Hero QQ $850 UTG+1 I am playing straight forward poker. I have not gotten out of line. I been at the table for about 2 hrs.

Villain ~$1500 CO. Latino, in his 20's, clean cut, some what chatty. Mostly raising when coming into pots from Ep, Mp, and Lp. I think he cbets almost everytime. He has been active at the table. He did run a 3 barrel bluff with a missed flush draw he was betting 2/3 pot otf, ott, otr. One hand he raised to $30 on the button after 2 limpers and got check raised to 110 to which he instantly mucked showing a deuce. He raised a few broadways and went to value town. He is defitnetly paying attention to what is going on and knows i am playing straight forward.

I raise to $30 after utg limps, mp calls, V raises to $120. Everyone folds to me I thought about reraising but decided to call. Mp folds. Pot $270

Flop 873 rainbow.

I check he cbets $165. What do i do? At this point, we are playing for stacks due to SPR. Call and reevaluate turn, check raise in the $360 range, shove? I put his range on over pairs or over cards?

Should I have re-raised preflop and what do I do if he shoves? What do you guys recommend on the flop? I know we are not supposed to label villains any longer but from my description what is he (TAG?) and how should we play him in the future?

From your description he is aggressive but definitely not tight (3 barrel semi bluffs, punishing limpers with a deuce).

I think flatting his 3-bet and 4-betting both have merit. You are OOP and likely have the best hand, so I lean towards 4-betting.

As played, I think you have to lead any non-A,K flop.

Reraise pf. QQ OOP against this player is tough to play post-flop.

Even on a dry board like this one, you have no plan.

I don't agree that you are playing for stacks if you just flat the flop. However, given description if you really think he thinks u are playing straight forward then raise and he will likely put you on a set. I would think he would fold JJ-99 here which would be good for you.

Also, I agree that you should 4-bet preflop. If he thinks you are playing straight forward he should fold anything worse than KK (and if he calls you bet flop)

This is a tough spot. It seems like from your description that your opponent is aware, so he could definitely be squeezing pre here. I really don't like the idea of getting in 170 bb's with QQ with your image, so I would flat pre. Though sometimes I would probably fold and not tell anyone.

Leading seems silly on the flop unless you are trying to induce. Your hand pretty much is always 99-QQ if you lead, and so he can play his hand accordingly. He folds his air sometimes, maybe raises it sometimes too. He probably calls with some TT and JJ once, planning to fold to a turn lead. With his better hands, he might sometimes call and sometimes raise, depending on if he thinks you're bet-folding.

I would definitely check this flop. After he bets $165, I would have to decide whether I am committing to the hand or not. Given this guy's description and the likelihood of a preflop squeeze, I would probably feel committed here. Raising is terrible. Assuming he actually is decent, he folds all worse hands for sure, and probably talks himself into getting in AA and KK because of the likelihood you have a smaller overpair and the fact that you are folding 88 and 77 a lot of the time to his 3-bet. So if I was committed I would check/and then tank call.

On the turn, you can certainly check again. He may give up with his air and he probably checks back TT/JJ and random air that made pairs. Sometimes with his air he will try to blow you off the hand and jam. He usually continues betting better hands.

Instead of a check, how about leading the turn super weak, like $125. I feel like against this particular player, a weak lead has a better shot at getting him to spaz out than a check. There is still about $450 behind, so he will definitely feel he has fold equity. Also, if he had TT-JJ or an 8 or something, he will probably feel compelled to call the $125, whereas he would have just checked back, so you do gain a little value. He probably still jams all better hands, but you were going broke to those if you check/call anyway.

Once we decide to commit to this hand, our goal is to keep his range as wide as possible. That means we need to get him to put in the last bet.

Fold pre-flop.

I know that QQ is a big hand, but you’re only losing $30. I would wait for a better spot. Like you said, he always cbets, so unless you flop a set...

And yes, don’t tell anyone at the table that you folded queens.

Against this type of opponent

Preflop: 4bet > call

As played, otf check raise. Pot is $435 after V puts in $165.

Flop: check raise > call >donk betting

I think if you lead donk bet weak he will raise you with his entire range.

Have you seen him 3-bet frequently or showdown light 3-bets? Your OP didn't mention it, so I am assuming you have not. Also, he is 3-betting vs. an EP opener and he is aware enough to know you have a strong range. He is also using 4x sizing IP and most light 3-bettors use 3x for their entire IP 3-betting range. All of this leads me to believe that he has a strong value range the vast majority of the time, something like JJ+, AK with JJ only being in the range some of the time.

I think I like the pre-flop call. If you were deeper I would prefer to 4-bet/fold, but these stacks make that somewhat awkward, and I am not folding QQ here to him (I would vs. a NIT)

On the flop, it somewhat depends on whether you are going to be playing regularly with him. If you are, then I like c/c flop c/f turn. If he bets flop and then bets turn, his range becomes much heavier weighted to QQ+ rather than AK or JJ (the latter might not even be in the range). So against a good reg you have to call here sometimes since I believe you are at the top of your range (you should fold 88 PF and would 4-bet KK), using that fact to tie-break towards calling makes sense. Folding is a bit too weak-tight, but I can see why it could make some sense being OOP.

I don't think I want to call him down here. He doesn't come across as so aggro that he would barrel AK all the way unimproved, despite that busted flush draw. If I were him, I would fire one c-bet with AK and only bet again on K+ turns, thinking that my flop bet could fold out AK, and that if you call your range is mostly 99-JJ, sometimes QQ.

P.S. If people respond 'You can't call flop and fold turn' to my post, they are mis-understanding how ranges change with additional action IMO. I totally think you can and should do this some of the time.

I saw him 3bet twice it didnt go to showdown, once it ended when he cbet the flop and the other when it got folded preflop. Correct me if I am wrong but he is not using 4x bet sizing its 3x +1 (mp called flatted the 30).

What?

How the hell folding out JJ-99 is good for hero on an 8 7 3r flop when hero is holding QQ?

I like the line so far. Call the flop and lead most turns

OP,
This is heck of spot and it is very hard to figure out the best course of action without knowing villain, his pre flop 3 betting range, and how he plays post flop Ina 3 bet pot when he is the 3 bettor.
Your biggest problem here is your lack of planning pre for post flop, and what you do on various flop (A/K high, low, 3 to the flush, etc)

Did you call to setmine? Did you call to fold to a c bet on A/K high board ? Did you call to continue on a flop lacking an A or a K? what would you do on the turn if continued on the flop?

I guess in a vaccume you are deep enough to peel one on the flop, and see what he does on the turn.

I really am not sure if it is better to 4b/f pre, or just call and decide post.

At this point, on the flop my plan was to check raise or call. If I checked possibly donk bet on a low card ott and commit myself. The thing is should we putting in 170bb with just 1 pair?

I am not sure of his 3 bet range as it never went to showdown.

I wouldn't commit myself here as when you do you will be beaten the majority of the time.

In this spot you can call the flop and decide on the turn since :
1) stacks are deep enough
2) the board is safe enough
3) there aren't many turn cards that would scare the heck out of us.
4) we are HU

I am not committing w/ QQ 170 bb deep. I call the flop to reevaluate on the turn. Most likely fold on the turn to continued pressure, making a note, and if V Ccontinues his aggression, i'd switch seats so he is on my right.

When hero has no clue where he is in the hand.

I honestly don't understand this forum sometimes.

1) 4-betting is OK, but not for the reasons people have been stating in the first responses.
2) If we're debating 4-betting vs calling pre, calling is way better
3) Don't lead the flop wtf.
4) C/R'ing flop is ******ed
5) So is c/c flop lead turn

I personally fold pre.

I'm never folding pre. You've got almost the implied odds for a set. Just because he 3 bet does not mean he has AA/KK.

Don't re-raise PF. That's just going to bloat the pot too early with a one pair hand that you still don't know where you're at.

For the same reason, don't c/r flop.

check/call flop. Check/call turn assuming no A/K. Play for pot control. He's capable of 3 barreling air as you said. You very likely still have the best hand here.

It would be helpful if you explained YOUR reasoning, rather than listing your thoughts as facts.

Yeah, let's narrow his range to hands that beat us and let him off cheap when we have the best hand.

Leading flop is so reg-fish.

Umm if this is actually true then we SHOULD be doing this DUCY?

ITT: bluffing with QQ on a low board in a re-raised pot.

1) You say villain has cbet "almost everytime"
2) You have seen villain triple barrel post flop on a missed flush draw
3) You flatted pre to keep villain's range wide...YOU DID NOT flat pre to set mine...let's make sure we agree on this!!

Given the above information that you have on this villain, you want to consider ch/folding?
If thinking this way, you aren't going to like alot of flops unless it has a Q in it...which goes back to planning post flop play while in pre-flop.

If I choose to flat pre, I would AT LEAST auto-pilot float all flops

If I found myself in situations where I constantly stray from my plan, or end up second guessing myself, or being out of position against a competent/better player, I can see merits to 4betting pre to $225. BUT if I flat pre, it is with the intentions of at least calling flop (or raising or floating flop/chraising turn)

first mistake is not re-raising PF. Given the image you describe, cant Villain be doing this with AK, AQ, 99 1010... perhaps AJss? As played, shove. We crush a large portion of his range. I live for the opportunity to ship on THESE types of boards against THESE type of players.

This makes no sense. You first expect him to fold to a c/r because he puts us on a set. Then you say hE will fold 99-jj all of which we beat. Why would we want that? And then u say we should 4b pre because he will fold all worse than kk. Again. Not making any sense