Pocket queens

	Obviously, I want him calling with hands I beat, so this ‘please call me’ bet could entice him to call with weaker holdings

Despite being one of the top premium hands, pocket Queens perennially cause players heartache; they’re strong, just not that strong. One of the scenarios this month sees our pros facing an opponent who has a tendency to overbet when holding Kings or Aces. Is it time to ditch the ladies?

SCENARIO ONE

You’re playing in a $2/$4 no-limit game with four players. You’re under the gun with Q♣-Q♦. You bet $20, the button raises to $55, you call, and the blinds fold. Both of you have around $400 stacks, although you have him slightly covered. The flop is 7♥-6♥-3♠. You check, the button goes all-in for $345. In the past hour, the button has overbet all-in on the turn on several occasions and has shown Aces and Kings. Does this make your fold automatic? What did you think of the play pre-flop?

KARL MAHRENHOLZ
Without any previous knowledge of this player, it would be an automatic call for me. Against most players you are so likely to be ahead in this spot that a call is definitely a profitable long-run play. However, in this scenario we do have prior knowledge that this player likes to overplay his big pairs in this way. With only $55 invested in the pot, I would be inclined to give the player the benefit of the doubt on this occasion and make the pass.

I would, however, be watching his play carefully. If I see him using this move too often, or if he gets caught out making the play with weaker holdings, I would definitely look him up next time.

I agree with the pre-flop play here; although play is four-handed, I’m not sure I’d want to get my whole stack in pre-flop with Queens. This player seems like he is quite predictable post-flop and so I prefer just calling his raise and seeing how he acts on the flop, rather than putting in a third raise pre-flop.

CHARLES CHATTHA
I would pass here. Your opponent doesn’t seem very tricky, but relies more on getting paid when he has A-A or K-K. You’ve only committed $55 into this pot and the way I’d prefer to get my money in against this guy is when I flop a set or straight. It may be a bit frustrating having him overbet flops like this, but with a little patience you will get all his money. The play pre-flop is fine, against some looser opponents you could re-raise all-in, but against this guy, hitting a big flop then letting him bet into you seems the right choice.

RICHARD REDMOND
I would definitely pass and wait for a better opportunity in this spot. From the range of hands I put him on, the only two I reckon I’m beating are Jacks and Ace-King. Pre-flop I think a better play would have been a flat-raise rather than a call, to better define his hand and find out where I was.

SCENARIO TWO

You’re in a six-handed $3/$6 no-limit cash game and are dealt Q♠-Q♥ under the gun with a stack of $900. You raise to $21, mid-position player calls ($470 stack) and everyone else folds. The flop is 5♣-J♥-5♠. You bet $36, mid-position calls. The turn is 2♥, you bet $90, mid-position calls. The river is the J♦. Mid- position is pretty loose post-flop and has been willing to call down with lots of light holdings.

KARL MAHRENHOLZ
What an ugly river card to fall. This would have been a great spot for a large value bet on the river, should a blank have fallen (any card below a Jack) but when the Jack hits, it makes things much trickier. This is because much of his range, after his play on the flop and turn, is made up of hands that include a Jack.

His passive post-flop nature suggests he is likely to call you down with any Jack. However, he will also be calling you down with hands such as 6-6 to 10-10. The pot on the river stands at $303 and your opponent has $323 left. I think your only two options are to check and fold or to put in a blocking bet and fold to an all-in. The opponent is described as loose- passive, which suggests that if you check to him he’s going to probably check behind with hands you are beating and only really be betting a Jack.

My preferred option would be to make a blocking bet of around half the pot ($150), which is likely to get called by a pocket pair. This will allow you to fold to an all-in if he is holding the Jack.

CHARLES CHATTHA
On the river the pot is around $300, so I would bet $100 as a kind of blocking bet. This is telling him I have a big hand here, and if he pushes, I will have a decision to make. Obviously, I want him calling with hands I beat, so this ‘please call me’ bet could entice him to call with weaker holdings such as 9-9 or 7-7 as he has been doing previously in the game. I wouldn’t be too worried about the Jack on the river; I think he would have re-raised on the flop to find out where he stood if he held the Jack.

There is a possibility he has slow-played an overpair, but the A-A and K-K holdings would usually move in on the turn. The only danger seems to be him holding a five, in which case he will probably just call. If you are beat, you can be satisfied you played the hand well, and move on.

RICHARD REDMOND
This is definitely a tricky situation. If I bet and he re-raises all-in, I have to fold; his loose-passive nature means that he could have a Jack in his hand. I think a check-call strategy would work best as it may induce a bluff.

SCENARIO THREE

You’re playing in a three-handed $2/$4 cash game. You’re on the small blind with Q♦-Q♠ and a $400 stack. The button folds, you raise to $12, the big blind calls ($520 stack). The flop is 4♠-3♥-5♣. You bet $20, the big blind raises to $60, you call. The turn is A♦, you check, the big blind bets $80, you call. The river is a 10♠, you check, the big blind – a very loose- aggressive player – puts you all-in. Should you call? What did you think of the play up to this point?

KARL MAHRENHOLZ
The Ace on the turn was a very bad card for you. Not only did it complete the bottom end of the straight, but it also opened up another range of hands that beat us: A-3, A-4 and A-5 type hands. When the big blind bet $80 into $144, I would have folded. In certain situations a call could be justified on the grounds that the big blind could just be trying to represent the Ace, so you could call to see how he acts on the river, hoping for a cheap showdown. But even if you do make this call, you cannot call again on the river when the big blind pushes all-in.

On the river, the pot stands at $304 and it is costing you $368 to call. The only thing you can beat at this stage is a complete bluff. Despite the big blind being described as a loose-aggressive player, I don’t see any way we could justify a call here with Q-Q. Is the big blind going to be bluffing here more than one out of two times? I think it’s very doubtful and would fold.

CHARLES CHATTHA
You should never call with Queens in this situation; there are just too many hands that beat you. Once you’ve flat- called the bets on the flop and the turn, your opponent must be worried about your holdings and it would be unlikely he would move in on the river on a bluff. You’ve lost $150 – just wipe your eyes and find a better spot.

RICHARD REDMOND
I really don’t like the texture of this flop, especially as he was on the big blind and could have called with just about anything. The Ace on the turn makes things really ugly, and my Queens suddenly look way behind. I’d fold before I got sucked in any more. I don’t like the flat-call on the flop; I’d prefer to min (or possibly pot) re-raise to push him off.