Absolute Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $2/$4
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is CO with 3 3
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises, Hero folds...

I'm new to table...

Not really. I think its worse that your new to the table. I sometimes(pretty rarely) make raises like this if I have a good image and I feel my opponenet gives up to easily on the flop.

i very rarely do, but i think its a mistake not to do it more.

ideally, we're at a table with loose opening ranges, but tight(ish) blinds. we're not stealing, so you'd think the button and bb need to pick up a hand to call here, but crazy things happen in SH.

even in full games, i think we need to be far more prone to 3-betting here. we have position, a "made" hand, and if we fall behind, it is usually obvious (i.e. an ace hits).

you may need to make an uncomfortable raise on the flop, and we're rarely betting the river, but i still think its a profitable play to 3-bet players who do not have very tight opening ranges with mid and even low pairs.

It is very difficult to play 22-44 postflop in these situations though. I need 77+ to 3bet here, and 55/66 if the guy is pretty loose, but lower than that is a muck.

Almost always.

We will often be able to get Villain to fold a higher pocket pair postflop.
And, assuming this turns heads up, it shouldn't cost us too much to see showdown.

I fold to any counter-aggression after the flop.



Theoretically...
If we had been at the table longer, I would have had a chance to establish a read on which players I can push off better hands.
So it would make this play easier.
But on the other hand, villains would have established a read on me that I like to try to push people around.
So they would be calling me down much more often.
Thus, I actually like this 3bet better when I am new to the table.


Folding your 3's preflop can't be too bad of a play.
And I've started to get away from 3betting with them when the initial raise comes from first position.
But in this situation, I usually go for it.


--CM