blonde poker forum

Hi All, first time poster so be gentle haha.

Playing live cash last night sitting at a £1/£1 table, been sitting for around 90mins with a pretty solid table image.

I wake up on the button with QQ sitting with just over £200.

UTG (very aggressive, feels like he's playing almost every hand) raises to £6
Folds to the Cut-off
CO (quite aggressive but seems to raise the UTG player every time they are in a pot) raises to £16

I make it £38 total from the button.
UTG folds, CO tank raises to £85. This is a very similar betting pattern to when this guy has gone to war preflop like 4 times previously so I probably didn't give it the respect it deserved (he handn't showed down previously) and I shoved... and he snaps me off with dem aces, DAMN!

I luck box a Q on the flop and take it down. I tought this preflop play was OK then the dealer (just after I tipped him, the cheek!) Said it was a bad play and the guy was almost playing his AA face up.

What do you guys think?

I think the dealer is terrible for having any opinion on the hand first of all.

Second I don't think many people are going to 5bet vs a cold4 with air too often and will nearly always peel when they have worse hands rather than 5bet.

If these guys are going to war then we can flat the button and give UTG more reason to 4bet then we can get it in.

Pretty rusty but I think without history vs this Villain its a massive mistake to get 200bb in with QQ in a 1-1 game.

'Massive mistake' is harsh, particularly as OP has pointed out the villain has gone to war preflop a few times already previously... I think given the described dynamic it's very hard to do anything but play it out as OP did. People will have different opinions but shoving with Queens in this spot is never that bad imo

This dealer is not getting tipped again by me after that comment.

Agree that 'Massive Mistake' is probably a bit harsh.  However just remember that because they guy has a high 3bet frequency doesnt mean he will have a high 5bet frequency vs cold 4bets. and just because he's going to war with the OR doesnt mean he will go to war with everyone else as well.

First of all, welcome to blonde buddy :)

Second, what on earth is the dealer on about :p Pretty out of line, in my opinion.

Thirdly, as for the hand, as villain is described in the OP then getting it in is absolutely fine. I play these sorts of games a lot, and while it is true that people rarely 5bet bluff, for sure they can overvalue hands and get it in with worse. If he's 60, wearing a suit, on an ipad, stacking his chips in 10's with his arms crossed and/or being berated by one of the twatty internet kids for not 3bet/5betting AQ on the button, then it's a different story. As I said though, against described villain with this table dynamic, getting it in seems absolutely fine.

Thanks for your thoughts All.

I think this is one of those that polarizes opinion (opinionated dealer aside).
I know its not clever but I think, subconsciously, I committed to going all the way when I raised in to the two most aggro players on the table...

Dealers should deal the cards, correctly announce bet sizes, control the action and get the pots right and they should concentrate and apply the rules.

Its a tough spot but i probably fold as described.

 I think people are getting massively results oriented in this hand and against a crazy aggy player it's a call, he'd easily be doing similar with all sorts of under pairs as well as all combos of AK

Yes and no, part of the point of flatting is that we are behind some of the time, we get to play a smaller pot in position (ie get it in crushing post sometimes, make good folds others) and that flatting a strong hand like this allows us to have a weaker flatting range in the future and play a deceptively strong hand in position this hand.

as described, incredibly standard.

dont tip the dealer again unless you win a 1k pot, then give him 50p.

I would be kinda worried for sure. But I don't think I could bring myself to fold, so all in I guess.

The best dealers are fast and don't make mistakes (obv) but have a subtle way of being funny/friendly without commenting on the action.

You're spot on... I wasn't happy about it but folding just wasn't an option. If I just called the guy was gonna go to town with any flop that had an A or a K whether he had one or not. I think the shove was my only option I. This situation

Yes, dealer needs to keep his nose out. He is paid to deal not berate/coach players.

Seems kind of standard to get this in I think...

I mean you could just call the £16 if you're worried that you can't stand further action, you're range is kinda face up (ish) but you have the very very top of that range which is nice.

I don't think that would be a bad option, I do think given the described dynamic between the players in this pot though you miss quite a bit of value not making the pot big preflop, guys who are over aggro preflop might not nessercarilly be over aggro post.