Merge - $0.10 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BB: 51.4 BB (VPIP: 40.57, PFR: 13.40, 3Bet Preflop: 2.40, Hands: 429)
UTG: 253 BB (VPIP: 42.68, PFR: 13.41, 3Bet Preflop: 2.94, Hands: 82)
CO: 108.1 BB (VPIP: 29.26, PFR: 20.72, 3Bet Preflop: 4.92, Hands: 1,385)
BTN: 21.4 BB (VPIP: 45.77, PFR: 10.60, 3Bet Preflop: 2.38, Hands: 2,466)
Hero (SB): 138 BB

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has K A

fold, CO raises to 2.6 BB, fold, Hero raises to 7.9 BB, fold, CO raises to 20.5 BB, Hero calls 12.6 BB

Flop: (42 BB, 2 players) 4 T 5
Hero checks, [color=red]CO bets 33 BB, Hero???


I called the 4-bet because he's a good player who I had 3-bet against 3 times previously, and I figured he was good enough to 4-bet me without just AA or KK thinking I was 3-betting him light. After his large bet on the flop, I put him on a big pair, or best case was we were chopping.

4 bet pre to avoid being in this spot 2/3 times otf.

Standard spot to ship it preflop IMHO. We block AA/KK, we're in okay shape against everything else when called, and as you said a reg can absolutely 4-bet wider than just KK+ here if they feel the SB is 3-betting light.

Shove pre.

get it in pre;
- u have FE
- u block AA/KK
- u don't have to face these kinda spots.

5bet GII pre

I'm shippin as played

Super easy ship pre

More PF, shove at 100BB deep CO v. SB.

This is only a 5bet pre if you have decent fold equity. What do you think you’re getting called by when you 5bet?

Calling or folding pre are all viable options at this stake.


As played you have ace high and it’s not good odds so fold flop

^^^^ Called by QQ+ AK maybe JJ+ AK and we have fold equity. Calling the 3bet doesn't realize the hands equity preflop or postflop anywhere near often enough so from most positions i 5bet gii as a default vs unknowns. We can choose different lines with more info. I think it's perfectly ok being more cautious with JJ-QQ AK vs utg and mp opens in the micros though. The more aggressive we look the wider villains range.

As it is here vs a Reg we have over 1k hands on we have to become aware of how our range looks to villain. If our 4bet range is unbalanced and/or looks tight to a Reg certain lines might not be the best to take with certain hands. If we are quite balanced and aggressive then it's going to be fine to 4bet gii with these hands.

But what if we're 5-betting as we would and should be in this hand?

OP, 3-bet bigger.

^^^^Sorry yes , 3bet ranges and 4bet ranges included in what i mean though. Basically just need to be aware of what our perceived ranges look like vs regs. If we 3bet like 3% over a good sample it's probably not good to stack off AK vs people who have that info on us. If were 3betting closer to 10% it's going to be fine to 5bet these hands vs most villains.

Fold pre if you are going to end up flatting a 4bet OOP

yes flatting a 4bet oop, how outrageous!

Villain’s stats don’t seem to indicate a good player to me. PFR is too high, VPIP is too high, the gap is too wide and the 3bet is too low. He strikes me as one of those more loose Whaley regs who gets away with things because of some postflop ability.

I’m in the shrug jam camp, I’d think about flatting this if I were 3betting against HJ or EP.

Fold equity, reasonable equity when called, realise all equity yada yada yada...

It's not that I think it's "outrageous", it's that I'd rather do it with hands that are more playable postflop like suited broadway connectors. The flop and action (overly large bet--that might be perfect to win this hand in this situation but is overall bad for villains range) is why I don't like calling with this hand. Plus, I want it in my 5 bet jamming range in the vast majority of cases.

You might not have noticed be we have AK, it's a lot better than suited broadway connectors

Your logic for flatting a 4bet oop with AK makes no sense. If hes got bluffs, 5 bet him. How is flatting with AK the proper response to a read that he could be bluffing? ?? Does that make sense to you?