This guy I been playing with a while now, he usually leads up all flops he raised with bets...raises JTs utg, QJ utg, any pair utg, type guy...solid player..i think he has a decent read on me as well...idk yet if he has noticed we play a similar style...although I think my range is a bit wider, i'm not 100% sure, cuz ive seen him open from any position with sooted nectors..so i'm thinking we are more alike than he may have noticed...

I'm in sb with QQ, with $425ish, he has me covered and is on button.

he bets $16 on btn, I just call this time, and the bb folds.

flop

2s 3s 5x

I check, he bets $20, I call.

turn To

I bet $55, he raises to $150, I ...

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- Jordan

So you didn't want to scare him off pf because of his range of holdings and then this ragged flop hits.

Hmmmm, I see two plays here reraise preflop to $45 or so or reraise his flop bet to $80. I am probably more inclined to C/R the flop against this type of opponent.

As played probably still call his reraise but folding is definitely an option.

A solid player is raising your bet here a ton. Your play seems so weak overall that he probably thinks you have a mid pp and can push you off it. Since you underrepresented your hand, you have to call.

You've disguised your hand well here. And in this spot, Im rarely, if ever, folding.

He actually got a lil too cute and tripped himself up

This what I was thinking too. I thought I played it optimally given my opponent and our history.

I didn't call though, I pushed.

- Jordan

Why didn't you lead/checkraise the flop? Most players are gonna get themselves into a lot of trouble with a decent pair

As played I like your push

Basically, I took a way unusual line for myself this hand...but I had reason to...so that's why I'm personally OK with it, if some of you aren't, that's fine too.

I wanted him to think I was gay betting him with a draw that missed, and he'd raise...either with air himself, or with a pair like you've mentioned...if he did have a pair, and I lead, or check/raise the flop, well he's good enough, that if I came over the top, I think he gets away...but yea, that would be a fine line to use as well in most cases.

however, with my line, I think he could read me easily as having air myself and raising to simply push me out with Overcards, or if he does indeed have a pp himself, well maybe I stack him.

- Jordan

It's 50/50 on this hand for me. I don't know if I like pushing here because you played the hand so weakly. We know that the villian would raise on the button with just about any 2 cards with no limpers behind him, so why can we rule out anything on that flop that beats you. He could just as easy have A4 as 25. You MUST c/r the flop to see how good he is. If he pushes back over the top of you, then you can dump your QQ. But more than likely he'll fold/call. So, in respect, your flop play is horrible.

Be that as it may, on the turn, I like the push for the following reasons. 1, the villain has been raising many pots, and may be trying to push you off a mid PP if thats what he reads you for. 2, Villian still may have JJ-99.

But, I don't like pushing for the following. 1, he bet a raggedy flop, and you check called, which showed that you were scared of it. But, then, you bet the turn, like you were trying to take the play away from him, and he still raised you. He knows you have quite a bit of fold equity, so he can assume you won't bet unless you are connected somehow, and that you have seen him as a slight maniac. So, I don't think you get raised here by any hands that you can beat.

Bottom line, check/push that flop. The end.

Agreed. I find myself in this situation a lot. If you go to great measure to play a hand abnormally, then many times you are stuck having to make calls that you normally wouldn't make.

From what it sounds like, guy could have any two cards and be raising the blinds from the button. Since you can't put him on a hand, you can't put him on a hand that beats yours. I move in here as well, expecting to see a fold, and hoping for a call from a big ten. If I'm beat, thats what I get for being tricky.

Mark

i dont think check/calling a flop is ever good if you are scared..i wasn't scared, i did it for a reason.

yea, i did bet the turn, hoping he'd think I was trying to take it away from him, and he'd raise..which he did..so that worked.

i dont think he was a maniac...he was a good, thinking player...

i think a standard play is re-raising preflop, leading flop..etc..

check/pushing a flop, with what's in the pot now, is so ugly in a cash game it makes my head hurt. at least, to me..did you just mean, check/raise big?

and as for the bolded part, that's a big reason why I pushed...my goal of the hand was hoping he'd read me as weak (the c/c, then gay bet on turn) and raise me regardless of his hand...

- Jordan

edit -- i think i can add this now..i did in fact lose this hand, but I'm still happy with how I played it against given opponent.

what did he have?

I like this hand in its entirety

I agree with what mark says here.

Like the play though especially against someone that you are familiar with and he is familiar with your play.