Live $4/8 game. Loose passive UTG limps, LAG MP raises, pretty loose passive MP+1 3-bets. I didn't like this 3-bet at all, as I didn't think he'd do this without QQ-AA or AK. Of course, I don't know this definitively, I just hadn't seen him 3-bet in the previous several hours, and he did it with no hesitation.

I looked down and had QQ in the big blind. Ugh. Maybe I should be fist-pumping over this, but I really thought MP+1 had a very narrow range to be 3-betting.

***[Side note: I had just won the previous pot, and in our cardroom if you win 2 pots in a row, and the 2nd pot has at least $40 in it, you have to post the $8 kill the next hand. I think this gives me less incentive to get involved, because if I win I'll be posting $8 of whatever I win right back, with a random hand. Not sure how much this should factor into the decision.]

I mentally grumbled and then capped. Since I am in the BB, maybe I should have just called with the QQ. If I was the SB I think the cap is mandatory (if I am going to play), but in the BB I think the only reason for the cap is for value, which was iffy at best. EP was so loose passive he was calling with whatever he limped with regardless, as were MP and MP+1.

Anyway, I capped, and of course they all called.

Flop was 3 low cards, rainbow. I can't remember the exact cards but it was something like 4-7-9 rainbow. To my surprise, the loose passive EP bet right out. This confused me, and I was worried he might have just flopped a set or something. MP folded (?), and MP+1, who had just 3 bet before the flop, only called. Unless he was slowplaying AA or KK, I figured MP+1 had been 3-betting with AK. I just called as well, as I thought EP had outflopped me.

Turn was a dreaded King. EP hesitated and then bet out again. MP+1 just called (again). I figured I was beat and folded.

I'm confused by this action. Did you cap preflop and then check this flop? How else could EP be "leading" when you're the BB?

How many hours is "several"? How many chances has he had to three bet (obviously not an exact # but is it raised to him a lot, or is it a lot of limping)?

I'd probably fold turn given that I played it this way, I just never would not bet and call a raise on the flop.

You're right, I wrote that down wrong. I checked, EP bet, MP+1 called, and I called.

"Several hours" against this guy is about 3. He didn't have that many chances to three bet, and I admit that I probably put him on a tighter range than I should have.

I also agree I should have bet the flop. Betting the flop and then bet-folding the turn would have made the hand a lot easier to play. It felt like I was taking a weird form of LHE pot control because I was so worried about what MP+1 had.

While I can see how you may have been concerned about villain's 3 bet range and considered not capping preflop, it really makes no sense to do so and then to donk check a flop with no overcards.

Agreed. I played that day for about 6 hours, and this is the one hand that bothered me the most. Because I felt like I really butchered it.

Low stakes no fold em game, probably getting 30 hands an hour max. We'll call it 30. Half the pots limped, half the pots raised, the raise came after the 3 bettor. So call it 20 hands worth

Guy who three bets 5% of hands (a tight range that's still smashed by QQ) can easily see 20 hands and not see one in his 3 betting range. In fact, if he's randomly dealt 20 hands in a row w/ replacement, the prob that none are a top 5% hand is 0.95^20 = 35.8%. It's just too few hands to be playing QQ scared on 974.

That's a good point. Thanks, jdr.

FWIW I felt like a real idiot when they turned their hands over. EP had JJ, and MP+1 had the other QQ.