$25 NLHE Full Ring: Bad squeeze

This is $30 NLHE

Villains in UTG+1 and MP1 are both unknown and the villain on the CO is a fish.
Basically I think I played this hand bad due to a bad preflop play. Here it is:

UTG ($30)
UTG+1 ($29.62)
MP1 ($31.85)
MP2 ($30)
MP3 ($30)
CO ($36.57)
BTN - hero ($33.94)
SB ($30)
BB ($30)

Hero is dealt As,Jh

Preflop ($0.45)

1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $0.90, MP1 calls, 2 folds, CO calls, Hero raises to $4.50, 2 folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, CO calls

Flop ($17.53) is Ah,Kh,9c
UTG+1 checks, MP1 checks, CO checks, Hero bets $9.60, 1 fold, MP1 calls, 1 fold

Turn ($35.77) is 9s
MP1 checks, Hero checks

River ($35.77) is 4s
MP1 bets $11.10, Hero calls.

Ok so I think I screwed this hand up preflop by making a squeeze play that I shouldn't have made. Here were my thoughts after the hand on why I shouldn't have done it:

a) the original raise is in EP so will have a very strong hand often and not fold to the 3bet

b) 2 of the villains are unknown so I don't know their ranges, how often they fold to 3bets, what hands they call 3bets with, what hands they 4bet with and what their postflop tendencies are

c) I am often going to get called by hands that dominate me, and I am very rarely (if ever) going to get called by hands which my hand dominates

I realise here that I have probably just answered my own question but would like some more opinions on it. Is this just a terrible spot to squeeze?

It's a good spot if the EP raiser is loose. Sizing is way too big. As played I'd go smaller on the flop or check.

baudib1 said:

It's a good spot if the EP raiser is loose. Sizing is way too big. As played I'd go smaller on the flop or check.

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How much are you making it pre, like 3.50ish?

$3.60 is probably standard so yep 3.50 is fine.

Ya $4.50 probably doesn't give you anymore fold equity than $3.60.

River is interesting. It's a fold if he's tight and/or tends to flat AA/KK/AK to 3-bets. if he bets AQ it's a call.

baudib1 said:

Ya $4.50 probably doesn't give you anymore fold equity than $3.60.

River is interesting. It's a fold if he's tight and/or tends to flat AA/KK/AK to 3-bets. if he bets AQ it's a call.

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Yea the player was unknown so since it was a small bet I thought I had to call since theirs too many hands I'm beating/splitting. He may of had a random busted flush draw and as you say AQ is a chop.

Keep in mind because of the flop texture and because it's a 3-bet pot he has very few flush draw combos. The best flush draw he can have is QJhh or QThh; Q9hh beats you and it's very likely he'd check/shove the royal draws.

His range becomes very different if it's Ac Kh 9h.

baudib1 said:

Keep in mind because of the flop texture and because it's a 3-bet pot he has very few flush draw combos. The best flush draw he can have is QJhh or QThh; Q9hh beats you and it's very likely he'd check/shove the royal draws.

His range becomes very different if it's Ac Kh 9h.

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Very true, I did think that there were very few flush draws out there but I have a bad habit of thinking anyone unknown is a fish since there are so many fish at a lot of my tables and fish like to play and even call 3bets with any suited crap.

I guess it should be the other way round and I should assume unknowns are solid until proven otherwise

i dont think AJ is a good hand to do it with because it puts u in tough spots when u hit an ace. Its definitely ok if u know the player a well and use it against the right type of player in this situation

Nh imo

bgomez89 said:

Nh imo

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So do you like the squeeze with AJ against and EP raise, even though it got me in trouble?

I play it the same except I size the flop a little bit smaller and ship the turn.

js520 said:

So do you like the squeeze with AJ against and EP raise, even though it got me in trouble?

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Ye, I generally don't like 3betting unknowns light but having a confirmed fish in the CO to 3bet for value makes it worth it in my eyes. Add to this that the EP raiser is not fully stacked making it likely he can call with worse and that he isn't playing positionally.

Only thing I don't like about this hand is not betting the turn. Are better hands ever going to let us keep that $11? Can we really ever fold to an unknown when he does bet? If the answers to these two are both no we may as well just get it in ourselves and charge the few hands that are behind to see the river.

This flop is never a comfortable position but it's really just bad luck that all four players called and your now commited.

js520 said:

So do you like the squeeze with AJ against and EP raise, even though it got me in trouble?

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Not generally but like deco says having the fish in there and not knowing if the EP raiser is a crazy nit makes me feel alright about it

Dont like the squeeze, with a potentially dominated hand like AJ especially 4 way.
The flop is the best you could of hoped for really, the turn is an even better card for you so as played just jam turn.

But im folding pre flop.

Squeeze is fine although too big. Also check flop.