I got a preflop question.

[Bob T.]

Live 8-16 game.

UTG open raises all-in. Earlier, he open raised 53sooted from early position, and he seems generally loose. Tight aggressive player, who seems to have a clue threebets, everyone to my left murmurs about protection, and looks like they are ready to be spectators,

Everyone to my right behaves, and folds, and I expect that everyone to my left has already folded in their minds.

I have AQ suited. Normally, I wouldn't play AQ against the threebetter, but in this case, I think that he could make the isolation raise with a pretty wide range of hands.

If I coldcall three, then the side pot is going to be 2SBs, but if I reraise, the side pot is going to be 4SBs. I'm pretty sure that if the side pot is 2sbs, the threebettor will play the hand as if it was a dry side pot, but if we make it 4, the hand might get played with a lot more aggression?

What's your play here, and what's your plan for the flop?

[jstill]

i still fold

[Chino987]

I cap, but i like to gamble [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[AKHobbes]

This is a definite fold preflop... small pot and you're probably behind the TAG-gy player for an even smaller side pot... pray for a straight or flush draw and fold if the flop brings all bricks

[James.]

wow. really depends on how much of a "clue" the TAGgy guy has. he could be 3betting lots of mid/lower pp's, ugly aces, etc. to isolate the UTG goofturd. if i thought that was the case, i'm taking it to 4town.

postflop i will assume that i have the best hand a fair portion of the time on a ton of flops and play it as such. with an all-in guy, it's been my experience people don't think you're messing around much since a showdown is eminent regardless of what they do. so the feel "protected" from bluffs. if we don't think the TAG is opening up his range here, i would go with the usual plan versus a pf 3bettor. i sort of find it hard to believe he hans't opened it up a bit.

coldcalling i don't like because, well, i hate coldcalling. it may also induce someone that was going to fold to float along because it's "a big pot". AQ has a chance of winning UI here, the more people in the pot decrease that chance substantially.

[Clarkmeister]

4 bagger

[MRBAA]

Well, the TAG is still in EP so I guess the real question is will he 3 bet to isolate with A8 and up? With 55 and up? With KJ/KQ? Or would he still need to have like AJ or 99 or better to three bet here? Because if his range is loosened up enough to include the first set of hands, I'm four betting in a heart beat. But if it's only slightly relaxed to include the second set of hands, then I can fold. You have position here, and the idea that the TAG will just check it down or something if you just cold call probably isn't going to be true anyway if he likes the flop.

[Mr. Orange]

This depends on my read of the EP TAG. If I think this guy is capable of pulling isolation raises with weaker Aces and PP's then I would cap here. If not I'm folding.

[Mike Gallo]

If you reraise, does that cap action or can villian reraise you?

I like a reraise in that spot against a Tight aggressive player, who seems to have a clue .

what's your plan for the flop?

If I flop the flush or flush draw I raise or bet.

If I hit an Ace I will raise a bet, bet if my opponent checks, and call if my opponent check raises me.

If I hit an Ace or Queen with two diamonds I play it fast on the flop.

Against ugly uncoordinated flops, I raise the flop if he bets. If he checks, I would take a stab at it again.

[Grease]

I cap here since the TAG could have a very large range, and we probably have a better hand than he and position to boot.

I don't like calling 3 cold here. I would either cap or fold. Let the TAG know you've got a good hand and are showdown bound (not that you have to be, but it will probably get him to C/F flops that he misses if you make him be OOP against a PF capper.)