$1.65 NLHE STT: Top pair facing check/raise on turn heads up in 3bet pot

America's Cardroom - $1.50 Regular 9-Max - Level 6 (100/200) - No Limit Holdem
Hero (SB) (t5,712)
BB (t7,788)
Hero posts the small blind of t100
BB posts the big blind of t200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero Q♣9♥
Hero raises to t400, BB raises to t1,149, Hero calls t749

POT: t2,298
*** FLOP *** 2♠10♦5♠
BB checks, Hero checks

POT: t2,298
*** TURN *** 2♠10♦5♠ Q♠
BB checks, Hero bets t918, BB raises to t2,754, Hero ???


We've been heads up for awhile, and villain seems competently aggressive. Hero was at about an 8-1 chip disadvantage at the start of heads up, so there's a chance villain is getting frustrated. Thoughts here?

why is this hand in your 3bet defend range? it gets crushed by his semi-bluffs and his value hands, you are in position, but the stacks are shallow and you don't have initiative in the pot.

So basically, why are you defending his 3bet? is he 3betting far too much? is this the right type of hand to defend with? are there better options? what does this guy play like, competantly aggressive means nothing, what are his tendancies, and how can we make the most money from him?

WiZZiM said:

why is this hand in your 3bet defend range? it gets crushed by his semi-bluffs and his value hands, you are in position, but the stacks are shallow and you don't have initiative in the pot.

So basically, why are you defending his 3bet? is he 3betting far too much? is this the right type of hand to defend with? are there better options? what does this guy play like, competantly aggressive means nothing, what are his tendancies, and how can we make the most money from him?

Click to expand...

What I mean by competently aggressive is in relation to the player pool. Most players in these micro STTs have no idea how to play HU, so they're basically playing their same nitty full ring style once you reach heads up. This guy seemed like he adjusted to HU fairly well.

We had both been min-raising ATC on the button, so I expect his 3-bet range to be very wide. Probably something like all pairs, all aces, most suited kings, all broadways combinations, and possibly some suited connectors. I think defending this hand to his 3-bet range is reasonable given the price+position, but its close so folding is obviously fine. I don't really like 4-bet bluffing with no blockers for as much of my stack as I would have to commit.

If villian is 3 betting really frequently than the.... nah I don't like calling here pre if you think this best shove, I would likely fold most of the time but I don't like putting 25% ish of my stack in when we can find another spot. If he is 3 betting only the top 30% of hands you are a 3 to 2 dog.

Fold to the 3bet pre, fold to the turn re-raise.