3 betting with blockers in 1/2

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  • #1440
    Jma
    Participant

    What do you all think about 3 betting with blocker hands such as A-rag off or K-rag off? I have never try it in 1/2 games because I find most players in 1/2 will call with better A-rag or K-rag, and will call you down if they hit top pair.

    If you do 3-bet with them, what are your preflop strategy and post flop strategy?

    #1443
    Ian McClellan
    Participant

    I guess I am on the nitty side, but I wouldn’t really ever 3-bet an A-rag or K-rag – especially in a 1/2NL game. I mean, I am assuming that you are talking about someone leading out $6-12 preflop and you’re going to hammer overtop for 3-4x to try to get that money and whatever ‘dead’ is in the pot.. I just don’t think it’s a profitable play in the long term.

    To be fair, maybe I am way too tight and don’t have a large enough pre-flop range, but I’d rather make that same move with some suited connectors, A-X suited.. Where you know how you want to proceed pretty quickly post-flop, assuming the other player is going to call and see a flop.

    If the original raiser comes back with with a 4-bet, you just gave away 20 bigs, and you have to muck… if someone behind you left to act gets froggy and 4-bets with a monster (or not), you gave away 20 bigs have to muck.

    I’m not mad at someone who wants to take down a $10-20 pre-flop pot if you have a bunch of timid players and can get it through pre-flop a fair amount of the time… But I don’t personally play that angle.

    Best of luck, hope that helps!

    #1456
    Patrick
    Participant

    I agree with Ian, mostly because the range of hands that call you will mostly have you dominated. So you fold out worse hands and get called by hands that are huge favorites. If they re-pop like he said, you have to fold it. But what if they call, and you hit the flop… then what? You have A8 off and the flop comes with any A on the board… what do you do? Bluff more? It IS a bluff because you are sick if they call right? Anyone playing any big A is a huge favorite here. So if your 1 pair flop hands will always win you a small pot (because opponent missed) or lose you a big pot (because you are dominated) it seems like a losing formula.

    You’re better off bluffing with 89 instead of A8 where at least your hands will mostly be live, and easy to get away from unless you hit. And when you do hit big, it can be more disguised and maybe win you a big pot (or you fold a small pot).

    You’re almost never winning a big pot with Ax and Kx “blocker” hands. Blockers are way over rated anyway. especially in preflop decision making I wouldn’t even consider them. But maybe that’s just me.

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Patrick.
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