Does anyone ever 3bet A9s in the LJ? Until this hand, my 3bet range for the LJ was 99+, AQo+, and suited broadways. I’ve spent years trying to crawl out from being a nit, and I wonder whether this 3bet was just too loose. What do you think about checking a whiffed flop three-way after 3betting pre? Thanks for your opinions.

1/2. 355 effective stacks.

V1 is an old and happy calling station, drinking his seventh beer in three hours (V2 was counting). He’s open-limping and limp-calling preflop, calling bets with bad hands to showdown. He just won $250 for the single-card straight-flush promotion with an A8o.

V2: in the last five orbits, he has open-bet six times and 3bet three times. He has check-folded the flop four times after raising pre. He has shown down only good cards. With his friends at the table, he is talking intelligently about opening ranges of another player.

Hero has a TAG image. In the last five orbits, hero has not called any bets preflop. He has once 3bet and twice open-raised large over several limpers.

OTTH

V1 in UTG limps. V2 in UTG+2 bets 10. Hero raises 30 with A9hh in LJ. V1 and V2 call.

Flop (85 after rake): 7h6s2c.

Checks through.

Turn Td.

V1 checks. V2 bets 45. Hero and V1 fold.

i think your 3 bet range is fine, you can add A2-A5s in CO and btn vs the right opponents/stack sizes. i dont think good players 3b more than 5% FR.

i wouldnt 3b A9s, in LJ i just fold it. i can see your reasons for doing so but in this position this is just too loose.

Well GTO wiz 3-bets A9s in the HJ 29% vs a 6 max UTG 2x open with a 17% range which includes ATo+, 80% KJo, 40% QJo, and suited hands like K7s, Q9s, J9s, T9s.

In your sit, it's not recommended but it's not the worst 3-bet either.

I 3b it only vs players who open too often. Thats how I get to the solver approved percentage whatever it is. Was V2 counting those V1 beers with his fingers or out loud? In this hand your 3b is not a good spot to do it. Possible the old drunk dude has a great hand, and V2 even while counting beers was able put in a raise when he only raises 10-15% of hands so far per your description. Im folding preflop in this hand and feeling really good about it.

Ed Miller's piece on Bayesian priors has really helped me in these sorts of spots with low sample sizes.

Bottom line is you have no reason to believe v2 is significantly different than any a typical low stakes player, i.e. fairly tight open raise range, and likely calls 3 bets oop with too many hands.

Feels like a fold to me, though I don't hate a call.

In general my default 3 bet range from ep bets is AQs+, Ako+, JJ+. I then deviate from that based on position, and based on proven info that the player is nor a typical low stakes player. I keep a linear 3 bet range with no bluffs until I know the person can be bluffed.

If he can count beers with his fingers or out loud, he can also count open-raises and 3bets (maybe also keep his mouth shut and his hands on the table, so not to reveal). I think I played this hand wrong not just 3betting too wide but betting into a calling station who gave V2 good pot odds. My goal was to get the shark to fold and isolate the fish, but the betting order was unfavorable for this goal in this hand. The more I played with V2, the more I realized that putting a lot of money into the pot with bad hands against good players is a losing strategy.