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I was playing the following hand on 2NL cash microstakes recently:

Preflop MP1 (53BB VPIP 51% CB 75% FCB 60%) raises 3.5BB

MP2 Hero (90BB) with A♠Q⋄ raises with raises to 10.5BB

another 4 players fold

MP1 calls to 7BB

Flop (22.5BB)

J♠3♥6⋄

MP1 checks

hero bets 13.5BB

MP1 calls 13.5BB

Turn (49.5BB)

7♠

MP1 checks

Hero checks

River

4♥

MP1 bets 29BB (all-in)

hero folds

  1. Did I play this hand correctly?

My opinion:

The stack on flop was high already. Possibly I played to high stack comparing to my hand.

  1. How to overplay MP1 in the future based on his stats?
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  • Against a true maniac you should have pushed preflop. AQ is way ahead of a random hand.
    – paparazzo
    Mar 15, 2016 at 19:41

1 Answer 1

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I see villains stats, and I wonder how many hands were in the sample. Those seem to be short-term unsustainable maniac stats.

Secondly, is this a cash game, SNG, MTT, HU, Spin & Go? And how early on in the session/at table?

Thirdly, what are the actual stakes? You say micro but, 50NL or micro-micro like 2NL? At 50NL I cannot believe the stats are accurate. We need more hands. At 2NL It's quite possible those stats are accurate, even after 50+ hands.

Given my experience, and I ain't no pro, in most situations you played this spot well. I like the 3-bet pre. Folds out the SB and BB who often only call when they get the right odds. Simply calling would have probably given BB enough odds to call (8.5 BB in pot and they call 2.5, very good odds indeed). So good 3-bet barring some specific circumstances.

The flop is dry. Not like in textbook dry, but dry. but when he calls down the 3-bet most combos with 3's, 4's, 5's, 6's in them are gone, except pairs of such. So when he checks the c-bet is standard. I also like the size, we don't need it to be huge for most hands are not drawing and we don't need to lay odds to fold flush and straight draws.

When he calls, if their actual fcb is 60%, I would have shut down too. He's got a a big J, overpair, or set.

The 7 on the turn is interesting. Our pot equity drops a little bit, but not much (against reasonable ranges. Against 50% were way ahead).

If we are sure this player is thinking about the cards we may have, and not just the cards he has, it's possible he's calling us w/ AK-AT, KQ-KT, probably suited. You did check the turn b/c the call looked strong, yes? Did he know you would do that? If so, another barrell is probably justifiable here, planning to snap-fold if he shoves on us, and check most rivers on a call.

Against maniac fish, it's almost always best to play ABC poker. Flop sets, stack off. If they do want to play for all of it, play for it all when you know you are a favorite, like villain may be doing in this hand.

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  • I agree it seems likely to be a small sample, given that the CB and FCB stats are both round numbers, 75 and 60. Dec 14, 2015 at 4:05

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