This was a $1/$3 live game I played at a casino with a $200 max buy-in. We were playing short-handed (only 5 players on the table) and the villain was a typical live reg (not great but not awful either). I thought I'd make a move on him and it went as follows:
Hero (BB) has $180
Villain (BTN) has $500
Villain 2 (SB) has $500
Hero is dealt ATo in BB
SB posts $1, Hero posts $3
Folds to BTN who raises to $12
SB calls $11
Hero (BB) re-raises to $50
BTN calls $38
SB folds
$101 in pot (2 players)
Flop shows K83 rainbow
Hero shoves ALL-IN for $130
What do you think about the way I played this hand? Clever and creative, or spewy and awful?
I don't mind it one bit. As played, of course you ship flop. The flop is very dry. V probably mucks a fair amount of
hands postflop here.
What is your image like on the table?
Do you think that V is aware of short handed dynamics? Does he adjust his ranges, and realize hands that are meh on a full table, are premiums 5-handed?
We must also beware that V is pretty deep. Most recreational players are not strong DS players, hence, they make shitty calls. I could see dude snapping with 9-9~J-J (or much worse) here, because he can afford it. Many players get deep stacks because they are a luckbox, and keep making hero calls, sucking out, etc, or just happen to be right in one of the bazillion hands they call down light (or lucky, whatever).
If he is not horrible, but not great either, he may find a fold here. But his call of the 3b alone
tells me he is too sticky (or maybe he has a great hand, and he is content to let you hang yourself). There isn't much IO for him here. Against an unknown live player, he should probably be folding a ton of hands to this 3b (if you're an unknown to him). I feel like this guy has a medium or high PP for some reason.
Most live players just hardly ever 3b light, or get out of line. Most are very predictable. Like he should have a damn good hand here to be calling a $50 3b with no implied-
odds, or a great read, both of which aren't good for you. I mean you have $130 back. He will be getting 2.4:1 odds OTF. Even if he's a drooler, he has to know you are shipping the flop when he calls the 3b. But will he fold a PP here OTF? That is the real question. Fold equity is probaby lower because of V being deep, and your stack size and
pot odds for V.
It's high variance. If you run into it here (like V snap calls with AK), it can be painful, and take you off your A-game.
If your mental game is solid, and you can play well after (if you lose, get powned, etc), then you can use this hand to your advantage in the near future (if you get caught). Even if we get it in bad, and suckout, we can use that to our advantage also, moo-aaa-ha-ha.
But, these kind of plays are risky at live tables. Whatever you do, don't try this on a calling station. There are a few of them out there at 1/2-1/3.
The point being, I don't think we have to take risks like this to win pots. It is a nice play, don't get me wrong, but very risky. Your opponents are just waiting to give their money away. There are much easier/low variance ways to get it.
I personally hate blowing up in spots like these, because it's tough for me to still play like nothing happened. I do a fair amount of
bluffing, but mostly IP, and I try to pick players who will fold postflop with less than TP.
Food for thought.