blonde poker forum

Trying to improve my zoom game at the moment, this hand has been running through my mind a little bit. I have a couple of questions about it. Firstly in this hand I have QQ. My opponent in the hand is playing VP: 28 / PFR: 19 / 3Bet: 14. I have a note that say called 3bet IP with TJs.

My thoughts:-

1) Would I be better to just flat preflop?

2) As played how do I respond to a 4-bet is getting it in OK with QQ here? I have gone through my hands from this month and have not seen too many times when people get in 100BB+ with a range QQ does well against. Is this fair or is my sample size too small?

3) Should I bet the flop. Had planned to check/call one street but people with continue on the turn so often so maybe I should just either cbet or check/fold?

4) After he has checked the flop check/calling the turn is OK? I was probably going to call on most rivers too unless he bet it really really big.

5) Is there any value in raising the river after I make a a set?

PokerStars Zoom Hand #110514404925:  Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2014/01/21 19:03:47 WET [2014/01/21 14:03:47 ET]
Table 'Hydra' 6-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: cdxp ($18.75 in chips)
Seat 2: hiikun ($27 in chips)
Seat 3: 33teetwo33 ($43.61 in chips)
Seat 4: tlaloc13 ($18.35 in chips)
Seat 5: jibi1983 ($9.53 in chips)
Seat 6: Smicha1 ($30.73 in chips)
hiikun: posts small blind $0.10
33teetwo33: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to 33teetwo33 [Qd Qc]
tlaloc13: folds
jibi1983: folds
Smicha1: raises $0.42 to $0.67
cdxp: folds
hiikun: folds
33teetwo33: raises $1.58 to $2.25
Smicha1: calls $1.58
*** FLOP *** [Ac 4d 6d]
33teetwo33: checks
Smicha1: checks
*** TURN *** [Ac 4d 6d] [Jd]
33teetwo33: checks
Smicha1: bets $3
33teetwo33: calls $3
*** RIVER *** [Ac 4d 6d Jd] [Qh]
33teetwo33: checks
Smicha1: bets $6.50
33teetwo33: calls $6.50

How many hands do you have on the guy? I would definitely 3b for value/call QQ pre against this particular opponent though know what you mean about it generally not feeling too great at 25nl zoom.

I personally would raise river and probably jam. More set and 2 pair combos than there are Ad/xd in his range (basically the only way he can have a flush) and if he can even vaguely hand read he should think you can never have a flush here, so ideally you'll get looked up.

I don't know these games but are we sure he can't have a flush? He very unlikely to have the nut flush, but 89 9T T8 all possible and I'd say KT and K9 are very possible too. 78 is prolly along with Ad/Xd as the flush combos I'd expect him to bet the flop with. I don't think the flop is an auto bet with a naked FD here.

I think the river is closeish...he can't have A6 A4 AA 66 44 and only 3 combos of AQ ( although Ad Qs makes a lot of sense) AJ very plausible as is JJ but I think given I think he can quite a few combos of flushes given he'd likely open all those flush hands for the cut off and very likely call the 3bet. And I think he'd bet the flop more often with AQ/AJ than he would with a naked DD hand I think I'd just call. So tempting though like amid says we just very infrequently have a flush so seems like AJ and especially AQ will have a tough time folding!

Would defo 3bet preflop vs the CO.

I do think 2 diamonds in our opponents hand is an auto bet for him as we can easily have KK-TT and just be c/f flop like so many people will do at nl25, plus people generally tend to play pretty robotic/standard styles at this level. Figured Ad/Xd might be the only one he might decide to cb.

Interesting. I would defo trust your judgement on this so I'm sold :-)

meh dont expect diamonds, river bet is pretty small combined with the fact there is a missed fd, ofc he can have it sometimes, but v rarely. i think Ax checks back river a decent amount of the itme, so hes betting undersets, 2 pairs, a couple combos of flushes and maybe 1 or 2 combos of good Ax like AK. I would just raise to 16.78 and expect all the 2 pairs to not fold and defintiely not the sets. gotta get dat value!

Given how he is playing, he may well have every single KT combo too - even the offsuit ones. No-one has mentioned this yet. Not saying this means we definitely cannot raise the river... just saying, that's all.

So do you guys think in general it is OK to get QQ in preflop at $25 Zoom? I have tried it over the last few weeks with really bad results. Sometimes I find AK but they seem to have AA or KK a massive amount of the time when I get 4-bet smallish. If I had faced a 4-bet here it is most likely OK to get it in Vs this player I guess but what about against a "random".

Depends on the player and positions. If a multi-tabling nitty reg opens UTG then it is not usually good to even 3bet QQ in the first place. If a loose aggro guy opens the button we can play for stacks happily. That would be the respective ends of he continuum.

The above ^^ should be obvious, but I thought it needed saying because of the way you phrased the question.

Isn't there a big difference between 3 betting in position and getting 4 bet by the original raiser compared to 3 betting from the blinds and getting 4 bet by a player who could peel in position?

If you had:

qq on the button and 3 bet an utg open who 4 bet

qq in the bb and 3 bet an utg open who 4 bet

wouldn't you be more inclined to get it in with the first than the second?