Line check....

This happens over and over with this villain.

1/2 nl
Stacks $200 effective

Villain: Player I know quite well. Always -- always! -- raises to $22 on button if it's checked to him or limped to him. Plays very tight in EP.
Hero: Regular in this card room. It's not totally clear that I'm on his radar screen, but if I am, he probably perceives me as aggressive and unpredictable.

Preflop, everyone folds to BTN
Villain on BTN raises to $22
Hero in BB with KQ 3 bets to $50
BTN calls

($100) Flop 972 rainbow

Hero bets $60

Villain folds



It happens this way every single time. He hasn't adjusted in four months of this. If I have a top 10% hand, I 3bet, he calls, and about 70% or more, folds on the c-bet. He never 4bets, and never folds to the 3bet.

So here's my logic.

1. I don't care if he steals my blinds, I just want to get money in the pot if I'm ahead of his range.
2. His strong pre- weak post- play is exploitable.
3. I like 3betting more than flatting because I feel it makes the cbet more dangerous, more effective, and more profitable given his pattern.
4. I've decided to 3-bet the top 10% of cards, giving me some showdown equity in case he calls the c-bet.
5. I'm usually committing a good chunk of my stack, but if I win $50 70% of the time and lose $110 30% of the time, I'm still ahead based on fold equity alone, not counting showdown equity.

I see two drawbacks.

1. I'm putting a good chunk of my stack at risk, and will be courting pot commitment with no guarantee of a strong hand on the turn. (But then, so is he, and I'm not the one open raising 11bb)
2. My play is easily exploitable. I would think that a skilled player could snap me off without too much effort.

Just because it's been working doesn't mean I'm playing optimally... so here are my questions:

1. What do you think about bet sizing?
2. I'm 3betting him on average one time out of ten. Is that enough? Too much?
3. Should I balance or polarize my 3-betting range here, in anticipation that he will eventually adjust? This is a tough question for me, because I really want to bring some showdown equity to the game.
4a. Is there an argument for flatting for pot control?
4b. The SPR cuts both ways here. I think it's an error for him to bomb the turn so hard with this stack size, because he's facing pot commitment on the turn just like I am. Is there a reciprocity issue here, and if so, who has the upper hand?

Interested to hear your thoughts.

"If it ain't broke don't fix it"

Lot's of 3betting threads in the micro-FR online forum COTW. You'll see some good answers there. Definitely start polarizing your range to include the top of your folding range to 3bet.

From a theoretical point of view. You know this guys range is very big when he bets 22 from the btn. You also know when he calls his range is still very big. But on the flop he plays fit or fold.

Seems that you could make money 3 betting and betting the flop with 100% of your range.

In other words widen your range in this situation until he starts playing back. Well 100% he might figure it out. try the top 25% or 35% of hands.

The only thing I might wonder, is if you checked the flop, does he now bet with 100% of his range....the you could increase EV by 3 betting preflop, and check raising (probably check shoving ) the flops...

Don't adjust before he does...this is very profitable for you..sooner or latter he is gonna hit flop or have aa/kk, but not enough to justify not 3 betting. He needs to win your stack (you are pot committed on your c-bet) 1/4. Of the time. If he raises the c-bet and you have air you can fold...just don't get crazy and start playing poor hands.

You should be looking to sit to his left every chance you get because this is a huge leak in his game that is very easy to take advantage of.