Micro Stakes Online NL Poker Forums

Lets say we are on the button and the CO open raises (his stats are 24/20 over 50 hands, we don't know much about him) and we have a hand like AJ, ATs, KQ, KJ, TT, 99.

Those medium strength hands are better than his range but I run into trouble. I feel that 3betting just blows out the hands we were ahead of, and he continues with the top of his range. However when if I flat call I run into situations sometimes where I flop TP but he has me out kicked or has an overpair to the board.

When I have a larger sample on the opponent and have more stats to work with it becomes an easier situation, but I struggle when the opponent is relatively unknown.

Apart from KJo I flat all of them IP against TAGs opening anywhere. Then it's a matter of postflop skills. They will often make good draws or monsters to raise a cbet with with but yes sometimes calling down with 2nd pair villain will have us beat. Sometimes we will have 2pair, straights and sets when he has overpair as well.

Players in the blinds should effect your decision in these spots as much as the CO.

In what way, because we can't 3 bet these for value and they're not hands to 3b bluff with? Seems like you need extreme players in the blinds to change strategy with these hands.

Only the very loosest of fish cold call a raise then reraise. If there's a maniac I would still call/backraise, call/call I think. Can't see how a TAG who squeezes a lot in the blinds would affect these hands.

In what way, because we can't 3 bet these for value and they're not hands to 3b bluff with? Seems like you need extreme players in the blinds to change strategy with these hands.

Only the very loosest of fish cold call a raise then reraise. If there's a maniac I would still call/backraise, call/call I think. Can't see how a TAG who squeezes a lot in the blinds would affect these hands.

Because it sucks to flat a hand like AT and then have to fold to a squeeze from the blinds. When deciding between 3 betting and calling, one should consider the reactions of the blinds as well as the initial raiser.

I can understand that for the worst hands in flatting range. I never get enough hands (or see enough showdowns for reads) to get info on squeezing at my stakes not that there is much anyway.

How much do you combat squeezing by 3betting ATs (for what value or a bluff?) versus call/backraising with premiums?

When you 3bet ATs in general it will be a bluff. In a perfect world you would flat this to play in position with a versatile hand. When you have 2 aggressive tags in the blinds who 3bet a lot/squeeze a lot it might be better to 3bet yourself. Cold4betbluffing rarely ever happens and if it happens its often by a spewy lagtard and you aren't surprised by it.

When we 3bet we aren't gonna get called by worse pre, and taking a bet/bet/shove line on Axxxx might not be a great idea, basically its financial suicide so checking flop/turn/river for potcontrol/ keeping his range wide and weak/ getting him to bluff is often a good idea.

The way we make money when we 3bet ATs is because he folds a lot of hands that have decent equity against us: pp, broadways, suited connectors etc, thats fine, we pick up the dead money. Also IF he calls he is playing oop and usually our junk (when we miss flop) beats his junk (when he also misses flop).

Basically: FE + Initiative + Position + Villains usually play more straightforward in 3bpots = profitt.

Suppose you have 2 robots in the blinds who fold ALL hands in the blinds then flatting ATs might be the most +ev, but against aggressive players the ev of 3betting gets better and that of flatting worse.

Another example: if you have a passive tag in the sb and a 60/5 fish in the bb for obvious reasons flatting is better. You have a pretty decent hand to play a 3way pot in position with. Also IR has to be a bit more honest cause in general fish dont fold to cbets and he also has you to be scared of.

Hope this was of any help.

I see what you're saying. But I'm not always folding to a squeeze if it looks like someone squeezes a lot, I can 4bet the squeezer as a bluff with ATs, and start flatting with AA-QQ sometimes to intend to backraise for value and also call down multiple barrels if there is no squeeze.

So it's not just the two players but how you adjust with other hands as well.

I use A9s-A2s for 3bets as a bluff instead (and other weaker hands).

Yep, well i generalised. ATs probably is good enough to call almost any 3b with ip imo.