I just want to fold all of the hands

Suitedness means less in a HU pot than in any other....

what range for villain? 7%? 10%? 15%?

This isn't a stove question?

Stove equity means less in a HU OOP pot than in any other...

Assuming a normally constructed opening range for the early position opener that's not pair heavy, I'll defend hands with a kicker slightly worse than the openers worst kickers.

So if I think he's opening 88+, AJo+, A9s+, KJs+, QJs, and JTs, then I'll defend something like this: 66+, A9o+, A7s+, K9s+, Q9s+, J9s+, and T9s.

Basically it equates to defending a slightly wider range than the guy will open with.

This doesn't seem very logical to me. It's just a question of equity and implied odds. Vs a narrow range your equity is worse but your implied odds are a little better than normal. You want to fold 22 for instance? That hand plays great against a narrow range.

Online, I'd defend any pair against any opener, but in the small stakes games that I play in at Foxwoods, the implied odds are not there imo. 87s also comes to mind as a hand that relies on good implied odds to win back the preflop investment. I'd fold that hand live but call online.

This is a fun thread. Recap of last two pages



Lots of people raise, I have garbage, should I call?

Every one. Oh yeah easy call.

Live 9 handed 20/40....my image is tight TAG.

A tough winning LAG/TAG opens in CO.....he isn't one to go down without a fight.

Both blinds are very loose. Both will call 3 bets a decent amount. Both are calling one raise almost always. They are both passive post.

I am on the button. What should I do with these holdings....33-55, 9Ts, QJo,KJo

I am assuming the the CO is opening at least 40%....maybe more

In that exact scenerio, I'm folding all of those hands.

3bet 44-55, KJo vs. about anyone
33, T9s, and QJo can't be far off, especially with a 40% open
You realize a 40% range is like this:
22+, A2s+, K2s+, Q4s+, J7s+, T7s+, 97s+, 86s+, 76s, 65s, A2o+, K7o+, Q9o+, J9o+

Not really sure how to adjust here with loose blinds. On one side, calling 3 bets a ton means their range is garbage and you love their money + it makes the BTN play more straightforward. OTOH, having 44 in a 4 way pot even in position stinks on a lot of boards.

I'd 3 bet them all, but then again I've never played 20.

This is about right for his range. He knew that I was tight and was licking his chops anytime it was folded to him knowing he could get heads up with the fish.

I think hands like 9Ts and QJo slot pretty well as calls here. Hands like this allow me to get involved here and thwart his plans. If I can get him to tighten up just a bit that is good for me since I can't let him have the fish all to himself. These hands play well multiway and I have position. I think just calling hands after his raise creates confusion on his part since he is used to me 3 betting or folding. I would still 3 bet the stronger hands.

I think folding 22,33 makes sense. Even if I get the best case scenario and get HU with the LagTag he is not going to be easy to deal with post flop. I would 3 bet 44+ and hope to make it a 3 way pot or less. 44's have a bit more playability post flop.

How low would you go if you decided to just call on the button? Remember, it is a big win for me if I can get the LAGTAG to slow down.

I'm confused by the concept of slowing him down by cold calling with some middle strength range of hands. He's in the CO with a wide range expecting blinds to call, your adding some middle strength hands to cold call " thwart's his plans" in what way?

He,s trying to get Hu IP against the blinds. If I start to get more involved, then he can,t expect this desired result as much. Therefore, he should adjust by eliminating some of the hands he was previously opening. This benefits me because now I have more opportunities to be the one HU IP against the poor playing blinds.

But if your plan is to cold call with garbage and play fit or fold, that's actually helping his plan.

Plus, the hands listed probably rely on some dead money from the blinds folding sometimes in order for those hands to be profitable. If you call, then the chance of the blinds folding preflop drops dramatically and those hands are likely unprofitable as calls preflop because of this.

You may be reducing the co's ev somewhat, but it's probably at your own expense as well. I think the co's lost ev goes straight to the blinds in this case if you call with QJo or T9s for example.

Then why do you want to raise them all? That is the reason I said I would fold. OP said both blinds will call often even for two raises, so I assume at least one will call just about every time.

I guess it depends on just how often "a decent amount" is and just how "passive postflop" they are.

I don't think these hands are big money makers or big money losers either way. So do your thing.

10/20 live 10 players:

Reads:
UTG+1: loose ultra-passive
UTG+2: also loose, not quite as passive. Regularly takes 3! to the face.
MP1: maniac, has been raising/3! almost the entire time. He's slowing down now that's his chips are disappearing.
SB: LAG, but knows how to raise PF. Saw him limp J5s UTG, A7o from MP. Also saw him raise 3 limps with A9o.

UTG+1, UTG+2, MP1 limp, SB raises, Hero is BB with A3o?? If fold, minimum Axo we call?

The last time I folded A3o in the blind getting >5:1, I woulda made quads. Never again.

I'd call any Ace there.

I called, but it felt dirty not closing the action with a maniac IP. Remove the PF call from either UTG+1 or UTG +2....do you still call getting 7:1 and the maniac behind?

Yes, but I think it's really close without a lot of experience. If you're gonna blindly calldown with any pair of Aces, then you should probably fold preflop to avoid that error.

I would fold. The maniac is always a threat to LRR. The ultra-passive player could be limping with a monster or a hand that dominates me. I would want a reasonable Ace to go to battle with here. A8o seems about right but that's just off the top of my head.