Villain is roughly 33/13/2.7 enough hands to be somewhat significant.

Villain raises in CO, I'm button with AJo. What's my play here? I think arguments can be made for all three options pre-flop. I'm also not thrilled about the prospect of playing this hand after the flop either, unless we hit it hard, I think it's gonna be very difficult to know where we're at.

Easy 3-bet vs a 13% pfr. You are ahead of his range. Well, you are 49% vs a 13 percent raising range, and since we have position, that should put us over the top.

It's not too difficult to play this post flop, either, IMO. Hard to articulate exactly how to play it without a specific example though. I'm not going crazy on an Ace high board, although I'm almost always getting to showdown. Same with a J-high flop. If I brick, I lead when checked to, or call a bet depending on the odds I'm being given, which will usually be enough to call drawing to 6 outs.

I will always 3bet this.

And I will play postflop aggressively until Villain tells me I shouldn't.

--CM

agreed. since he's probably >13% opening in the CO, we're certainly better than 50% against his range. given our position, its an easy 3-bet. i don't think its that hard to play post-flop, unless the flop comes low and he really starts pushing.

If you try, you can make some bad arguments for cold-calling. As an "almost always" rule, do not cold-call in this spot.

what situations would make coldcalling the superior play?

You'd be hard pressed to dream up a scenario where cold calling is acceptable.


It's a 3bet. Not close. A10 would be a 3bet, and THAT wouldnt really be all that close.



If his FR PFR is 13%, he is raising closer to (and often more than) 30% of his hands here if he's at all competent.
And even if your hand has less than 50% equity against his range, you're still doing alright being that you're in position.


IF you're scared of getting involved in situations like this, move down a level until you can do it without thinking twice.

Works for me too.

Is the hand folded to the CO, or is there Limpers before him?

If it is folded to the CO, his range of hands raising extends tremendously. He could be raising with A5, J10, Q10, 109-- anything to put the pressure on you to make a play. You have position on him and the rest of the table. By re-raising not only do you show him the strength of your hand, you most likely get the blinds out of the hand. You also may get him to check to flop, in which case you can decide how you want to proceed: check behind and take a free card, or stay aggressive and bet. Unless he 4-bets PF (which he would most likely do with AK, AQ, AA, KK, QQ, JJ), you can safely assure you are ahead if an A or J hits.


If there are limpres in the hand already, the hand changes a bit.

Cold-calling should be pretty rare in your game. Times when you might justify doing it if there's already a cold-caller or two.