Top pair on paired board

[Anonymous]

I was playing 1/3 last night when this hand came around. I’m around $400 at this point. Villain has $183.

UTG player limps, UTG+1 limps (Villain), HJ limps.

I look at KQs in the button and make it 15.

Blinds fold, limpers call.

Flop is K44 two hearts. Pot is about 60 after rake.

UTG checks, Villain bets 30, HJ folds. Pot is about 90

At this point I’m thinking she could be betting out with any pair from Qs to 9s, a smaller K or two hearts. A suited A of hearts or KJ / K10 suited feel like limp-call hands. I figure AK is probably three betting preflop. Obviously I don’t think AA or KK is limp calling pre. I decide to raise to 60.

UTG folds. Villain thinks for a second and rips it in for $168 total.

I think for a bit. I’m eliminating pairs under a K at this point and flush draws. I think KJ or maybe K10 suited could be shoving since she’s short and the pot is getting big. I end up calling it off for $108 more. She ended up having AK doubled her up.

So:
Where did I make a mistake here? Maybe multiple mistakes?
I think the button raise makes sense.
Should I smooth the flop? I don’t think I can fold.
Should I fold to the jam and put her on AK or a 4?

Thanks.

-Ben

[Dave Thompson]

You can certainly call on the flop rather than raise (and that’s probably what I would do in this spot), but all the money is likely getting in by the river regardless. When you raise with KQ pre, get called by AK with only 60 big blinds and get a K-high flop, you’re going to double her up. It’s just one of those spots. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were just unlucky. It could just as easily have been a Q-high flop and you would have won the pot or an A-high flop and you could have gotten away from it easily. By the way, AK should pretty much always be 3-betting out of position here.

[John S]

This is just one of those strange hands you see at the lower levels. If this is the type of player that’s limp-calling a hand as strong as AK, there are a few things we know about them – they’re weak players, they are going to play their hands face up, and they are never raising (and especially never 3-betting). Basically, an old man coffee (old woman coffee in this case?).

I like the button raise. You should probably go bigger to get less calls from limpers. Wouldn’t have affected villains call, but you don’t wanna take these hands 4 ways.

Not a fan of the flop raise. First you have to think about what she’s going to donk into you with. If she has a 4 she’s never folding. If she has AK she’s never folding. You want to keep her under pairs in. Is this type of player really calling with KJ or KT? So the only thing you accomplish here is charging the flush draws, but the min-raise is never putting the flush draws in a tough spot – they’re always calling.

On her 3-bet, there’s not a whole lot you can beat here. This player-type is just never 3-bet jamming a weak hand here.

You’re still losing money on this hand, so don’t feel too bad. I just think that raise and the call made you lose more than you had to.

[Anonymous]

Thanks both of you.

John, so are you smoothing calling the flop and playing it safe from there? Also, once the 3-bet was made, folding for the last 108?

I didn’t know much about her at the time, as she hadn’t been at the table too long.

[John S]

I’m definitely calling the flop. I don’t see a reason to raise here.

As played, I’m not sure if I fold on the flop to the 3-bet, but I’m certainly not happy calling. The line is just so strong. The donk-bet –> 3-bet jam is super strong. Unless you’re facing a manic, you’re almost never good here. And I’ve never played against a female maniac.

[Author]

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