Not a specific hand but some common scenarios.

Our table (assume ~100bb stacks)
Seat 1: Hero
Seat 2: 12/8/2 TAGfish
Seat 3 ---
Seat 4: 22/18/5
Seat 5: 16/9 nit
Seat 6: unknown

Hand 1:
Seat 6 [unknown] opens UTG to $4, hero has 33/ATs/KJs. Actions?

Hand 2:
Seat 4 [aggro reg] opens CO for $3, unknown SB calls, hero on BB has 98s/65s/ATo. Actions ?

Hand 3:
Seat 2 [TAGfish] opens UTG $5, seat 5 calls, hero has TT/JJ/AQs. Actions?

I'm pretty much unsure about every one of these spots. What you think?

Hand 1

Call the sooted hands and 3-bet 33 often, sometimes call.

Hand 2

Fold all.

Hand 3

Call TT, 3-bet the others.

Bump-bump-bump.

Regarding 1 - I usually call all but I don't like it too much, maybe I'm nitty. Especially the 33, 3-betting it given position seems -EV in a vacuum.

2 - Regarding ATo - I think there are strong arguments for 3-betting, folding and calling. I usually 3-bet > call > fold. 3-betting/calling with SC is also debatable, given table I'd probably call. How bad is that?

3 - Is 3-betting AQs and basically committing yourself is recommended here given reads? In these spots I often rather to flat and play it ABC post-flop. Who 3-bets TT here and why?

Hand 1:
Call/Fold/Fold

Hand 2:
Call/Call/Squeeze or fold

Hand 3: Call all

i think these rather trivial preflop decisions can be some reg's biggest leaks..

in that case.... bump!

Haven't you got tagfish and nit mixed up?

based on the preflop stats

Hand 1: call 33, call or fold ATs and KJs depending on my mood. Usually call to be honest.

Hand 2: I don't really like playing the suited connectors here OOP against an aggro villain. You have relative position, though, so I'll take a flop sometimes. AT I'll often fold, sometimes call. I'll squeeze all 3 with some frequency.

Hand 3: Smooth call all 3.

Agreed.

H1 - C/F/F
H2 - R/R/R
H3 - C/C/F

Nice thread sir - interesting to see that the responses to these common situations are pretty different; hope more replies (including reasoning) will follow!


Hand 1:
Unknown raises UTG. We're UTG+1, still having a 12/8/2 on the button behind us and the 22/18/5 and 16/9 in the SB and BB ?

I don't like calling with ATs and KJs. Too many players behind us and I hate getting squeezed here, or seeing the flop without being last to act. Even if we get a multiway pot, these are not my favourite hands in such a situation.

If I'd play these, I'd rather 3bet. However, since the UTG raise is from an unknown, I think I'd just fold now and once I know a bit more about his play, I might repop later.

As for 33, I'd just call here. See the flop, hit a set. If not, so be it. I 3bet it sometimes but not against an unknown, rather not from this position and preferrably if there's more money in the pot. I saw someone said "3bet 33", but I don't see the point of isolating the unknown here? Don't we want to see the flop multiway?


Hand 2:
If the aggro reg has been opening a lot from LP for $3, and I've folded from the blinds a lot, I think all these hands could be 3betting candidates. Depends on how the game's been going I suppose, and history between Hero and the aggro Regular.

If I'm not 3betting, I'm def. folding the ATo. I'm probably calling too often with the 98s and 65s - and I think this may very well be a leak in my game?


Hand 3:
12/8/2 raises 5BB's UTG? 16/9 calls from SB? Hmmm. Pretty crappy spot if you ask me.

I think the AQs is the most clear-cut; either 3 bet or fold it. Mostly 3 bet I'd say. AQs OOP here is soooo annoying to play postflop, easily dominated by the UTG raise etc etc. So if playing it, repop.

I find TT/JJ more difficult. The easy option I guess is to just call and see what the flop brings, but say an all-under flop or a flop with one over is going to get us in a tricky spot. UTG raiser could easily have an overpair to ours, and the SB caller probably has a smaller pair. Not having position on the raiser could lead to us folding the best hand on the flop.

So I think if I'd just call, it would be strictly for set value. But I think these hands are a bit too strong for just that so I'm probably 3betting to 20BB here and would hate getting called by UTG. If he shoves I'm gone without much further thinking.


...This is just how I'd play it (comments are welcome of course), based on solely the given stats (assuming they're over a relevant sample size), but since a lot of these hands would involve possible 3betting, I think it's hard to give a black-and-white answer since a lot would depend on history the game dynamics.

Hand 1: Call fold fold (don't hate the call w/ AT or KJ assuming you're very cautious w/ it)

Hand 2: Call Call Fold (don't hate 3betting scs like 10-15% of the time)

Hand 3: Call Call Call (prob play all cautiously)

I didn't realize we are UTG+1 here, I thought we were on teh BTN. I call all here.

With regard to hand 2, you cannot play these hands profitable by just CALLING vs. a good aggro reg that has position and an unknown. Make the unknown a drooler and I call all day any day, but here we are just going to be forfeiting way too many pots since don't have a read on the unknown player at all. Sometimes 3-bet all three of them.

Hand 3

QQ would be a sure 3-bet and JJ is right on the edge for value. Tagfish will make bad calls here and often play fit or fold on the flop/ stack off with worse/ play their hand too obvious (its what makes them tagfish no?). I like to 3-bet AQs here because AK will shove >80% of the time pre and we can fold safely. Otherwise we let go og the value of the hand way too many times I think.

I think the AQs is the most clear-cut; either 3 bet or fold it. Mostly 3 bet I'd say. AQs OOP here is soooo annoying to play postflop, easily dominated by the UTG raise etc etc. So if playing it, repop.

i think just calling here with AQs is fine. we dont want to 3-bet here, for obvious reasons. AQ plays GREAT multi way, so i think our best option here is to call. folding is wayy too weak, and 3-betting is way to spewy imo

1. call 33, fold the others.
2. 3bet all
3. call all, i'd fold aqo here tho

1) Call/Fold/Fold - he is a total unknown after all
2) This kind of depends for me on the fold to 3bet% stat of the CO reg. The only one I might flat with is 98s. All three hands I'll sometimes 3bet with, fold sometimes.
3) Pretty much flat all three. UTG looks too tight to be looking to get these hands in preflop.

3-betting 33 in the first hand regardless of your position seems pretty awful.

Here's the short answer: Better table selection.

I''m really susprised the general consensus appears to be overcall the AQs in hand #3.

12/8/2 raises to 5BB UTG,
16/9 calls on Button,

and Hero should call AQs here from the BB ?

Yeah, it's better to just call and play CAREFULLY post. Not a good spot to squeeze. Nits openeing range from UTG murders AQ. Folding is also more than fine.

Hand 3 - calling is my default too. I'd 3-bet JJ though.

i think folding AQ pre is fine in hand 3

F/F/F, just a ****ty spot, not really ahead of even an unknowns range and cannot stand any further preflop heat, which our cold-call could induce. A call with 33 isn't totally hopeless and could be mixed in.

We're getting good odds to call with SCs, which I would mostly do. The ATo, meh, we're far enough ahead of the regs range to not consider folding and ip vs the unknown to boot, I would call:raise 3:1.

Call all, can't really raise TT/JJ for value and I don't like turning these premiums into a bluff. AQs I don't mind a fold, either, and that would prob be my standard if the TAGfish didn't suck post flop.

Nice thread!

Hand 1: call/call/call
No LAGs at the table so little chance we get squeezed. Let's see the flop, all hands looks great to me.

Hand 2: call or 3bet / fold or call / fold or 3bet
I'm definitely not folding 98s, this spot is pretty good for a SC (cheap multiway pot). 3betting is an option here too, but do it rarely against a regular.
65s is a much worse hand, i dont mind folding. 3betting is just too loose for me.
ATo: this is an easy raise/fold situation.

Hand3: call / 3bet / call
I like playing against looser opponents so i can easily 3bet all this, but i can't stand 3betting JJ here anyway