When is it profitable to flat call vs. 3b or fold to a raise @1/2?
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 15
When I get hands like kq, aj, aq, jts, jqs, suited connectors and am faced with a raise preflop I'm unsure if it's more +ev to flat call, 3bet, or fold. Against what types of opponents should I be three betting vs calling, or folding and what is the reasoning behind it? I know each of the hands I listed play differently, but I'm not good enough yet to really understand their preflop value. Thanks for any help.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,250
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,313
Against loose openers who also call 3bets wide, 3bettig with AJ, KQ, or sometimes even QJ, Kj, k10, etc is good. U cant call with speculative hands often against them cause they have too weak a range. Against tight players u only wanna 3bet with big hands like QQ+, AK and sometimes even less. U can call small raises if they'll stack off often wih tptk/overpairs on flush or straight boards
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 127
I don't think 3 betting hands like KJo in LLSNL can be +EV in 95% of situations. I need a little more info on a particular situation than given in the OP, but live players love to call/call pre-flop so if UTG raises they call and you 3b, your most likely getting called by hands like AJ, KQ, 99, etc.
Unless you have a made hand I would highly recommend against trying to buy a pot post-flop because most players will stack off with an overpair even in a 3b pot. If they lose they just chalk it up to a cooler.
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 941
Depends on the type of player.
Basically we need to know how many hands they are opening and how they react to being 3bet before we can properly adjust our 3betting hands.
1. Against players that open alot of hands, call 3bets wide and only 4bet KK/AA we should start 3betting a very wide range for value, such as 88+ KJs ATs etc.
2. Against players that open alot of hands and only 4bet their value hands (JJ+ AKs) or fold, 3betting any two cards will show a profit. However this type of player is quite rare and most players quickly adjust if you constantly 3bet them, usually by calling (so switch to option 1)
3. Against a player that opens a TAG range and calls 3bets alot, use a strategy similar to option 1, but with a slightly tighter range. TT+ AQo+ KQs
4. Against a player that opens a TAG range and 4bets JJ+ AKs or folds i like to 3bet a mixture of KK+ AKs and bluffs like K9s. This allows me to flat call with hands like JJ-QQ that fair alot better in single raised pots.
