Small Stakes Shorthanded NL Poker Forums

I 3b pre because I think my hand is slightly too weak to call. He folds ~77% to 3b. Seems like very typical 50NL multitabling TAG. 25/18

I think he calls 99-JJ, AQ, AK, KQs preflop. I didn't cbet flop because I didn't want him to x/r and he'll probably fold A high later anyway.

On the turn when he checks again, not too sure what to make of it. Not sure if he would bluff with AQ/AK, but figure my hand is never going to win at showdown and I have good equity, so I bet.

River, I don't think he's strong ever, but at the same time, if he has something weak like AQ/AK he would have just folded the turn usually. He has to think I'm bluffing the turn to x/c, so he's also likely to think I'm going to bluff the river.


SB: $50.00
BB: $46.53
UTG: $62.04
MP: $60.12
Hero (CO): $100.13
BTN: $52.42

SB posts SB $0.25, BB posts BB $0.50

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.75) Hero has K J

fold, MP raises to $1.50, Hero raises to $4.50, fold, fold, fold, MP calls $3.00

Flop: ($9.75, 2 players) T 8 9
MP checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($9.75, 2 players) 4
MP checks, Hero bets $7.00, MP calls $7.00

River: ($23.75, 2 players) 3
MP checks, Hero checks

MP shows 7 7 (One Pair, Sevens)
MP wins $22.57

I think your hand is strong enough to call in position with reads. Against a raising range of 18% he has about a 10% preflop equity edge over you but the idea is that if you have some decent reads on his post flop play and can exploit his tendencies then calling with KJo is fine... preflop equity doesn't mean like so much imo when its like 45/55 here against his range. Some of his range that has good preflop equity like 22 - 66 against KJo can't exactly continue if you get a pair and you barrel at it and by the same token he isn't going to start getting very aggressive with deuces and even if he did you're not paying him off... so preflop equity is very skewed. So you could call or 3 bet this hand.

As for how you played the hand I would have c bet to try to get him to fold out overcards like KQ, AQ, AK etc which have some problems continuing on a 89T board and get him to fold out small pocket pairs (we arn't expecting him to fold 77 but he should fold 22 - 66 in a 3 bet pot on this board). You say he will check raise but is this a well-founded fear or are you just scared of a check raise? Does he check raise on this board? Does he call 3 bets and check raise c bets in a 3 bet pot on a board like this? These are all good questions to ask. Of course I don't know so against an unknown I like to a c bet here.

So once we c bet and he calls we expect his range to be sets, QJ, maybe stubborn overcards some of the time, and any jack. Since we arn't doing fantastic against this range when he checks to us I would check behind (normally this will happen so for one half pot c bet you get to see both the turn and river with your draw) and try to hit my draw. KJo is never ahead of a turn bet calling range here in a 3 bet pot, imo. I am surprised this guy even had 77 and even so it still beats you.

My fear of the x/r isn't really based on anything =).

I didn't mean to post results, but I was pretty surprised also this guy has 77 in his range. So just depolarize my IP 3b range and maybe double barrel him on dry boards to get him off PP?

Yea absolutely depolarise your 3b range against him as for double barrelling it depends on board texture too. I mean if he has pocket nines and the board is 632 and the turn comes a 7 you can't exactly expect him to fold. Also you need to look at his entire range and the flop texture and how well it hits his 3 bet calling range. If his 3 bet calling range is broadways and pocket pairs and is similiar to an UTG raising range then you don't want to double barrel into it on some boards. He also might just be a donk who won't fold so you need a read on that. I would 3 bet him with things that have a lot of post-flop equity like suited broadways and big unsuited broadways like AQ and probably AJ (he will be calling with a lot of QJ and KJ and not folding those). You still need to exercise caution postflop though but really against guys like this you need to flop top pairs with strong kickers and be willing to get it in. So AJ, AQ, AK becomes like the nuts if you flop a a pair and you probably need to get it in.