$25 NLHE 6-max: AK 4 bet squeeze called, what to do

PokerStars - $0.25 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

SB: 109.6 BB (VPIP: 28.57, PFR: 20.63, 3Bet Preflop: 3.45, hands: 64)
BB: 103.88 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
UTG: 78.16 BB (VPIP: 25.84, PFR: 13.48, 3Bet Preflop: 2.78, Hands: 91)
Hero (MP): 240.68 BB
CO: 115.68 BB (VPIP: 32.65, PFR: 12.24, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 49)
BTN: 141.72 BB (VPIP: 88.46, PFR: 46.15, 3Bet Preflop: 23.08, Hands: 26)

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has K:diamond: A:spade:

fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, CO raises to 9 BB, BTN calls 9 BB, fold, fold, Hero raises to 30.24 BB, CO calls 21.24 BB, fold

Flop: (70.88 BB, 2 players) 6:heart: 9:heart: J:spade:
Hero ???

What do you think about pre flop sizing? 85bb effective behind on flop

I think we should call or fold preflop, leaning towards a call. But a fold is fine too. CO is a nit 3-betting you, and he has a 0% 3-bet PF over 49 hands. Although this is not a large sample, he most likely has a very very tight 3-bet %. Probably QQ+/AK, and we do not have good equity against that range. Also lots of RIO; hard to get away when you make TPTK.

Calling is okay, because we have decent pot odds, are involved with a fish who is semi-deep, and it's very unlikely we're getting bluffed by the nit with air multi-way with the fishy BTN in the pot.

And when you 4-bet someone with a nutted 3-bet range, you are never going to get him to fold. AK gets its value from fold equity, and you have none here. And if he 5-bet jams over your 4-bet, you effectively priced yourself in to calling. And almost every single time you will see AA or KK. When he calls here, he most likely has QQ or AK but wouldn't be surprised to see AA or KK if he decided to get tricky in order to get the fish to come along.

Check-folding flop is probably the best play.

4 betting to 23-25 bb achieves the same result if he had decided to 3 bet you light and chooses to fold to the 4bet. But as was pointed out if he shoves and you are going to fold then 30 is a waste of 5-7bb.
It's too early stats wise to range him properly but as his vpip is over 30 I could still see him calling ip as wide as 99+. 49 hands is too few to assume he's nutted.
I'm probably check folding on this flop texture though.
Just calling the 3bet is viable but unattractive.

Call the 3-bet. Both players are bad enough to pay you when you hit top pair, and you'll have relative position on the flop.

As played, whatever. I guess we check fold, since a 36/12 prolly has a pretty tight range here.

Fig, its Bovada so I will never ever have a sample size large enough figure out his calling IP range.

Isn't me 4 bet squeezing in this spot SUPER strong? I should have fold equity. Like anything under QQ should fold strong? I just really hate calling and playing AK OOP here because I am just asking to get into a tough spot and lose a stack. I guess CO could call light thinking if he calls the fish will come along so maybe he does call with 88+.

I do think I should of squeezed to 35-42bbs for max fold equity and setting up a pot sized shove on flops when called.

IPlay said:

I do think I should of squeezed to 35-42bbs for max fold equity and setting up a pot sized shove on flops when called.

Click to expand...

yuck. Not with AK for me sorry.
https://www.cardschat.com/forum/cas...er-vol-i-study-group-227214/post-2746397.html

Figaroo2 said:

yuck. Not with AK for me sorry.
https://www.cardschat.com/forum/cas...er-vol-i-study-group-227214/post-2746397.html

Click to expand...

I'm not saying shoving in this exact spot is good, but in general if I choose to 4bet AK in a spot like this I should make it larger for those reasons. The sizing would also be for when I hit.

I really don't like a shove in this spot myself but x/folding feelsbadman.

Pre is the most interesting spot but flatting AK feels bad when you consider we are 140bb deep with the worst position against TWO villains, one is an aggro fish that I can't fold post against if I catch and if he puts in a big bet on flop and CO is still behind me, then what? Maybe a good spot for a nit fold pre? I do like just 4 betting but larger and check giving up on this flop.

IPlay said:

I should have fold equity.

Click to expand...

It's 25 NL against two fish, soooooo.....

I feel like this is a shove or fold spot. I agree with Minh that you get a lot of fold value from AK but you also get a lot of equity and need to to see the river in hands like this against perceived tight players for the times you are up against AA or KKs

Yeah, 4-betting here IS really strong. But he is a passive fish with a 0% 3-bet that likes his hand, so he is probably not going anywhere 90%+ of the time. AK only gets its value from fold equity pre and post, and by getting dominated Ax and Kx to call. If you get no fold equity pre/post, and are probably not getting called by dominated Ax/Kx, I don't really see a point in four-betting AK here when you can just flat to keep the fish in and play some poker postflop.

Playing OOP is hard. It really does suck, but we need to get used to it. It's actually much easier here because both players are going to play super face-up since it's multi-way. People generally do not get out of line multi-way in 3-bet pots, and pretty much play fit-or-fold.

Given his stats, I think he has QQ+/AK when he 3-bets. If he actually does have this exact range, 4-betting AK is pretty suicidal and probably -EV. I think calling, playing some poker postflop, and keeping the fish in is a better option than 4-bet/GII.

Agree wouldn't we rather actually get into a hand with the fish and let them make postflop mistakes . why try and blast them out with a 4bet when we have a good hand. Yeah calling the 3bet looks better, especially if you don't want to call it off to a 5bet shove.

Just curious, what are you using for HUD in Bovada?

As mentioned several times above I'd flat the 3bet and keep the BB in the hand to pay us off when we hit TPTK.

As played, ch/fold.

Metsdude396 said:

Just curious, what are you using for HUD in Bovada?

Click to expand...

http://www.acepokersolutions.com/Bodog-Poker-Catcher/

Yeah, you guys are probably right, if villain in the middle was more reggish, and had 3 bet previously is 4 betting best?