Quote:
Originally Posted by Gorgalosk
I don't have experience in max bet games either, but can you explain why you'd 4! here? I realize that the reads we have on V are weak, but if we are 4!ing what's it's purpose? Do we think this V is going to call with anything that we currently beat? I certainly don't think he's folding KK or AA so folding out better doesn't seem to be a valid justification either. I don't think there's anything wrong with calling here and seeing a flop.
Hero open QQ from early position, get 3 callers and a 4th player (in position) raises to $40 with roughly 100 BB's behind. SB & BB fold and action is back on Hero. First thing you need to do is construct a range in what the late position Asian male could be raising with. (IMO, 99+, AJs+ and AQo is a reasonable range for this player with no other reads). Then based off of that range evaluate between the 3 available options: Folding, Calling, or Raising.
Folding: Folding QQ to a single raise is extremely nitty. Against only the tightest of players should this raise fold out your QQ, or you'll be exploited in the long run.
Calling: with QQ, you have the 3rd best hand to start with in NLHE. If you call in this spot, you are potentially allowing 3 other players to come into the pot making this a 5 way pot with QQ out of position. By calling here, you are effectively set mining with QQ...the 3rd best starting hand in NLHE. Against the range that a late position Asian Male is raising with and all the potential callers in between, that is not the most profitable way to play QQ.
Raising: If I understand the rules correctly, you are allowed to raise up to $100 more on top of the bet ($140 in this case), not just to $100 total. I'd bet the max to discourage other players from tagging along hoping to isolate the main Villain HU. A raise here will almost always lead the pot to HU, which is more ideal compared to playing a 5 way pot with QQ out of position is not the worst case scenario. Stack to pot ratio of less than 1 also moving forward which simplifies post flop play. Raising the max here with QQ will create 3 typical scenarios:
1) everybody folds, Hero Scoops 30+ BB's
2) Villain calls, creating a 150+BB pot, with an effective stack of 50 BB's. Also, if main villain flat calls you are almost always ahead and will stack off on non over card board.
3) Main villain ships all in, Hero calls. Against the above range, Hero has 57% equity, a desirable spot to be in an AIPF situation.
All 3 of those scenarios are much more profitable than folding or flatting PF. In the rare case that one of the non-raising players flats your $140 before action gets back to villain, you're ahead and will have to rely on your post flop skills moving forward.
I don't think playing in a max bet game changes the dynamics too much in this particular scenario.