Back To The Trap House

Poker Stars $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold’em – 8 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $100.00
Hero (BTN): $187.15
SB: $100.00
BB: $101.50
UTG: $103.20
UTG+1: $162.75
MP1: $100.00
MP2: $110.05

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BTN with J K
5 folds, Hero raises to $3, 1 fold, BB raises to $12, Hero calls $9

Flop: ($24.50) K K T (2 players)
BB bets $18, Hero calls $18

Turn: ($60.50) Q (2 players)
BB bets $71.50 all in, Hero calls $71.50

River: ($203.50) 4 (2 players – 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $203.50
Hero shows J K (three of a kind, Kings)
BB shows J A (a straight, Ten to Ace)
BB wins $200.50
(Rake: $3.00)

One of the things as mentioned in previous blog entries I have been working on with my coach is 3Bet pots. This particular hand deals with a 3 Bet pot against what I call an ABC regular. He is unsearchable on Pokerstars but he is definitely multi tabling. I had him at a few of my other tables as well as seeing him when searching other tables.

He doesn’t get too out of line ever. From certain positions he is 3betting with a very strong range. What I have noticed though is that when I open up from the Button, C/O or H/J regs 3 Bet pretty light out of the blinds. They aren’t adjusting to me too much because they’re playing so many tables. I have a very loose image overall for a FR game so it would be correct for them to throw in a few light 3 bets from the blinds.

In the past I would usually either push back or fold more often than just flat calling. If I pushed back they would usually fold but if they pushed back they definitely had a hand. These mass multi tabling regs aren’t too fond of fancy play. I’ve seen it occasionally but most of the time I will give credit to these Super Nova Chasing nits.

Well now a days I am trying to throw in a few more calls for a few reasons
1. If they’re 3 betting light from the blinds then I will be ahead of their range when they call. I can also expect them to CBET most of the time and then I can go over the top and gain more value.
2. Since they’re CBetting a lot I can hit top or 2nd pair and just call hoping to induce a turn barrel. This doesn’t happen too often. If I call these Regs usually just shut down and I bet and take it down.
3. Since they play so straightforward post flop I can outplay them by stealing when they check, or as mentioned above, go over the top of their CBETs.

So, what am I raising back with and what are they folding? I feel like these regs will 3 bet then fold a lot of weak AX, KX, QX and small pair hands although I am not 100% sure at 100NL.
I am raising back with my entire range if I really feel like they’re weak but almost all of the time with suited connectors, Suited Kx, Qx, Ax, Suited Gap Connectors but never really with suited 2 gappers.

What am I just flatting with against them if I think they are doing it light? I am flatting with suited connectors, AXs, KXs, QXs and suited gap connectors. Pretty much the same as what I’m raising back with. I am also flatting with small to medium pocket pairs if I have the implied odds of course.

So, with the hand posted above I kind of felt like if he was doing this light it was better to flat call. KingNorth is the definition of an ABC Regular. He hardly ever makes any fancy plays and is pretty straight forward. We have played against each other a decent amount so it is not out of the realm of possibility that he would show up with AXs, KXs, suited connects or low to medium PP.

Since I had put him on that range pre flop and flopped big I decided calling was a much better option than raising. Raising him would make him fold worse and I didn’t want that. The possibility of him continuing a bluff on the turn are very slim but if I raised him and he had air he is completely done with the hand. If I had raised and he came over the top I think I would have been in some trouble. I doubt he would ever do that with AA or QQ. His most likely holdings would be AK or 1010. He would just flat AA maybe and fold QQ, JJ.

When he shoves the turn I am worried about QQ. He isn’t bluffing me really ever but he might shove the turn with AA given my loose image but rarely. Well, I decided to go with my pre flop read and call and GG for him. I really think in hindsight I could’ve folded the turn. I think my flop play was fine but the turn is a very very very tough correct fold.