Poker: Short Handed Against a TAG

[primelord]

It's been quite awhile since I have made a hand strategy post. I actually posted this on 2+2 as well, but I am curious what you guys think. I was playing in a 3/6 6 max game with a guy who is a firend of mine and a very solid player. I would say we play equally well both pre and post flop. He is a tight and aggressive player. We are the UTG and Button players in this hand. the SB is a loose passive player and the BB is another TAG.

Preflop: Button has 6s, 6d
UTG raises, CO folds, Button...

What is your immediate action and if you are going to continue in the hand what is your plan for the rest of the hand?

[QuikSand]

I am fairly likely to three bet a pair here, look for a ragged flop, and anticipate actions consistent with two big cards. If an ace falls, or if he bets out on the flop... I'll consider laying it down, but probably not just for one small bet.

I like three betting more than cold calling, though.




And then I'd get away from that table.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'm much more of an Omaha player now, but let me throw something out there just to further discussion.

First of all, I don't fold. I know it's hard to cold-call, but in a shorthanded game, the pocket pair could be big if you hit a set, and you have position. That leads me to wonder whether it's worth a reraise or just a call. If you call, the SB and BB are certainly coming into the pot because of their pot odds (at least that's my guess). If you reraise, you might wipe out the blinds, but if UTG has a big pocket pair (or even AK or a suited ace), you're definitely getting a cap sent back your way. That doesn't seem like a good spot to me.

Anyway, like I said, I'm an Omaha player, and these would be over my stakes anyway. Off the top of my head, I think I would call preflop. If it gets reraised once behind me, of course I call that raise when it gets back around to me. I look for a set on the flop. If it doesn't happen, I'd play very cautiously if anything higher than a 10 is on the board (I'd figure any of the three players to have a face card, although I think it's most likely with UTG or the SB). If it got checked around to me after the flop (not bloody likely), I wouldn't bet it without a set. I'd just get a free turn card and then be willing to throw my hand away if I don't make a set there. If there IS a bet on the flop in front of me, I'll call one bet and be willing to throw it away on the turn if I still don't get my set.

Of course, there are other things to consider like maybe nobody has paired up anything higher than what you have, and there are opportunities to bluff them off the pot, but I'll leave those possibilities up to other people to think about right now.

The Omaha player in me wants to ask "What are your other two cards, and are you playing Omaha Hi, or Omaha Hi/Lo?" :)

[primelord]

And then I'd get away from that table.
I meant to add a disclaimer that the table had just recently turned bad and I was waiting for my blind to leave. :)

[primelord]

If you reraise, you might wipe out the blinds, but if UTG has a big pocket pair (or even AK or a suited ace), you're definitely getting a cap sent back your way. That doesn't seem like a good spot to me.
Just to add something to the discussion for the moment. I don't really see him capping as a problem though. FWIW it is highly unlikely he would cap with just an suited A. So if he caps that greatly reduces the number of hands he could have. So whether he caps or not I have far more information than I did with just his original raise.

[QuikSand]

Just to add something to the discussion for the moment. I don't really see him capping as a problem though. FWIW it is highly unlikely he would cap with just an suited A. So if he caps that greatly reduces the number of hands he could have. So whether he caps or not I have far more information than I did with just his original raise.

My thinking also. Learn all you can while the betting is cheap.

Incidentally, I don't think a fold is a bad play here, especially if the tight part of his game is as you describe. I'm regarded as tight by most of my regular opponents, but I'll raise with all sorts of crap in that position -- KJ, 55, plenty of aces... lots of stuff that is in trouble against a three-bet. If this player is tight enough that you feel you can rule out a lot of these hands... then folding looks increasingly wiser.

But if it's me, playing against a clone of me... I three bet and find out more now. Good thing also is that absent a set, you have a very easy fold if you get checkraised or even (in some circumstances) bet into.

[primelord]

Incidentally, I don't think a fold is a bad play here, especially if the tight part of his game is as you describe. I'm regarded as tight by most of my regular opponents, but I'll raise with all sorts of crap in that position -- KJ, 55, plenty of aces... lots of stuff that is in trouble against a three-bet. If this player is tight enough that you feel you can rule out a lot of these hands... then folding looks increasingly wiser.
I should probably clarify his preflop standards. He is a tight player, but we play exclusively 6 max now and tight at 6 max is obviously going to be much looser than tight at a full table. Since we were only 5 handed I am certain he will raise hands as low as KTo and QTs here.