, a turn fold is probably in order. Otherwise call down seems ok. I'm probably calling down.

[Mllndllrmn]

[ QUOTE ]

This is one of those troublesome hands for me, because as you pointed out the pot is quite large by the time you figure to be beat. With your pre-flop raise, and the read on MP2, what hands are you ahead of? His cold-call range IMO might be something like AK, AQ, AA, KK, JJ, TT, 99. Only hands you beat there are JJ and TT, and the rest you're drawing dead (besides 2 outs vs KK). And I can't see him overplaying JJ or TT this badly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perfect. Imo it is a dead read if he is solid like you say that he is AK or AQ here. Muck on turn, I don't like the turn call but some people suggest c/c cos of pot size. Problem preflop is, with that action behind you, lets say you flop like you do, what do you do? The above range would be a reasonable 3bet and once the turn hits you are prolly dead.

[Goodnews]

In terms of reads, table dynamics is more important here. Given the standard tables of late, I am limping KQo in EP.

I 3bet the flop, the best hands (AA-QQ) will cap, and QJ, TT, JJ, and AQ will call. As played, I give up the hand on the Ace turn, otherwise I am sticking around.

As for your questions:

1) No, don't cap this preflop.

2) Flop bet is right, people expect you to bet, so bet. You can't ask for a better board with top pair than this one. If MP2/3 bet, and you c/r it only pads the pot, not protecting it. Consider check calling so you can adequately protect on a safe turn. As for the 3-bet, I covered this above.

3) Why would you lead the turn if you just bet call the flop? I see this alot and this out of tempo play stinks, bad. A monster won't care you made an unorthodox play and will raise you, a losing hand will just be suspicious and call (whereas check raising would have been best).

[BJK]

I think your preflop assessment is pretty good, but I also think there are alternate ways to play this. First off, when a maniac with position on you is at the table, I think you should seriously consider folding KQo UTG+1 the first time around NOT because of the maniac, but because of the possibility that someone ELSE might have you beat and the maniac is going to make the hand expensive. I can understand your raise if you have a tell that the maniac is going to reraise, though, and I like your analysis that there are too many players in the pot to cap. You're probably ahead of the maniac, but all it takes is a hand like Ax involved in the mix to make your cap -ev (if your KQ was suited, it would make a HUGE difference).

On the flop, there are several reasons why I don't like a check-raise. There are more players acting after the aggressor and before you than acting after you and before the aggressor. You'd be allowing too many weak draws the opportunity to make good calls. Having you bet out with an extremely good possibility of the maniac raising is the best way to make opponent's make a mistake with weak draws. However, the biggest reason why I don't like the check-raise is because it is EXTREMELY unlikely that a worse hand will 3-bet. If you lead out and get raised by the maniac, I believe you can get in a 3-bet while still being ahead most of the time.

On the turn, you need a read to know what to do next. This is going to be one of the more difficult decisions you will ever face in LHE, and you have to weigh it on two factors if you do not have a read. 1) The number of players in the pot on the flop has made it extremely unlike that your top pair/second kicker is in the lead and 2) The number of players in the pot on the flop has given you some outstanding pot odds to call to hit two pair or trips. So, the situation really comes down to two questions. 1) What are the odds you are already ahead and 2) What are the odds that you will be ahead if you hit a K or a Q on the river?

The answers to these question are the reasons why I do much better live than online.

[Dhani]

Preflop-I would fold this especially from UTG+1. May be limp, but not raise. You are what is cold calling that you are a heavy favorite against? Tight player cold calls, which is not good, loose player 3 bets and you are out of position unsuited.
Post flop- check raise unless you are 3 betting cold. you are easily up against AQ or worse.
Turn-Ace should cause you to check/fold to any bet. I know te pot is big, but it doesn't seem like the 2 MPs are folding at this point.

[James.]

i raise KQo from UTG, much less UTG+1. so preflop is fine and dandy with me.

1)it would be worth capping preflop if you think we can get it HU with the 50/27 guy. MP2 seems tight so his coldcall usually means a pp or JTs, QJs, KQs, AJs. i think he usually calls 2 sb as well as 1sb given the pot size and implied odds so capping would usually be pointless.
2)i like the flop bet because MP3 should often raise to help clear the field. i think you definitely need to 3bet when MP2 raises. not just because you usually have the best hand(QJs is a favorite coldcalling hand as aforementioned), but to help make the big streets easier to play.
3)if you would have 3bet, gotten called, lead that turn and then got raised i think you could usually think about not showing down. as played, the pot is big and given our passive line i think calling down is the right play.

[Bill C]

I like b/f the turn, c/c the river.
bc