BTN vs BB Cold Calling range
Run It Once Poker,
Hold'em No Limit - €0.02/€0.04 - 4 players
Hand delivered by CardsChat
UTG: €4.09 (102 bb)
BU (Hero): €4.00 (100 bb)
SB: €5.03 (126 bb)
BB: €9.59 (240 bb)
Pre-Flop: (€0.06) Hero is BTN with 5
♣ 4
♣
1 fold,
Hero raises to €0.12,
1 fold, BB calls €0.08
Flop: (€0.26) 3
♣ 6
♠ A
♣ (2 players)
BB checks,
Hero bets €0.17, BB calls €0.17
Turn: (€0.60) 3
♠ (2 players)
BB checks,
Hero bets €0.38,
BB raises to €1.32,
Hero calls €0.94
River: (€3.24) Q
♥ (2 players)
BB checks,
Hero checks
Villain is TAG type, based on limited sample.
Would you 3bet the turn or bluff the river ? what size would you choose?
Hello there quant1986, thank you for sharing your hand.
You said Villain is a TAG type. Is it:
A) More passive
B) More aggresive
We know that TAG players elect to narrow their calling ranges from the blinds. Many times they call, they are calling for excellent implied odds. They also will have a capped range most of times, specially from the SB.
Having said that, 54s is a clear fold versus this type of players (TAGs and NITs):
Can we open a bunch of suited connectors from the BTN?
A9s+, K9s+, Q8s+, J7s+, T6s+, 95s+, 85s+, 74s+, 64s+, 53s+, 43s, 32s (11.16%)
Yes, of course. We should open these hands when we have the ideal conditions.
When you open a 54s you are just putting yourself ina situation where a TAG player will call you with 64s, 74s, 85s, 95s, etc.
If the TAG player 3-bets you preflop to 3.3x, 3.5x, 4x are you inclined to defend your BTN?
I will open 32s, 43s and 54s versus a recreational player in the blinds, but I would fold to preflop aggresion. Versus a recreational that I have information that I can be bluffed postflop, otherwise, fold. This hand will not realize its equity so good and many times we would be behind when we hit two pair, trips, straights and flushes.
The Snow Ball effect and the postflop situation
The professional poker player, Nathan 'blackrain79' Williams comments a lot of times in its blog and videos about the snow ball effect, which stars preflop: having a weak preflop range will put us in very complicated scenarios.
We gotta be very serious when we are facing a TAG player, no matter if it is passive or aggresive. When we hit a flush here, most of times, a TAG player will never put chips in the table with a flush worse than yours. You are already dominated for the TAG's calling range. (It won't have worse straights either)
This is a flop where you could be checking in a higher frequency than C-betting. You cannot represent many strongs aces right now because you are in the BTN. The only reasonable explanation for a huge C-Bet as you did is that you either hit two pair or set and needs protection (A6, A3, 63, AA, 33, 66). Did you want BB to fold very much here?
People will scream and say that "
omg! I have OESD+Flush Draw, I should be betting here". It is okay that you have a pretty decent equity, but a nice place to be balancing our range versus a TAG player is a flop like this, where we are going to miss our draw a couple of times and even when we hit our flush/straight, the TAG's range will be ahead of us (RIO).
You C-Bet flop polarized your range quite a bit and attentive players will notice and explore it. Are you
bluffing a 100% of your OESD+FD versus all types of players? What I mean is, you are betting 100% of times all of yours OESD and FD, separated?
The turn is not a good card for our range. We have nothing in fact, but a semi-bluff, and again, since Villain checked, we could be checking to realize our equity for free.
You decided to bluff in a spot where you don't have too many values to represent (BTN vs BB, where button has a dynamic range and maybe BB has capped range, so BB's range is far away ahead of ours).
Again, you are playing exploitative game versus a regular (maybe) and you are going to miss a lot of value doing this: you make a c-bet turn a little bit more than 1/2 pot, which I don't believe it is okay because in the BTN we cannot represent too much, specially in a board like this, with so many busted draws.
When the BB check-raises turn, for such a tremendous size, I would simply fold and wait for a better opportunity. (I would not even open preflop this type of hand vs TAG's...)
This raise could only be value: if the player is a tight passive (AF under 2) almost 100% of times it is the cold nuts or a very strong value hand.
If the player in the BB is a tight aggressive (AF between 2.5 and 3) , maybe the player has some readings upon you and it is trying to bluff you. But, TAG's won't bluff you with pure air, ever. Either this TAG player has a better flush draw than you, two pair/boat with A6 or A3, or two overcards with at least one club.
After you call this huge raise and miss the river, what is your plan? Check behind river too see if 54s has showdown value? No, BB will have Ax, 3x, Qx, a bunch of broadways and overcards, so I don't see where our actions could be profitable in the long run.
Since you decided to float the turn, you should have balls and put all-in river with your missed draw. But you know that now you cannot represent anything and Villain will call you lighter than normal (precisely because of the busted draw board texture).
Try to open 87s+ versus TAGs when you are in the BTN. And Even 87s, do not open the 4 combos, open 3 combos and fold 1, open 2 combos and 3 bet light one (versus CO), open 2 combos and fold 2 combos in very NITTY or LAGGY tables, etc.
I hope it helps you.
Regards;
Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa